Portuguese population over the nineteenth century: an overview.

In the last few decades, there has been particular interest in describing demographic patterns in the 19th century in Portugal. Parish-level research has made it possible to observe marriage, fertility, mortality and migration patterns all over the country. However, no attempt was made to synthesise the findings in order to reach a broader understanding of the Portuguese population dynamic over the period. Different parts of Portugal presented their particularities, which were mainly a consequence of regional socio-economic specificities associated with a larger context of demographic patterns (such as international migration streams). In order to fill this lack in the literature, this paper will present a review of the research findings at local and regional levels. It will also analyse data from the census of 1845, 1864, 1878, 1890 and 1900. The idea is to make a comparative analysis of what has already been studied and what the census presents, so regional and national patterns will be identified. In this way, findings of parish level will provide a way to better understand the country as a whole. As a result, it will be possible to observe the influence of socio-economic characteristics, urbanization and migration networks on population behaviour in nineteenth-century Portugal.