Social Changes and Better Health Conditions of the Portuguese Population 1974–2000

he main purpose of this chapter is to illustrate the most significant changes in mortality rates and health status and their impact on Portuguese society. For practical purposes, we have taken into consideration two major problems, and we have approached them following different methodologies. Firstly we detect changes in Portuguese mortality rates using some demographic indicators and correlate this to the broader socio-economic changes that have occurred. Secondly we focus on the role of the National Health Care System as well as alternative institutional support at all levels. The methodological approach followed varies according to the available statistical data on health and death. Official statistical data on population movements became of scientific interest at the beginning of the modern era, by the end of the 19th century. The records on population movements became reliable by the second half of the 19th century, although it was not until the late 1880s that the publication of demographic statistics began. This data provides information on basic mortality rates, fertility rates and migratory movements during the last 150 years. After 1864, a reliable general census of the population is made. Nevertheless, major changes in the global quality of data will not be introduced until the 1930s.