Alcaria Ruiva
Parish of the municipality of Mértola (Mértola), district of Beja.
Alcaria Ruiva had 630 residents in the 2021 Census, 32,5% of whom were aged 65 or over, and 7,2% of the population aged 15 or over had completed higher education. It borders 6 parishes and its centroid is 15,7 km in a straight line from the centroid of the municipality of Mértola.
- 329 – 442
- 630
- 735 – 750
- 816
- 2.504
- 2,4 – 2,9
- 3,0
- 4,3 – 4,5
- 7,8
- 10,3
- 71,5 – 104,0
- 135,9
- 166,7 – 216,7
- 275,4
- 322,8
The 7 parishes of Mértola
Hover a row to highlight it on the map. Click a header to sort.
| # | Parish | Population | Area (km²) | Inhab./km² |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alcaria Ruiva | 630 | 216,67 | 2,9 |
| 2 | Corte do Pinto | 735 | 71,46 | 10,3 |
| 3 | Espírito Santo | 329 | 135,92 | 2,4 |
| 4 | Mértola | 2.504 | 322,77 | 7,8 |
| 5 | Santana de Cambas | 750 | 166,72 | 4,5 |
| 6 | São João dos Caldeireiros | 442 | 103,95 | 4,3 |
| 7 | União das freguesias de São Miguel do Pinheiro, São Pedro de Solis e São Sebastião dos Carros | 816 | 275,38 | 3,0 |
- Code (DTMNFR)
- 020901
- Resident population (2021)
- 630
- Area
- 216,67 km²
- Density
- 2,9 inh./km²
- Share of the municipality (population)
- 10,2%
- Rank in the municipality (population)
- 5th of 7
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
- 314 (49,8%)
- Women
- 316 (50,2%)
- Portuguese nationality
- 608 (96,5%)
- Foreign nationality
- 22 (3,5%)
- Ageing index
- 476,7 elderly per 100 young people
- Private households
- 293
- Average household size *
- 2,15 people
- Dwellings
- 883
- Classic family dwellings
- 883
- Buildings
- 882
- Buildings with 7 or more floors
- 0
- With higher education (15+)
- 7,2% (42)
- Unemployment rate *
- 10,90% (H 9,09% · M 13,86%)
- Active / employed population
- 266 / 237
Population by age group
| Age group | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-14 years | 43 | 23 | 20 |
| 15-24 years | 57 | 27 | 30 |
| 25-64 years | 325 | 175 | 150 |
| 65+ years | 205 | 89 | 116 |
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
São Marcos da Ataboeira (Castro Verde) · Mértola · São João dos Caldeireiros · União das freguesias de Albernoa e Trindade (Beja) · União das freguesias de Salvada e Quintos (Beja) · Cabeça Gorda (Beja)
- Straight-line distance to the centroid of the municipality of Mértola
- 15,7 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
- 574
- Voters
- 411
- Turnout
- 71,60% (2021: 71,70%)
- Seats
- 7
| List | Votes | % | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|
| PS Partido Socialista | 306 | 74,45% | 6 |
| PCP-PEV CDU - Coligação Democrática Unitária | 88 | 21,41% | 1 |
| Blank votes | 14 | 3,41% | |
| Null votes | 3 | 0,73% |
Most-voted list, which elects the parish-council president: PS.
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
- Caixa Postal 7801
Alcaria Ruiva (MÉRTOLA)
7750-013 ALCARIA RUIVA - Telephone
- 286998123
Source: DGAL - Portal Autárquico (Direção-Geral das Autarquias Locais), consulted on 25/09/2026.
More information
- Coordinates
- 37,70819, -7,78339
- Wikipedia
- Alcaria Ruiva
- Wikidata
- Q912918
Source: Wikidata (data under CC0 1.0), consulted on 24/09/2026. The patron saint and coordinates are those recorded on Wikidata.
Services and territory
Education · Emergencies · Health · Fire services · Citizen desks · Climate · Rents · Codes · Bodies
Education
Infoescolas 2020 (DGEEC) lists 7 schools in the municipality of Mértola. The source names the municipality, not the parish.
- Escola Básica de Algodor, Mértola — Código DGEEC 209448. Ciclos no Infoescolas 2020: 1.º ciclo. A fonte indica o concelho, não a freguesia.
- Escola Básica de Mina de São Domingos, Mértola — Código DGEEC 209082. Ciclos no Infoescolas 2020: 1.º ciclo. A fonte indica o concelho, não a freguesia.
- Escola Básica de Mértola — Código DGEEC 209970. Ciclos no Infoescolas 2020: 1.º ciclo. A fonte indica o concelho, não a freguesia.
