The Portuguese population totalled 10.49 million people at the end of 2012, which was down by 55,000 people against the end of 2011, Portugal’s National Statistics Institute (INE) said in Lisbon.

According to INE, the Portuguese population is the smallest it has been in the last six years and has been falling for three consecutive years.

The downward trajectory of the Portuguese population began in 2010, with a residual drop from 10.573 million in 2009 to 10.572 million in 2010.

But in 2011 the drop in the population was sharper, with around 30,000 fewer people, to a total of 10.54 million inhabitants and in 2012 the trend continued and the year ended with a total of 10.48 million inhabitants in Portugal.

In 2012, INE said, there were fewer births and more deaths, and this trend of an aging population continued as a result of the relative weight of young people falling from 14.9 percent in 2011 to 14.8 percent in 2012.

INE also said that net migration remained negative in 2012, with the number of permanent emigrants (51,900) once again exceeding permanent immigrants (14,600). (macauhub)