In European cities, there is a noticeable predominance of women over men. Riga leads in this indicator, with 126 women for every 100 men. Porto is in second place (122.7%), and Salamanca is third (120.6%), reports World Visualised.
Four Portuguese cities (Porto, Lisbon, Funchal, and Braga) are in the top 15, along with Spain's Salamanca, Madrid, and Donostia-San Sebastián. The capitals of Central and Eastern Europe — Warsaw, Budapest, Bucharest, and Bratislava — also exhibit a significant gender imbalance. A shortage of men is also felt in Greece's Thessaloniki and Italy's Florence.
The main reason is the difference in life expectancy. In EU countries, women live on average several years longer than men, which leads to a predominance of the female population in many urban areas.
Migration also plays a role. University centers (Salamanca, Coimbra, Warsaw) attract female students and young professionals. At the same time, there is an outflow of men of working age from some regions in search of jobs. In Riga and Bucharest, the imbalance has been forming for decades due to economic transformations and labor mobility.
Portugal's position reflects demographic and social trends: the country has one of the oldest populations in Europe, and women are actively pursuing higher education and careers in healthcare and services. Porto and Lisbon also attract new residents due to economic growth, tourism, and international investments, maintaining a high level of female employment.
