In 2018, there were 87,325 live births registered and 113,477 deaths in the national territory. The number of live births of mothers residing in Portugal was 86,973, a 1.0% increase compared to 2017. The number of deaths of residents in Portugal was 112,955, an increase of 2.9% from 2017. The increase of the number of live births, however, did not counterbalance the increase of the number of deaths. This resulted in the deterioration of the natural balance (-25,982), which remains negative for the tenth consecutive year.