- Escola Básica de Santana de Cambas, Mértola — Código DGEEC 209727. Ciclos no Infoescolas 2020: 1.º ciclo. A fonte indica o concelho, não a freguesia.
- Escola Básica de São Miguel do Pinheiro, Mértola — Código DGEEC 209390. Ciclos no Infoescolas 2020: 1.º ciclo. A fonte indica o concelho, não a freguesia.
- Escola Básica e Secundária de São Sebastião, Mértola — Código DGEEC 209872. Ciclos no Infoescolas 2020: 2.º ciclo, 3.º ciclo, secundário científico-humanístico, secundário profissional. A fonte indica o concelho, não a freguesia.
- Escola Profissional Alsud — Código DGEEC 209763. Ciclos no Infoescolas 2020: secundário profissional. A fonte indica o concelho, não a freguesia.
See all schools in the municipality
There are no higher-education units (DGEEC) with an address in this municipality.
Bank branches are left out: there is no republishable national open list. NHS hospitals appear below when the official name includes the municipality. Fire services exist only for Lisbon (CML POI).
Emergency contacts
- Linha SNS 24
- 808 24 24 24
- Número europeu de emergência
- 112
National numbers, the same in every parish. Confirmado na página oficial de SNS 24. Source: SNS 24; INEM.
NHS hospitals
No NHS institution with this municipality in the official name. See the national list in the catalogue.
Fire services
No fire stations in this municipality in the open list we republish. Only Lisbon publishes a usable POI (CC0); INE series are counts, not directories. See what exists in the catalogue.
Citizen shops and desks
No Citizen Shop or desk mapped in this municipality in the AMA list. See the national catalogue.
Climate
1991–2020 climate normals for the station Mértola (IPMA no. 863), 23,4 km in a straight line from the geometric centre of the parish. Temperature and precipitation are those of the station.
| Month | Mean temp. (°C) | Maximum (°C) | Minimum (°C) | Precipitation (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9,6 | 14,5 | 4,7 | 48,3 |
| Feb | 10,6 | 15,9 | 5,2 | 40,7 |
| Mar | 13,2 | 19,0 | 7,4 | 49,6 |
| Apr | 15,1 | 21,1 | 9,0 | 48,8 |
| May | 18,5 | 25,4 | 11,5 | 39,3 |
| Jun | 22,6 | 30,5 | 14,6 | 9,8 |
| Jul | 25,2 | 34,0 | 16,4 | 1,0 |
| Aug | 25,3 | 33,8 | 16,9 | 3,7 |
| Sep | 22,4 | 29,5 | 15,3 | 23,4 |
| Oct | 18,5 | 24,2 | 12,8 | 63,1 |
| Nov | 13,4 | 18,3 | 8,5 | 56,7 |
| Dec | 10,6 | 15,2 | 6,0 | 63,1 |
| Year | 17,1 | — | — | 447,4 |
Source: IPMA, ficha da normal climatológica, período 1991-2020. Climate region: Baixo Alentejo e Sotavento Algarvio. Station altitude: 190,0 m. Distance calculated between the CAOP2025 centroid and the coordinates published by IPMA.
Rent and cost of living
INE does not publish the median rent for this parish (indicator 0014773, 2025 geography).
The consumer price index is national, not by parish. Year-on-year change in Agosto de 2026: 3,3% (INE 0014648).
Source: INE, indicador 0014773 (CC BY 4.0), Local housing rent statistics, 2026 methodology. Reference year 2025. IPC: indicator 0014648.
Postcodes and telephone
Postcode of the parish-council address: 7750-013 (Caixa Postal 7801, Alcaria Ruiva (MÉRTOLA), 7750-013 ALCARIA RUIVA).
Geographic telephone code of the district/region seat (Beja): 284. It is not exclusive to this parish.
We do not republish the full CTT postcode database. The parish council telephone is 286998123.
Public bodies
Junta de Alcaria Ruiva — Caixa Postal 7801, Alcaria Ruiva (MÉRTOLA), 7750-013 ALCARIA RUIVA · 7750-013 · 286998123 · [email protected]
Câmara Municipal de Mértola — Presidente: Mário José Santos Tomé · Praça Luís de Camões, 7750-329 Mértola · 7750-329 · 286610100 · [email protected] · https://www.cm-mertola.pt
Other parish councils of the municipality in the catalogue · Catalogue filtered by Mértola
Sources: INE, 2021 Census (resident population) · DGT, CAOP2025 (area and parishes) · more details · Data updated on 24/09/2026