This is almost four times the number in 2017 and represents approximately 14% of the country's total residents. However, the most recent data on the foreign population broken down by municipality is only from 2023, published by the National Institute of Statistics (INE).

According to a report from Expresso, that year, foreign citizens accounted for 10% of the total residents, with a much greater presence in the south of the country, Greater Lisbon, and the Central region. The percentage ranges from 44% of foreigners in Vila do Bispo (Faro district) to less than 1% in a total of six municipalities, located mainly in the north.

There are 14 municipalities in the country where the percentage of foreigners is double the national average, and almost all of them are in the districts of Lisbon and Faro. In four – Vila do Bispo, Odemira, Albufeira, and Lagos – the proportion of foreign nationals is up to four times higher than the average. The 2023 data show a greater concentration of immigration in one part of the country, as in 184 of the 308 municipalities, the percentage is equal to or less than 5%.


The most recent AIMA report, which only covers immigration at the national level in 2024, highlights the impact of the end of expressions of interest (effective June 3, 2024) on entries into the country. After the end of this regime, there was a 59% reduction in the flow of foreign citizens entering Portugal.

According to Social Security data, in 2024, the immigrant population contributed a record €3.6 billion to Social Security. By 2023, according to a report by the Bank of Portugal, 40% of agricultural workers were foreigners. In accommodation and food services, they represented 30% of the workforce, and in construction, they reached 23%. According to the INE, without migration, the country could have only 5.9 million inhabitants in 2100.