MigrantoPortuguese Diaspora
1.8M Portuguese live abroad — 17% of the population of Portugal
Portuguese diaspora by country
The top 3 countries are home to 55% of the diaspora
| 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 region
71% of the diaspora lives in Europe
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Key facts
The Portuguese diaspora in numbers
Most Portuguese abroad live in France
33% of the diaspora lives in France, while the next country accounts for just 11%.
The community in the UK is growing fastest
The number of Portuguese living in the UK has grown 62% since 2015, from 119.4K to 193.9K.
The share of the diaspora living in Europe has grown since 1990
52% of the diaspora lived in Europe in 1990, compared with 71.4% today.
1 in 6 people born in Portugal lives abroad
1.8M people born in Portugal now live in other countries — 16.7% of a population of 10.7M.
The map of the diaspora has changed since 1990
3 countries have entered the top 20 since 1990: Ireland, Denmark, Norway. Ireland climbed from outside the top 20 to #14.
Portuguese diaspora population over time
People living abroad, by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 1586450 |
| 1995 | 1537227 |
| 2000 | 1550570 |
| 2005 | 1614471 |
| 2010 | 1714779 |
| 2015 | 1787791 |
| 2020 | 1715346 |
| 2024 | 1784781 |
Largest communities over time
Portuguese living in the 5 largest countries, by year
| 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 communities
How the number of Portuguese in each country has changed since the selected year
Portuguese among immigrants in other countries
Where Portuguese make up the largest share of a country's immigrants
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many Portuguese live outside Portugal?
Around 1.8M Portuguese live abroad, the world's #46 largest diaspora.
Where do most Portuguese abroad live?
Most Portuguese live in France, Switzerland and United Kingdom — these three countries account for about 55% of all Portuguese living abroad.
Which country has the largest Portuguese population outside Portugal?
France is home to the largest Portuguese community abroad — 585.9K people, about 33% of all Portuguese living abroad.
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.
Is the Portuguese diaspora growing?
Barely — over the past decade, the number of Portuguese living abroad has changed from 1.8M to 1.8M, about 0%.
Where does the data on the Portuguese diaspora come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born in Portugal who now live in other countries. Descendants of emigrants born abroad are not included.
Where to live?
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Living in Portugal
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