The Portuguese National Statistics Institute (INE) said the slow-down in 2018 was because of more migration (from 4,886 people in 2017 to 11,570 in 2018), while the natural balance worsened from -23,432 people in 2017 to -25,980 in 2018).

The INE figures showed that the Portuguese population is also getting older as the population under 15 fell to 1.407.566 (16,330 fewer) and the population aged 65 or over increased to 2,244,225 people (30,951 more).

The oldest age group (85 or over) increased to 310,274 (another 12,736), the figures released today show.