Regional Dynamics and Social Diversity – Portugal in the 21st Century

The main aims of this paper are: 1) to analyse demographic and socioeconomic regional dynamics in Portugal; 2) through the analysis of the Portuguese well-being levels in the last two decades, recognize: a) the existence of regional contrasts and clue their possible causes; b) the link between local average well-being standards and health services offer; c) the need not only to improve quality of life in the most excluded areas but also to reduce diversity, by implementing regional directed policies, using national health system as case study. In methodological terms we cross check demographic analysis techniques with a new statistical indicator on global well-being, which sums up and allows stratification of the mainland municipalities. It includes more than 50 different quantitative variables, such as average purchase power, social equipments and services offer, economic activities and income, educational levels, among others.