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Immigration Data

Portugal Immigration Statistics

Comprehensive migration data and demographics, updated with 2024 AIMA, INE, and OECD reports.

Foreign Residents
1,543,697
Registered foreign nationals (Dec 31, 2024)
Share of Population
15%
Approximate share of Portugal's 10.75M residents
Annual Growth
+18.3%
Year-over-year increase vs revised 2023 total
New Long-Term Immigrants
138,000
Estimated new arrivals in 2024 (OECD long-duration)
01

Migration Overview

Recent numbers show how immigration is now the main driver of Portugal's demographic growth.

Total Foreign Residents
1,543,697
Record high at end of 2024.
+18.3% vs 2023
Foreign-Born Population
15%
Including naturalised citizens; around 1 in 7 residents.
Approx. 1.6 Million
New Residence Permits
218,332
Residence permits granted in 2024 (AIMA).
Backlog Clearance + CPLP
Net Migration Rate
+1.34%
Positive migratory growth offsetting -0.32% natural decline.
Population Grows Via Immigration
02

Population Demographics

Understanding the composition of foreign residents by region, nationality, and gender.

Resident Categories by World Region, 2024
36.0%
From the Americas
23.2%
From Europe
20.4%
From Africa
20.2%
From Asia
Top Foreign Nationalities (2024)
BR
Brazil
484,596
AO
Angola
92,348
CV
Cape Verde
65,507
Gender Split
Male
56.1%
865,881 foreign men
Labour Migration
Female
43.9%
677,816 foreign women
Brazil / Angola Communities
03

Residence Permits & Visas

Pathways used to obtain Portuguese residency in 2024 (AIMA residence permit data).

2024 Residence Permits Granted
218,332
High processing volume despite normalisation after the 2023 backlog peak.
Professional Activity
63,527
Largest single pathway
Reflecting strong demand for labour across sectors.
CPLP Agreement
53,235
24.4% of all new permits
Streamlined residency route for citizens of Portuguese-speaking countries.
Family Reunification
21,802
10.0% of permits
Still a core pillar of Portugal's migration model.
Students
19,252
Approx. 8.8% of permits
International students, especially in major university cities.
Independent Activity (D2 / D8)
5,259
Entrepreneurs and digital nomads
De-facto high-volume route for founders and remote workers.
International Protection
1,244
Refugee / humanitarian status
Status granted out of 2,677 new protection applications.
04

Integration & Naturalisation

How immigration is reshaping Portugal's society, labour market, and future demographics.

New Portuguese Citizens
41,393
Foreigners who acquired Portuguese nationality in 2023.
Births to Foreign Mothers
29.2%
Share of all live births in 2023 -- nearly 1 in 3.
Immigrant Employment Rate
76%
High participation rate, but hides wage and skills mismatch.
Social Security Contributions
€3.654B
Paid by foreign workers in 2024, helping finance approximately 17% of pensions.
Non-EU Unemployment
12.3%
Vs 5.1% for nationals, revealing a two-tier labour market.
Overqualification
41%
Recent tertiary-educated immigrants working below their skills level.
05

Policy Developments

Recent changes shaping Portugal's migration and residency landscape.

October 2025
AIMA Report and Backlog Clearance

AIMA's first full migration report confirms that hundreds of thousands of pending SEF files were regularised, inflating the 2023-24 foreign resident totals but giving a more realistic picture.

June 2024
New Action Plan for Migration

The government ends the open "expression of interest" route and moves toward a more regulated, job-linked system, signalling a pivot from liberalisation to tighter controls.

January 2024
Digital Family Reunification Rollout

Family reunification applications for third-country dependants can be submitted fully online via AIMA's portal, cutting in-person bureaucracy and speeding up processing.

October 2023
Golden Visa Real Estate Route Ends

The Golden Visa real estate investment route ended in October 2023. The programme continues through investment funds and other qualifying investments.

Sources

AIMA Relatorio de Migracoes e Asilo 2024 (October 2025) · INE Demographic Statistics 2023 (November 2024) · OECD International Migration Outlook 2025 · European Commission Migration and Home Affairs (January 2025) · Decree-Law No. 37-A/2024 (June 2024)

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