In 1974, Portugal's population was 8.8 million, while in 2022 it totalled around 10.4 million and was more cosmopolitan, including 7.5% of foreigners.

The number of foreigners "increased 24 times" between 1974 and 2022, going from 32,057 to 781,247, according to Pordata, the statistical database of the Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation.

The demographic profile of the population has also changed, with 45% fewer under 15s and triple the number of over 64s.

In 1974, children and young people up to 14 represented 28% of the population (13% in 2022), while 62% were between 15 and 64 (63%) and 10% over 65 (24%).

"In five decades, Portugal was the country in the European Union where the senior population increased the most and the 3rd that lost the most children and young people". In 1974, there were 35 seniors for every 100 young people and, in 2022, 185 seniors for every 100 young people, thus becoming the country "that most inverted the position of its ageing index", going from 1st with fewer seniors per young person to 2nd with more seniors per young person.

The fact that people are having fewer children and that a person aged 65 can now expect to live an average of 20 more years (seven more than 50 years ago) also explains the demographic ageing.

On the other hand, "the increase in education, the greater participation of women in the labour market and the widespread access to contraceptive methods contributed to the postponement of maternity projects and to the 'shrinking of families'", explains Pordata.

Five decades later, women have their first child, on average, seven years later and births are now close to half (84,000 versus 172,000), as are marriages (36,952 compared to 81,724). The secularisation of society may explain the great decrease in the number of Catholic marriages (81% in 1974 and 27% in 2022).

On the other hand, de facto unions and divorces (which in 1975 became permitted for Catholic marriages) increased 24 times.

The number of babies born out of wedlock has also increased, which today are six out of 10, while 50 years ago they represented only 7% of births, and the average number of children per woman has decreased, from 2.75 to 1.43.

As for families, they had an average of 3.7 people in 1970 and now have 2.5. Households with five or more members decreased 22 percentage points (from 28% to 6%), while the percentage of people living alone increased from 10 to 25%. Families with two members increased 11 percentage points in the same period and those composed of three and four people, which represented 40%, are currently 36%.

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