People in Madeira still live shorter lives than the average in Portugal. But is the island the region of the country where life is shortest? A fact-check by the newspaper DIÁRIO looked at the official numbers and rated that claim as false.
The answer comes from the latest mortality tables published by Statistics Portugal (INE), which cover the three years from 2023 to 2025.
Madeira's Life Expectancy at Birth Stands at 80.06 Years
According to INE, a baby born in the Autonomous Region of Madeira can expect to live 80.06 years. That is 1.79 years less than the national average, which INE puts at 81.85 years.
Madeira is one of the Portuguese regions with the lowest figures. Even so, it is not in last place.
The Azores Rank Last in Portugal at 78.69 Years
That position belongs to the Autonomous Region of the Azores, where life expectancy at birth is 78.69 years.
This means that, according to the official estimates, people in Madeira can expect to live 1.37 years longer than people in the Azores.
Northern Portugal Leads the Country With 82.31 Years
At the other end of the table is the North region, which has the highest life expectancy in the country, at 82.31 years.
The gap between the North and Madeira is 2.25 years. Compared with the Azores, the difference reaches 3.62 years.
Madeira Gained 0.49 Years Compared With 2022-2024
The figures also show that life expectancy in Madeira is going up. Compared with the previous three-year period, 2022-2024, the regional figure grew by 0.49 years, or about six months.
The gain was larger among men, whose life expectancy rose by about seven months. Among women, the increase was around four months.
Madeiran Women Expected to Live 82.68 Years, Men 76.83
Women in Madeira still live much longer than men. Life expectancy at birth for women in the region is now estimated at 82.68 years, against 76.83 years for men.
That is a gap of almost six years between the sexes.
Fact-Check Verdict: The Claim Is Rated False
DIÁRIO's conclusion was clear. Madeira is among the regions of Portugal where life expectancy at birth is lowest, but it does not hold last place. On the latest INE data, that place belongs to the Azores, so the claim is rated false.
Source: dnoticias.pt
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