Silves: population and statistics
Silves has a population of 45,884 (2025) across 680.1 km², or 67.5 people per km². It ranks 68 of 308 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +15.4% between 2021 and 2025.
- 45,884 residents
- 680.1 km²
- 68 people/km²
- 82 m
Key points
Among the 16 municipalities in Faro, Silves ranks No. 6 by population.
Unemployment rate: 11.3% in Silves, compared with an average of 11.9% in Faro and 8.2% nationally.
Largest business sector: Accommodation and food services, with 17.9% of the area's businesses.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 33° generates about 1,687 kWh a year here.
Silves in numbers
Where is Silves?
Population of Silves over time
Silves had 39,760 residents in 2021 and 45,884 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 39,760 |
| 2022 | 42,505 |
| 2023 | 44,469 |
| 2024 | 45,572 |
| 2025 | 45,884 |
Did you know?
- “Population change between 2021 and 2025”: higher than in 96% of municipalities.
- “Unemployment rate”: higher than in 94% of municipalities.
- “Median selling price of housing per m²”: higher than in 92% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 95,246 football pitches.
- The nearest municipality is Lagoa, 5.8 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Portimão (78,125 residents), 10 km away.
- A 4 kWp rooftop solar system here would generate about 6,748 kWh a year, roughly what an average household uses.
All indicators for Silves
Value for the municipality, then the regional average and the national median (for counts: regional and national totals). The gauge places the municipality between the lowest and highest value in the country.
Population
| Indicator | Silves | Faro | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population aged 65 and over (2025) | 22.8% | 22.5% | 26.9% | ranked 230 of 307 | |
| Population under 15 (2025) | 13.5% | 12.6% | 11.7% | ranked 32 of 307 | |
| Ageing index (older people per 100 young people) (2025) | 168.9 | – | 229.9 | ranked 258 of 307 | |
| Population density (inhabitants per km²) (2025) | 67.5 inh./km² | – | 69.6 inh./km² | ranked 155 of 307 | |
| Population change between 2021 and 2025 (2025) | 15.40% | – | 4.50% | ranked 14 of 307 |
Housing
| Indicator | Silves | Faro | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buildings (2021) | 18,477 | 201,078 | 3,573,416 | ranked 61 of 308 | |
| Buildings built before 1946 (2021) | 18.9% | 11.9% | 12.8% | ranked 65 of 307 | |
| Buildings built since 2001 (2021) | 20.1% | 21.6% | 16.8% | ranked 85 of 307 | |
| Buildings in need of medium or extensive repair (2021) | 13.0% | 10.4% | 14.2% | ranked 182 of 307 | |
| Conventional family dwellings (2021) | 33,498 | 391,416 | 5,970,677 | ranked 47 of 308 | |
| Dwellings used as secondary residences (2021) | 41.4% | 36.8% | 25.8% | ranked 50 of 307 | |
| Vacant dwellings (2021) | 11.8% | 11.9% | 13.1% | ranked 196 of 307 | |
| Owner-occupied usual residences (2021) | 71.6% | 66.7% | 77.8% | ranked 236 of 307 | |
| Rented usual residences (2021) | 17.5% | 23.2% | 13.6% | ranked 93 of 307 | |
| Usual residences in buildings with 3 or more dwellings (2021) | 35.4% | 49.6% | 13.8% | ranked 62 of 307 | |
| Median selling price of housing per m² (2025) | 2,746 €/m² | – | 1,108 €/m² | ranked 24 of 305 |
Energy
| Indicator | Silves | Faro | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usual residences without heating (2021) | 36.5% | 38.1% | 18.6% | ranked 54 of 307 | |
| Usual residences with central heating (2021) | 4.2% | 5.1% | 12.6% | ranked 247 of 307 | |
| Electricity consumption per inhabitant (2024) | 4,218 kWh/inh. | 4,504 kWh/inh. | 3,690 kWh/inh. | ranked 115 of 307 |
Economy
| Indicator | Silves | Faro | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enterprises (2023) | 6,525 | 93,838 | 1,510,274 | ranked 58 of 308 | |
| Enterprises per 1,000 inhabitants (2023) | 146.7 | 166.4 | 128.1 | ranked 80 of 307 | |
| Declared gross income per inhabitant (2024) | 10,122 € | 10,657 € | 10,553 € | ranked 191 of 307 | |
| Purchasing power per capita (Portugal = 100) (2023) | 85.1 | 97.5 | 79.5 | ranked 104 of 307 |
Employment
| Indicator | Silves | Faro | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate (2021) | 11.3% | 11.9% | 7.0% | ranked 17 of 307 | |
| Average monthly earnings of employees (2024) | 1,270 € | – | 1,258 € | ranked 141 of 307 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Silves | Faro | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overnight stays in tourist accommodation (2025) | 287,246 | 20,782,405 | 82,011,658 | ranked 44 of 307 | |
| Overnight stays per 100 inhabitants (2025) | 628.2 | 3,596 | 275.0 | ranked 74 of 306 | |
| Share of overnight stays in local accommodation (alojamento local) (2025) | 29.5% | – | 18.4% | ranked 45 of 178 |
Education
| Indicator | Silves | Faro | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population with completed higher education (2021) | 14.1% | 18.5% | 13.2% | ranked 125 of 307 |
Sunshine and temperatures: Silves
Business sectors: Silves
Share of each sector in total businesses; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Accommodation and food services17.9% ×2.1
- Wholesale and retail trade13.4% ×0.9
- Administrative and support services13.0% ×0.8
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing12.7% ×1.6
- Construction9.6% ×1.3
- Professional, scientific and technical6.1% ×0.6
- Other service activities5.8% ×1.2
- Health and social work4.4% ×0.6
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Silves?
Silves has 45,884 residents (2025), ranking 68 of 308 municipalities.
How big is Silves?
Silves covers 680.1 km², with a density of 68 people per km².
Is the population of Silves growing?
Between 2021 and 2025, the population of Silves went from 39,760 to 45,884, a change of +15.4%.
Where is Silves?
Silves is in Faro. Latitude 37.183, longitude −8.433.
Population change between 2021 and 2025: what is the figure for Silves?
In Silves, “Population change between 2021 and 2025” stands at 15.40% (2025), ranking 14 of 307 municipalities; the national median is 4.50%.
Unemployment rate: what is the figure for Silves?
In Silves, “Unemployment rate” stands at 11.3% (2021), ranking 17 of 307 municipalities; the national median is 7.0%.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Silves?
In Silves, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 33° produces about 1,687 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Silves?
The nearest to Silves are Lagoa (5.8 km), Portimão (10 km), Albufeira (20 km), Monchique (21 km), Lagos (23 km).
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