24% of population 65 or over

According to Pordata, the database and statistics page about Portugal and Europe, currently 24% of the total number of residents in Portugal are 65 years old or over.

"The inversion of the demographic pyramid is one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century in Europe, especially in Portugal, where the weight of the population over 65 years of age has been increasing. Today they account for a quarter (24%) of the total number of residents in the country, when a decade ago it was 19%".

A inversão da pirâmide demográfica é um dos maiores desafios do século XXI na Europa, especialmente em Portugal, onde o peso da população acima dos 65 anos tem vindo a aumentar. São hoje um quarto (24%) do total de residentes no país, quando há uma década eram 19%. #Pordata pic.twitter.com/OhCdFOppRm

— Fundação Francisco Manuel dos Santos (FFMS) (@ffms_pordata) February 18, 2024

According to data from 2022, 57% of citizens in this age group were women, whose average age was 76.1 years.

Only 13% reported having completed secondary education, and 6% were still working. In turn, 68% were satisfied with their lives.

According to Pordata, the number of citizens aged 65 or over in Portugal will continue to rise. This is because, if in 1991 people over 85 corresponded to just 7% of the population, this figure has increased to 15% in 2022. At this rate, it is therefore estimated that 23% of the population will be over 85 years old in 2050.