Portugal

The difficulty in having a home is one of the biggest brakes on birth

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Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 22/10/2026, 08:41:24 UTC.

Briefings

Portugal's fertility rate rose from 1.21 in 2013 to 1.52 in 2025, yet remains below the 2.1 threshold needed to halt demographic decline. The primary barrier identified by the Public Administration is housing costs and scarcity, exacerbated by a housing supply gap of approximately 300,000 units. Young adults in Portugal are emancipating at an advanced age of 28.8 years, significantly later than the EU average of 26.3 years, while 21.4% of the 15-29 age group live in overcrowded housing. Economic insecurity and the inability to reconcile work and family life further constrain family formation, with the average age of mothers for their first child reaching 30.7 years in 2025.

Key points

• The fertility rate in Portugal increased from 1.21 in 2013 to 1.52 in 2025, but remains below the 2.1 threshold required to prevent demographic decline.
• Housing costs and scarcity are identified by the Public Administration as the decisive barrier preventing young adults from forming families.

Context

The finding is based on data from the Public Administration's 'Portugal in Perspective' report and the UNFPA 'State of World Population 2025'. It highlights that while the fertility rate has risen, the inability to secure housing and economic insecurity are the main constraints on family formation.

Limitations

The evidence covers the period from 2013 to 2025 with a snapshot limitation. It does not include data on future forecasts or specific causal mechanisms beyond the identified barriers. The housing supply gap estimate of 300,000 units is based on the Governor's statement and may vary.

Generated by Bittrees-hosted qwen35-2b sha256:aaf42c8b7c3c on 22/10/2026, 08:48:24 UTC. Based on publisher-provided feed evidence; may not cover the full original article. Check the source for details.

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