The infant mortality rate increased in 2022 from 2.4 to 2.6 deaths per thousand live births, in a year in which the number of births increased by 5.1%, official data released this Friday showed.
217 children under the age of one died last year, 26 more than in 2021, according to National Institute of Statistics (INE) vital statistics released this Friday.
These figures are reflected in the increase in the infant mortality rate from 2.4 deaths per thousand live births in 2021 to 2.6 in 2022.
The INE data also shows that the number of births rose to 83,671 in 2022, up 5.1% from the previous year, while the number of deaths fell to 124,311 (down 0.4%).
“The increase in the number of live births and the decrease in the number of deaths led to a weakening of the natural balance [diferença entre o número de nados-vivos e o número de mortes, num dado período de tempo]from minus 45,220 in 2021 to minus 40,640 in 2022,” but remains negative in all regions.
Of the total number of births, 42,925 are boys and 40,746 are girls, which corresponds to a masculinity factor of 105 (for every 100 female children, about 105 are born as boys).
With the exception of the Algarve (-1.3%), all other regions recorded an increase in the birth rate – the North (+6.2%), the Center (+5.5%) and the Lisbon agglomeration (+6.0%), INE reports. . noting that Madeira recorded the lowest growth (+0.8%).
INE also highlights that in 2022 the proportion of children born out of wedlock (children of unmarried parents) increased to 60.2%, representing more than half of all births in Portugal for the eighth consecutive year.
Nearly 65% of births were to mothers aged 20 to 34, 33.2% to mothers aged 35 and over, and 1.9% to mothers under 20.
The data highlights that between 2013 and 2022, there was a decrease in the share of live births to mothers under 20 and 20 to 34, respectively, by 1.6 and 5.3 percentage points (p.p.) .
On the other hand, by 6.9 p.p. the proportion of live births to mothers aged 35 and over has increased.
The mean age of a mother at birth was 32.2 years, and the mean age of a mother at first birth was 30.8 years. Between 2013 and 2022, the average age at birth increased by 1.2 years and the average age at first birth increased by 1.4 years.
In terms of deaths, INE indicates that out of 124,311 deaths, 62,615 were male and that in January and February 2022, the death rate decreased compared to the same months in 2021 (-40.4% and -16.6% of deaths, respectively). , with the highest death rate recorded in December (12,269 deaths).
Mortality decreased in the Center (-1.8%), in the Metropolitana de Lisbon (-5.4%), in the Alentejo (-3.6%) and in the Algarve (-0.4%).
The northern region and the Autonomous Regions of Madeira and the Azores saw an increase in mortality, with the highest increase occurring in the latter (+14.6%).
According to the data, 86.6% of the deaths occur in persons aged 65 years and older and more than half (60.7%) in persons over 80 years of age.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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