Who moves to Portugal
1.1M people have chosen Portugal for relocation — #55 most popular destination worldwide
Considering a move to Portugal? — See where people come from, regional patterns, and how it's changed since 1990.
Where immigrants come from
The top 3 countries account for 44% of all immigrants
| Country | Immigrants |
|---|---|
| Angola | 201961 |
| Brazil | 173266 |
| France | 117183 |
| Mozambique | 90640 |
| Cape Verde | 76835 |
| Ukraine | 60056 |
| Guinea-Bissau | 36682 |
| Germany | 34724 |
| Venezuela | 31198 |
| Romania | 29376 |
| Moldova | 25458 |
| United Kingdom | 23725 |
| Sao Tome and Principe | 23121 |
| Switzerland | 20886 |
| Spain | 20446 |
| South Africa | 14232 |
| China | 13500 |
| India | 10076 |
| Canada | 9387 |
| United States | 8977 |
| Nepal | 7466 |
| Russia | 7321 |
| Bulgaria | 6682 |
| Guinea | 5805 |
| Netherlands | 5110 |
| Luxembourg | 5065 |
| Belgium | 4414 |
| Italy | 3516 |
| Senegal | 2681 |
| Macao | 2571 |
| Morocco | 2538 |
| Pakistan | 2494 |
| DR Congo | 2340 |
| Timor-Leste | 2215 |
| Cuba | 2090 |
| Ireland | 2013 |
| Bangladesh | 1894 |
| Thailand | 1885 |
| Argentina | 1701 |
| Australia | 1549 |
| Zimbabwe | 1476 |
| Georgia | 1379 |
| Poland | 1255 |
| Belarus | 1219 |
| Uzbekistan | 1132 |
| Kazakhstan | 1123 |
| Sweden | 1035 |
| Türkiye | 888 |
| Iran | 832 |
| Colombia | 828 |
| Eswatini | 742 |
| Gabon | 728 |
| Austria | 648 |
| Republic of Congo | 610 |
| Philippines | 610 |
| Syria | 597 |
| Malawi | 586 |
| Ecuador | 575 |
| Egypt | 540 |
| Hungary | 511 |
| Denmark | 507 |
| Andorra | 478 |
| Lithuania | 468 |
| Israel | 435 |
| Finland | 429 |
| Norway | 425 |
| Japan | 396 |
| Peru | 364 |
| North Macedonia | 349 |
| Nigeria | 340 |
| Mexico | 339 |
| Indonesia | 317 |
| Czechia | 317 |
| Algeria | 294 |
| Iraq | 289 |
| Uruguay | 288 |
| Equatorial Guinea | 282 |
| Lebanon | 277 |
| Bolivia | 272 |
| Latvia | 263 |
| Liechtenstein | 259 |
| Chile | 249 |
| Ghana | 245 |
| Jordan | 240 |
| Greece | 238 |
| Serbia | 225 |
| Tunisia | 174 |
| Dominican Republic | 172 |
| Hong Kong | 168 |
| Cote d'Ivoire | 165 |
| South Korea | 164 |
| Estonia | 163 |
| Gambia | 144 |
| Mali | 143 |
| Kenya | 127 |
| Armenia | 126 |
| Libya | 119 |
| Slovakia | 116 |
| El Salvador | 108 |
| Croatia | 102 |
| Montenegro | 98 |
| Sri Lanka | 97 |
| Togo | 93 |
| Cameroon | 92 |
| North Korea | 92 |
| Tanzania | 87 |
| Azerbaijan | 82 |
| Slovenia | 69 |
| Sierra Leone | 65 |
| Vietnam | 65 |
| Paraguay | 65 |
| Albania | 62 |
| Malaysia | 61 |
| New Zealand | 54 |
| Malta | 53 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 52 |
| Mauritania | 49 |
| Panama | 43 |
| Benin | 40 |
| Ethiopia | 36 |
| Guatemala | 36 |
| Cyprus | 35 |
| Liberia | 34 |
| Singapore | 34 |
| Iceland | 34 |
| Uganda | 33 |
| Madagascar | 31 |
| Jamaica | 31 |
By region of origin
Africa is the leading region of origin at 41%
464.1K
375.4K
211.6K
47.2K
18.4K
4.3K
1.6K
Interesting facts
Notable statistics about immigration in Portugal.
Immigration is a key driver of population growth
97% of the population growth of Portugal since 1990 came from new immigrants, reflecting immigration's central demographic role.
Portugal is a primary destination for emigrants from Cape Verde
Portugal attracts 52% of all emigrants from Cape Verde, making it the leading destination for those leaving the country.
A significant share of the population of Cape Verde has settled here
More than 1 in 7 people from Cape Verde now live in Portugal — 76.8K people, representing 14.64% of the population of Cape Verde.
Immigration sources have diversified since 1990
The top source country's share fell from 33% to 18%, indicating a broader spread of origins.
How immigration changed over time
Total immigrant population by year
| Year | Immigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 431537 |
| 1995 | 528127 |
| 2000 | 646280 |
| 2005 | 766605 |
| 2010 | 759742 |
| 2015 | 861253 |
| 2020 | 997881 |
| 2024 | 1122592 |
Top sources over time
Immigration from the 5 largest source countries
| Year | Angola | Brazil | France | Mozambique | Cape Verde |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 141573 | 23722 | 58434 | 74609 | 30179 |
| 1995 | 154254 | 35931 | 75053 | 73598 | 36695 |
| 2000 | 173193 | 49599 | 94718 | 75573 | 44701 |
| 2005 | 169591 | 91614 | 95316 | 74985 | 53008 |
| 2010 | 137826 | 118415 | 80086 | 61946 | 52513 |
| 2015 | 156251 | 134245 | 90792 | 70228 | 59532 |
| 2020 | 179524 | 154017 | 104164 | 80570 | 68299 |
| 2024 | 201961 | 173266 | 117183 | 90640 | 76835 |
Fastest-changing origins
How immigration from each country has changed since the selected year
Portugal as a destination, by diaspora
Share of each country's emigrants who settled in Portugal