In January 2021, 19,634 deaths were registered in Portugal, the highest number of monthly deaths observed since the beginning of the pandemic, and 7,772 more deaths (65.5%) than in the same month of 2020. Of these, 5,785 deaths were due to COVID-19, accounting for 29.5% of all deaths in that month.
In February, the number of deaths was still higher than the year-on-year number of 2020 (+28.7%), despite the decrease to 12,716. In this month, the number of deaths by COVID-19 was 3,594, the second highest after January, accounting for 28.3% of the total deaths.
The number of deaths continued to decrease in the months of March and April 2021, to 9,598 and 8,386, respectively, reaching numbers below those recorded in the same months of 2020. The number of deaths by COVID-19 was 508 and 117, corresponding, respectively, to 5.3% and 1.4% of the total deaths.
In January and February 2021, 5,912 and 5,651 children were born alive, respectively, 1,415 (-19.3%) and 708 (-11.1%) less than in the same months of 2020. In these months, the lowest monthly values were recorded since these data are available at Statistics Portugal.
The increase in the number of deaths and the decrease in the number of live births determined a sharp reduction of the natural balance in the first two months of 2021, reaching, respectively, -13,975 and -6,802.
In January and February 2021, 812 and 174 marriages were celebrated, respectively, 45.2% and 87.9% less than in the same months of the previous year. The drop registered in February 2021 was only surpassed by the one registered in April 2020, the month with the lowest number of marriages since there are civil registrations (117).