Resumo de Correio da Manhã -

Correio da Manhã, Lisboa, 2 December 2006: 45,000 LESS BIRTHS PER YEAR IN PORTUGAL The president of APFN, the Portuguese Association for Large Families, Fernando Castro, explains the birth statistics presented by the INE or the Portuguese National Institute of Statistics, that to renew the generations it would be necessary an average of 2,1 children for each woman. For this to happen there should be at least 45,000 births. This is not the case, because the present average per woman is 1,4 The prospects of fertility in Portugal are dark according to Fernando Castro – father of 13 children, with ages varying between 4 and 32. Since 1983 there hás been a fall in the births. As a result the demographic deficit has reduced by 900 the number of chidlren. This leads to closure of schools, and very soon the Universities will have to be closed as well. BLEAK FUTURE Fernando Castro emphasizes that the prospects for future are dramatic, because of shortage of labour this creates and the consequences for payment of pensions and sustenance of the social security system. This conclusion leads the head of APFN to defend that pensions ought to be calculated on the basis of the number of children. Within the same logic, Fernando Castro regards the referendum on abortion as a madness. DECREASE IN MARRIAGES It is not just a fall in birth rate. There is also a decrease in marriages.In 2005 number has gone down further, with a total o 48 671 marriages registered as against 49 178 for the previous year (minus 507). In 2005 there was a slight fall in divorce numbers (less 495), but there were 22 853 separations in 2005 and 23 348 divorces in 2004. Less marriages and growth of divorces are the other major social problemas in the country and provoke risky behaviour among the children, says Fernando Castro. The president of the APFN has no doubts that the marriage crisis is responsible for the risks of child pregnancies, drug and alcohol consumption, and other delinquent and criminal cases. Sign of times, states Fernando Castro, the average age of prisoners is increasingly lower. STATISTICS 109 457 new born The National Institute of Statistics gives for 2005, 109 457 babies in Portugal, plus 101 than in 2004 (109 356 deliveries) but less 3132 babies than in 2003 (112 589 deliveries). In 2005 there were 107 839 deaths recorded. 13 862 requests for residency In 2005 a total of 13 862 foreign nationals request the residence permit, which is more than the previous year, which recorded 16 462 requests. 275 906 foreigners As of 31 December 2005 (provisional data) 275 906 foreigners were resident in Portugal, which is less than in 2004 (263 353) which implies a reduction of 4,8%

Resumos Relacionados