Preparing for Demographic Change in the Azores, Portugal

The Azores, a Portuguese Autonomous Region and EU Outermost Region, is an archipelago of nine islands in the Atlantic Ocean with valuable assets including its strategic location, UNESCO-recognised biosphere reserves and heritage sites, significant potential in the blue and green economy, and a thriving tourism industry. However, it faces distinctive challenges owing to its insularity, geographic fragmentation and distance from continental Europe. Its population has declined by 2.7% from 2010 to 2023, and the youth outmigration rate stood at 8.1% during the same period, over three times that of the total population. This study presents innovative approaches across land-use and spatial planning, subnational finance frameworks, multi-level governance arrangements and service delivery to address these challenges, demonstrating how strategic adaptation can act as a catalyst for sustainable development and regional attractiveness. The analyses provide valuable insights for peripheral territories across Europe facing similar demographic transitions. The report was developed as part of Pillar 2 of the European Commission's Talent Booster Mechanism, an initiative supporting regions in training, retaining and attracting people with the necessary skills and competences to mitigate the impact of demographic transition.