MigrantoPortuguese Diaspora
1.8M Portuguese live abroad — the #46 largest diaspora in the world
Where emigrants go
The top 3 countries receive 55% of all emigrants
↑↓ — change vs 2020
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| France | 585896 |
| Switzerland | 202178 |
| United Kingdom | 193901 |
| Brazil | 146697 |
| USA | 141889 |
| Canada | 120690 |
| Spain | 93840 |
| Luxembourg | 86893 |
| Venezuela | 49104 |
| Belgium | 40781 |
| Netherlands | 25933 |
| Australia | 17637 |
| Andorra | 12251 |
| Ireland | 6795 |
| Italy | 6761 |
| South Africa | 5602 |
| Angola | 5454 |
| Mozambique | 4741 |
| Denmark | 4695 |
| Norway | 3932 |
| Argentina | 3723 |
| Romania | 3330 |
| Macao | 2223 |
| Bermuda | 1635 |
| Iceland | 1634 |
| Curaçao | 1497 |
| Republic of Congo | 1424 |
| Cape Verde | 1281 |
| Mexico | 869 |
| Uruguay | 861 |
| Bulgaria | 782 |
| Chile | 779 |
| Hungary | 743 |
| Finland | 704 |
| Colombia | 557 |
| Moldova | 529 |
| Guinea-Bissau | 505 |
| Peru | 496 |
| Botswana | 490 |
| Namibia | 478 |
| Panama | 465 |
| Liechtenstein | 453 |
| Guadeloupe | 423 |
| Greece | 348 |
| Slovakia | 308 |
| Taiwan | 295 |
| Malta | 295 |
| East Timor | 268 |
| Aruba | 250 |
| Estonia | 240 |
| Bolivia | 218 |
| Lithuania | 135 |
| Dominican Republic | 119 |
| Hong Kong | 117 |
| Costa Rica | 113 |
| Sao Tome and Principe | 95 |
| India | 91 |
| Slovenia | 73 |
| Cyprus | 64 |
| Croatia | 44 |
| Latvia | 39 |
| Sri Lanka | 32 |
| Guatemala | 32 |
| Bahamas | 16 |
| Puerto Rico | 13 |
| El Salvador | 13 |
| Guinea | 12 |
By destination region
Europe is the leading destination region at 71%
1.3M
264.2K
206.2K
20.1K
17.6K
3K
64
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Interesting facts
Notable statistics about emigration from Portugal.
France is the primary destination for emigrants
France attracts 33% of all emigrants from Portugal, while the second-largest destination receives just 11%.
United Kingdom is the fastest-growing major destination
Emigration to the UK has increased by 62% since 2015, rising from 119.4K to 193.9K in 9 years.
The share of emigrants going to Europe has grown since 1990
The share of emigrants going to Europe has shifted from 52% to 71.4% since 1990.
A significant share of the population lives abroad
1 in 6 residents of Portugal has emigrated — 1.8M out of 10.7M, representing 16.7% of the population.
How emigration changed over time
Total emigrant population by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 1586450 |
| 1995 | 1537227 |
| 2000 | 1550570 |
| 2005 | 1614471 |
| 2010 | 1714779 |
| 2015 | 1787791 |
| 2020 | 1715346 |
| 2024 | 1784781 |
Top destinations over time
Emigration to the 5 largest destination countries
| Year | France | Switzerland | United Kingdom | Brazil | USA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 603067 | 100958 | 18551 | 270645 | 179332 |
| 1995 | 590575 | 115033 | 25516 | 234604 | 156677 |
| 2000 | 582213 | 131724 | 34704 | 207038 | 170180 |
| 2005 | 589757 | 156741 | 53955 | 172070 | 173644 |
| 2010 | 615617 | 179838 | 86147 | 134545 | 175747 |
| 2015 | 648445 | 220901 | 119433 | 100368 | 158080 |
| 2020 | 621051 | 212350 | 162212 | 67952 | 147101 |
| 2024 | 585896 | 202178 | 193901 | 146697 | 141889 |
Fastest-changing destinations
How emigration to each country has changed since the selected year
Portugal as an emigration source
Share of immigrants in each country who originate from Portugal
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
Where do Portuguese move to?
Most Portuguese have moved to France, Switzerland and United Kingdom — these three countries account for about 55% of all Portuguese living abroad.
How many Portuguese live abroad?
Around 1.8M Portuguese live abroad, making it the #46-largest emigrant population in the world.
What share of the population of Portugal lives abroad?
About 17% of the population of Portugal lives abroad — that's 1.8M out of a total population of 10.7M.
How has emigration from Portugal changed over the past decade?
Over the past decade, the emigrant population from Portugal has changed from 1.8M to 1.8M people, a change of about 0%.
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