Madeira has undergone an "absolutely unique" transformation over the last 50 years, stated Paulo Vieira, the regional director of Statistics, at the presentation of the book ‘50 Years of Autonomy – Testimonies and Numbers’.
The work merges memories from key figures with statistical indicators to illustrate the Region's evolution since 1976, addressing economic, social, and territorial changes from two perspectives: "people and numbers". The book gathers testimonies from 50 personalities across 17 areas of regional development and includes a timeline of major events.
Statistical data highlighted include a significant reduction in infant mortality, a decrease in illiteracy rates, and an increase in the number of doctors. Paulo Vieira emphasized the publication's "entirely regional" character, from its authors to its printing, underscoring the scale of transformation experienced by Madeira.
