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Arco da Calheta

Parish of the municipality of Calheta (Calheta), Autonomous Region of Madeira (Ilha da Madeira).

Arco da Calheta had 2.999 residents in the 2021 Census, 22,4% of whom were aged 65 or over, and 12,6% of the population aged 15 or over had completed higher education. It borders 3 parishes and its centroid is 6,1 km in a straight line from the centroid of the municipality of Calheta.

Population (inh.)
  • 215 – 635
  • 685 – 803
  • 812
  • 1.578 – 2.999
  • 3.188
Density (inh./km²)
  • 32,5 – 36,6
  • 68,3 – 110,2
  • 136,0
  • 203,9 – 290,5
  • 453,6
Area (km²)
  • 0,7 – 1,4
  • 10,0 – 14,3
  • 14,7
  • 22,2 – 23,4
  • 24,7
Quantile classes · current parish
Parish highlighted. Click a neighbouring parish to open its page. Geometry: CAOP2025, Direção-Geral do Território (simplified).

The 8 parishes of Calheta

Hover a row to highlight it on the map. Click a header to sort.

#ParishPopulationArea (km²)Inhab./km²
1Arco da Calheta2.99914,71203,9
2Calheta3.18823,44136,0
3Estreito da Calheta1.57814,32110,2
4Fajã da Ovelha81222,1636,6
5Jardim do Mar2150,74290,5
6Paul do Mar6351,40453,6
7Ponta do Pargo80324,7132,5
8Prazeres68510,0368,3
Code (DTMNFR)
310101
Resident population (2021)
2.999
Area
14,71 km²
Density
203,9 inh./km²
Share of the municipality (population)
27,5%
Rank in the municipality (population)
2nd of 8

INE, Censos 2021 (população residente por freguesia, geografia 2025, ind. 0014584); DGT, CAOP2025 (área). Population refers to the 2021 census moment, compiled by INE for the parish boundaries in force in 2025.

2021 Census in detail

Men
1.376 (45,9%)
Women
1.623 (54,1%)
Portuguese nationality
2.826 (94,2%)
Foreign nationality
173 (5,8%)
Ageing index
190,6 elderly per 100 young people
Private households
1.195
Average household size *
2,49 people
Dwellings
1.965
Classic family dwellings
1.964
Buildings
1.876
Buildings with 7 or more floors
0
With higher education (15+)
12,6% (334)
Unemployment rate *
10,26% (H 9,27% · M 11,41%)
Active / employed population
1.199 / 1.076

Population by age group

Population by age group0-14 years: 352 (11,7%); 15-24 years: 339 (11,3%); 25-64 years: 1.637 (54,6%); 65+ years: 671 (22,4%)0-14352 · 11,7%15-24339 · 11,3%25-641.637 · 54,6%65+671 · 22,4%
Residents by age group and share of the total (2.999).
Age groupTotalMenWomen
0-14 years352187165
15-24 years339172167
25-64 years1.637786851
65+ years671231440

Source: INE, Censos 2021 — indicators 0014630, 0014631, 0014627, 0014623, 0014621, 0014635, 0014636, 0012481, 0012328, 0014632, obtained from the INE indicators API on 24/09/2026 (licence CC BY 4.0). Parish geography of 2025 (CAOP2025). Nationality (Portuguese, foreign, stateless) is INE indicator 0014632. * Indicator published by INE only for 2013 parish geography (NUTS 2024); used because the parish has the same territory in both geographies (identical population by sex and age group). Ageing index = population aged 65+ ÷ population aged 0–14 × 100; share with higher education = residents with completed higher education ÷ residents aged 15 or over (our calculations from INE figures).

Neighbouring parishes

Straight-line distance to the centroid of the municipality of Calheta
6,1 km

Neighbourhood calculated from official boundaries: DGT, Carta Administrativa Oficial de Portugal (CAOP) 2025 (licence CC BY 4.0); two parishes are neighbours when they share a boundary segment. The distance is the straight-line (great-circle) distance between the geometric centroid of the parish and that of the municipality (in territories with islets, of the main part), not a road distance.

2025 local elections — Parish assembly

Registered voters
3.193
Voters
1.936
Turnout
60,63% (2021: 59,03%)
Seats
9
ListVotes%Seats
PPD/PSD
Partido Social Democrata
1.58781,97%8
CDS-PP
CDS - Partido Popular
1869,61%1
PCP-PEV
CDU - Coligação Democrática Unitária
1055,42%0
Blank votes261,34%
Null votes321,65%

Most-voted list, which elects the parish-council president: PPD/PSD.

Source: SGMAI — official results of the local elections of 12 October 2025 (Secretary-General of the Ministry of Internal Administration), consulted on 25/09/2026. Percentages calculated by SGMAI over total voters.

Parish-council contacts

Address
Rua Padre José Eduardo Faria, N.º 21
Arco da Calheta (CALHETA)
9370-050 ARCO DA CALHETA
Telephone
291822742
Fax
291822526
Email
jfarcodacalheta@hotmail.com

Source: DGAL - Portal Autárquico (Direção-Geral das Autarquias Locais), consulted on 25/09/2026.

More information

Coordinates
32,71342, -17,14778
Wikipedia
Arco da Calheta
Wikidata
Q241974

Source: Wikidata (data under CC0 1.0), consulted on 24/09/2026. The patron saint and coordinates are those recorded on Wikidata.

Sources: INE, 2021 Census (resident population) · DGT, CAOP2025 (area and parishes) · more details · Data updated on 24/09/2026