(Portuguese) Population statistics and data application in Portuguese verseas territories

In the late 18th century, the Portuguese monarchy progressively established a system for the regular collection of population data from its overseas territories. Governors of each territory were required to submit demographic statistics according to prescribed formats. Initially, this task relied heavily on the assistance of the church and the military. However, due to varying statistical classification standards across different territories, differences in territorial scope, and the influence of human factors, the data collected were often chaotic and the statistical objectives frequently adjusted. Despite numerous deficiencies, gaps, and occasional contradictions in the census forms, these documents remain indispensable sources for studying demographic changes, ethnic conditions, and the slave system in Portuguese overseas territories. The Overseas Historical Archive in Lisbon currently houses over a thousand.population statistics forms, covering a broad geographical range that includes 13 overseas territories of the Portuguese Empire across four continents. For a long time, these historical records have not received adequate attention from historians and demographers, yet they offer a new perspective for researching the population history, social history, and colonial history of the Portuguese overseas territories. Examining these primary sources to assess the population conditions and statistical processes from 1776 to 1875 provides valuable insights into the demographic situation of the Portuguese Empire’s overseas territories and reveals the significant role of population statistics in consolidating Portuguese control over its territories in the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Oceania

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Portuguese Empire,Overseas Territories,Macao,Population Statistics,Slavery