Economy

Located in the extreme west of the island of São Miguel, the municipality of Ponta Delgada has an area of 233.7 km2 occupied by 69.000 inhabitants, providing a population density of 295,3 inhabitants/km2, well above the 106,3 inhabitants /km2 of the whole islands of the Azores. This population density is related to the high concentration of economic capacity.

Served by an international airport and port, the municipality of Ponta Delgada is the main gate for the arrivals and departures of people and goods in the Azores. It is also the seat of the Government and the main service center of the Region.

The south coast with its unusual flat areas provides excellent opportunities for the development of a true services center in the city of Ponta Delgada. In the past, that territorial characteristic enabled orange export, and later Ponta Delgada assumed the role of support for navigation through North Atlantic.

With a strong concentration in the areas of services, commerce and tourism, the municipality also has an important role in the industrial and primary production, particularly in agriculture. The municipality of Ponta Delgada presents itself as the main economic center of the Azores.

According to INE (National Institute of Statistics), the municipality of Ponta Delgada in 2013 had an index per capita purchasing power of 103,61% compared with the 84,63% of the Azores.

In 2012 Ponta Delgada had business density of 29 companies per km2, well above the 11/km2 of the Azores. The turnover of companies based in the municipality represented 51% of all companies based in the Azores.

Regarding tourism, in 2014 Ponta Delgada accounted for 41,5% of the accommodation capacity of the Azores. The overnight stays (621.893) in hotel establishments represented 55,5% of the Azores and foreign guests accounted for 55.1% of the total.

According to the 2011 census, the number of inhabitants (68,809) and families (22,499) in the municipality of Ponta Delgada increased by 4.5% and 20.8%, respectively, when compared to 2001.