Gaula
Parish of the municipality of Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz), Autonomous Region of Madeira (Ilha da Madeira).
Gaula had 3.925 residents in the 2021 Census, 18,4% of whom were aged 65 or over, and 18,1% of the population aged 15 or over had completed higher education. It borders 3 parishes and its centroid is 2,2 km in a straight line from the centroid of the municipality of Santa Cruz.
- 822
- 3.925
- 6.239
- 7.136
- 24.046
- 55,7
- 256,1
- 315,9
- 565,6
- 2.002,2
- 6,9
- 12,0
- 14,8
- 19,8
- 27,9
The 5 parishes of Santa Cruz
Hover a row to highlight it on the map. Click a header to sort.
| # | Parish | Population | Area (km²) | Inhab./km² |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Camacha | 6.239 | 19,75 | 315,9 |
| 2 | Caniço | 24.046 | 12,01 | 2.002,2 |
| 3 | Gaula | 3.925 | 6,94 | 565,6 |
| 4 | Santa Cruz | 7.136 | 27,86 | 256,1 |
| 5 | Santo António da Serra | 822 | 14,75 | 55,7 |
- Code (DTMNFR)
- 310804
- Resident population (2021)
- 3.925
- Area
- 6,94 km²
- Density
- 565,6 inh./km²
- Share of the municipality (population)
- 9,3%
- Rank in the municipality (population)
- 4th of 5
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
- 1.846 (47,0%)
- Women
- 2.079 (53,0%)
- Portuguese nationality
- 3.832 (97,6%)
- Foreign nationality
- 93 (2,4%)
- Ageing index
- 122,7 elderly per 100 young people
- Private households
- 1.397
- Average household size *
- 2,75 people
- Dwellings
- 1.961
- Classic family dwellings
- 1.957
- Buildings
- 1.856
- Buildings with 7 or more floors
- 0
- With higher education (15+)
- 18,1% (605)
- Unemployment rate *
- 10,47% (H 11,16% · M 9,76%)
- Active / employed population
- 1.843 / 1.650
Population by age group
| Age group | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-14 years | 590 | 298 | 292 |
| 15-24 years | 429 | 206 | 223 |
| 25-64 years | 2.182 | 1.076 | 1.106 |
| 65+ years | 724 | 266 | 458 |
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
Camacha · Santa Cruz · Caniço
- Straight-line distance to the centroid of the municipality of Santa Cruz
- 2,2 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
- 3.888
- Voters
- 2.327
- Turnout
- 59,85% (2021: 58,62%)
- Seats
- 9
| List | Votes | % | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPP Juntos pelo Povo | 1.201 | 51,61% | 5 |
| PPD/PSD.CDS-PP Mais Santa Cruz | 924 | 39,71% | 4 |
| PS Partido Socialista | 95 | 4,08% | 0 |
| PTP Partido Trabalhista Português | 31 | 1,33% | 0 |
| PCP-PEV CDU - Coligação Democrática Unitária | 22 | 0,95% | 0 |
| Blank votes | 20 | 0,86% | |
| Null votes | 34 | 1,46% |
Most-voted list, which elects the parish-council president: JPP.
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
- Estrada Padre Alfredo Vieira de Freitas, N.º 254
Gaula (SANTA CRUZ)
9100-079 GAULA - Telephone
- 291526262
- geral@jfgaula.pt
Source: DGAL - Portal Autárquico (Direção-Geral das Autarquias Locais), consulted on 25/09/2026.
More information
- Coordinates
- 32,66667, -16,81667
- Wikipedia
- Gaula
- Wikidata
- Q2991229
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 0 schools in the municipality of Santa Cruz. The source names the municipality, not the parish.
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 Funchal (IPMA no. 522), 7,6 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 | 17,1 | 20,0 | 14,3 | 67,1 |
| Feb | 16,8 | 19,9 | 13,9 | 72,4 |
| Mar | 17,4 | 20,6 | 14,3 | 62,3 |
| Apr | 17,9 | 21,0 | 14,9 | 45,2 |
| May | 19,1 | 22,0 | 16,2 | 27,2 |
| Jun | 20,9 | 23,7 | 18,2 | 7,8 |
| Jul | 22,6 | 25,4 | 19,7 | 1,7 |
| Aug | 23,7 | 26,8 | 20,7 | 1,3 |
| Sep | 23,5 | 26,6 | 20,4 | 23,1 |
| Oct | 22,2 | 25,2 | 19,2 | 91,2 |
| Nov | 19,9 | 22,8 | 17,0 | 80,3 |
| Dec | 18,3 | 21,0 | 15,5 | 94,8 |
| Year | 20,0 | — | — | 574,3 |
Source: IPMA, ficha da normal climatológica, período 1991-2020. Climate region: Arquipélago da Madeira. Station altitude: 58,0 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).
In the municipality of Santa Cruz the median value in 2025 is 10,48 €/m². This figure is for the municipality.
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: 9100-079 (Estrada Padre Alfredo Vieira de Freitas, N.º 254, Gaula (SANTA CRUZ), 9100-079 GAULA).
Geographic telephone code of the district/region seat (Região Autónoma da Madeira): 291. It is not exclusive to this parish.
We do not republish the full CTT postcode database. The parish council telephone is 291526262.
Public bodies
Junta de Gaula — Estrada Padre Alfredo Vieira de Freitas, N.º 254, Gaula (SANTA CRUZ), 9100-079 GAULA · 9100-079 · 291526262 · [email protected]
Câmara Municipal de Santa Cruz — Presidente: Élia Luísa Dias Gonçalves Ascensão · Praça Dr. João Abel de Freitas, 9100-157 Santa Cruz - Madeira · 9100-157 · 291520100 · [email protected] · https://www.cm-santacruz.pt
Other parish councils of the municipality in the catalogue · Catalogue filtered by Santa Cruz
Sources: INE, 2021 Census (resident population) · DGT, CAOP2025 (area and parishes) · more details · Data updated on 24/09/2026