Migration overview
Portugal's resident population reached 10,749,635 in 2024. The natural balance was still negative, with more deaths than births, but positive net migration added 143,641 people and kept the country in population growth.
The foreign-resident stock reported by AIMA was 1,543,697 at 31 December 2024. Read that as a resident-foreigner count, not as a full foreign-born population count.
| Indicator | 2024 figure | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| Total resident population | 10,749,635 | INE 2024 resident-population estimate |
| Foreign residents | 1,543,697 | AIMA foreign-citizen residents at 31 December 2024 |
| Foreign-resident share | 14.4% | Calculated from AIMA and INE totals |
| Population growth | +1.03% | INE 2024 annual resident-population growth |
| Natural balance | -33,732 | Births minus deaths in 2024 |
| Net migration | +143,641 | INE 2024 net migration estimate |
Population demographics
The Americas are the largest world-region origin group, mostly because of Brazil. European, African, and Asian residents each account for about one fifth to one quarter of Portugal's foreign-resident base.
| Origin region | Share | Main interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Americas | 36.0% | Brazil is by far the largest single nationality |
| Europe | 23.2% | Includes EU nationals, UK residents, and Ukrainians |
| Africa | 20.4% | Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, and Sao Tome are core communities |
| Asia | 20.2% | India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Pakistan account for much of the recent growth |
| Oceania | 0.1% | Small share of the foreign-resident base |
| Nationality | Residents | Share of foreign residents |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 484,596 | 31.4% |
| India | 98,616 | 6.4% |
| Angola | 92,348 | 6.0% |
| Ukraine | 79,232 | 5.1% |
| Cape Verde | 65,507 | 4.2% |
| Nepal | 58,086 | 3.8% |
| Bangladesh | 55,199 | 3.6% |
| United Kingdom | 48,238 | 3.1% |
| Guinea-Bissau | 47,252 | 3.1% |
| Pakistan | 41,508 | 2.7% |
Residence permits and visas
AIMA granted 218,332 residence permits in 2024. Work-linked permits were the largest category, followed by CPLP permits and family reunification.
| Permit basis | Permits | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Professional activity | 63,527 | Largest single 2024 permit route |
| CPLP agreement | 53,235 | 24.4% of 2024 permits |
| Family reunification | 21,802 | 10.0% of 2024 permits |
| Study | 19,252 | 8.8% of 2024 permits |
| Independent activity | 5,259 | Entrepreneurs, independent workers, and remote-work cases |
| International protection | 1,244 | Granted status from 2,677 new protection applications |
Integration and naturalisation
Immigration is also visible in births, nationality acquisition, and the labour market. The headline employment rate is high, but unemployment and overqualification indicators show a two-speed labour market for non-EU migrants.
| Indicator | Figure | Source context |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign-born mothers | 33.0% | Share of 2024 live births to foreign-born mothers |
| Foreign-resident mothers | 21.9% | Share of 2023 births to foreign-resident mothers |
| New Portuguese citizens | 41,393 | Foreigners acquiring Portuguese nationality in 2023 |
| Immigrant employment rate | 76% | OECD labour-market indicator used on the previous page |
| Overqualification | 41% | Recent tertiary-educated immigrants working below skill level |
| Non-EU unemployment | 12.3% | Compared with 5.1% for nationals |
Policy developments
The statistical picture changed while Portugal was changing its migration rules. The 2024 and 2025 numbers should be read together with the end of the expression-of-interest route and AIMA's backlog clearance work.
Expression of interest route closed
Portugal's migration action plan ended the open expression-of-interest route and shifted policy toward more regulated, job-linked admission.
Backlog clearance affects the totals
The 2024 resident-foreigner total should be read with the AIMA transition in mind. Regularising old SEF files lifted the stock number as well as showing real growth.
Golden Visa real-estate route ended
Portugal removed real estate from the Golden Visa investment menu. The programme continues through funds and other qualifying options.
Sources
This page uses official migration, population, and labour-market sources. The AIMA report URL is linked through AIMA because the PDF location can move when the agency updates its document library.