In 2025, there were 87,130 birth deliveries s in Portugal, 3,071 more than in 2024 (+3.7%), reversing the decline recorded between 2023 and 2024 and resuming the upward trend that had been observed since 2022. At regional level, the relative increase in the number of births in the Norte region (+5.9%) stands out.
The proportion of birth deliveries to mothers of foreign nationality increased from 26.3% in 2024 to 28.8% in 2025, with foreign mothers giving birth mainly in municipalities in the Algarve and Grande Lisboa. The most represented foreign nationalities remained the same as in the previous one, reinforcing their share of total deliveries, especially for Brazil (10.5% of the total number of births in 2025).
Data reveal that, in the last 20 years, the age of women in labour increased: between 2003 and 2025, the proportion of births to mothers aged 35 and over rose from 17,2% to 32,0%.
In 2025, 40.4% of twin births involved mothers aged 35 or over, whilst the proportion of single births among women of the same age was 31.9%.
The number of caesarean sections increased, between 1999 and 2024, from 27.1% to 38.6% of birth deliveries performed in hospitals.
