Why Douro

Douro. It is undeniable the historical and cultural value of this demarcated region, the oldest in the World and World Heritage (UNESCO), also recognized for producing the most prestigious wines in the world.

However, this is also a predominantly rural region that is characterized, according to the INE, by a high rate of ageing population * (in 2018 presents the value of 225.9), associated with serious socio-economic problems.

The poverty indicators of the Douro region, coupled with other risk factors such as alcoholism, domestic violence and unemployment, require urgent intervention in the region, with a sustainable, long-term vision.

* Relationship between the elderly and young people – represents the quotient between the number of people with 65 (or more years) and the number of people between 0 and 14 years. Information PorData

 
POVERTY AND EXCLUSION
EDUCATION
ALCOHOL AND VIOLENCE
TABUAÇO
ALIJÓ
ARMAMAR
MURÇA
SABROSA
S.JOÃO da PESQUEIRA

Poverty and Unemployment

According to INE data for 2019, there are 2.2 million Portuguese people at risk of poverty or social exclusion, the most affected being families with three or more dependent children and those in which children live with a single adult. In 2018, 17.2% of the Portuguese population lived on less than 501 euros per month.
 
 Also according to INE data, in 2018 the Northern Region of Portugal had an unemployment rate of 7.3%, higher than Portugal's rate of 7%.
 
According to the IEFP, in December 2018, 137,025 people were unemployed in the northern region of Portugal, with 7.6% of these belonging to the municipalities of the Douro region.
 
As to youth unemployment, in the same period, there were 13 926 unemployed young people (under 25 years old) in the North region, representing Douro 8.34% of this total.
 
We also remind that in 2018 the youth unemployment rate was 20.3% compared to an average rate for the 28 European Union countries of 15.2% (source: OECD), in the same period.
 
"Children growing up in poverty or social exclusion are less likely than their better-off peers to do well in school, enjoy good health and realize their full potential later in life”.
EUROPEAN COMISSION| 2013
 
PIB PER CAPITA
PORTUGAL
15.702 EUROS
NORTE
12.900 EUROS
DOURO
10.370
EUROS
PIB PER CAPITA

Alcoholism

Excessive alcohol consumption is a deep-rooted factor in Portuguese society. According to the World Health Organization, the average consumption in litres of pure alcohol, in 2015, for people over the age of 15 years, in Portugal, was 12.5 litres/year (World Health Statistics 2016).
 
In 2014, 24.20% of the population in Portugal consumed alcoholic beverages daily (compared to the European average of 9.2%).

The northern region of Portugal met the highest percentage of daily intake (30.3%) for the resident population of 15 years or more, according to the data provided by the INE.
CRIMES OF VIOLENCE
DOMESTIC REGISTERED
BY POLICE IN 2012
NORTE
7.870

Ageing population and illiteracy

The population in the Douro is characterised by a rather high number of elderly, compared to the rest of the northern region of Portugal. The aging index * in the Douro has reached 225.9 in the year 2018, having contributed greatly (along with the Alto Tâmega and Trás-os-Montes) to the ageing of the population in the North. According to data of the INE, 2018 the average aging index in Portugal was 157.4. In the North the value rose to 156.4.

The ageing of the population in the Douro is reflected also in a high rate of illiteracy in the region (from 8.65%, compared with 5.01% in the North and 5.2% in Continental Portugal, according to the INE data of February 2011). This aspect has serious consequences in terms of school appreciation by parents and/or guardians for their children/students.
 
With regards to the early abandonment of education and training in Portugal, according to the INE, in 2018 the rate was 10.1% in the northern region of the country.
  
* Relationship between the elderly and young people – represents the quotient between the number of people with 65 (or more years) and the number of people between 0 and 14 years.
 
PORTUGAL
146,5
REGIÃO
NORTE
139,5
DOURO
203,2
PORTUGAL
5,2%
REGIÃO
NORTE
5%
DOURO
8,64%
ÍNDICE DE
ENVELHECIMENTO MÉDIO
TAXA DE
ANALFABETISMO