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Calheta

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

Calheta had 3.188 residents in the 2021 Census, 23,1% of whom were aged 65 or over, and 13,9% of the population aged 15 or over had completed higher education. It borders 6 parishes and its centroid is 4,5 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)
310102
Resident population (2021)
3.188
Area
23,44 km²
Density
136,0 inh./km²
Share of the municipality (population)
29,2%
Rank in the municipality (population)
1st 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
1.445 (45,3%)
Women
1.743 (54,7%)
Portuguese nationality
3.046 (95,5%)
Foreign nationality
142 (4,5%)
Ageing index
175,7 elderly per 100 young people
Private households
1.231
Average household size *
2,54 people
Dwellings
1.963
Classic family dwellings
1.960
Buildings
1.667
Buildings with 7 or more floors
2
With higher education (15+)
13,9% (384)
Unemployment rate *
11,49% (H 10,63% · M 12,37%)
Active / employed population
1.367 / 1.210

Population by age group

Population by age group0-14 years: 419 (13,1%); 15-24 years: 341 (10,7%); 25-64 years: 1.692 (53,1%); 65+ years: 736 (23,1%)0-14419 · 13,1%15-24341 · 10,7%25-641.692 · 53,1%65+736 · 23,1%
Residents by age group and share of the total (3.188).
Age groupTotalMenWomen
0-14 years419217202
15-24 years341187154
25-64 years1.692796896
65+ years736245491

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

Arco da Calheta · Estreito da Calheta · Ribeira da Janela (Porto Moniz) · Canhas (Ponta do Sol) · Seixal (Porto Moniz) · São Vicente (São Vicente)

Straight-line distance to the centroid of the municipality of Calheta
4,5 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
3.543
Voters
1.896
Turnout
53,51% (2021: 55,12%)
Seats
9
ListVotes%Seats
PPD/PSD
Partido Social Democrata		1.26166,51%7
PS
Partido Socialista		29215,40%1
CDS-PP
CDS - Partido Popular		22611,92%1
PCP-PEV
CDU - Coligação Democrática Unitária		462,43%0
Blank votes191,00%
Null votes522,74%

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
Impasse da Estrela, N.º 2
Calheta (MADEIRA)
9370-139 CALHETA
Telephone
291823382
Email
geral@jfcalhetamadeira.pt

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

More information

Coordinates
32,72310, -17,17690
Wikipedia
Calheta (freguesia da Madeira)
Wikidata
Q2933919

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