The study, Immigrants in Portugal: More Understanding, Better Inclusion, has been conducted since 2010 and surveyed 829 immigrants using 36 questions, along with 19 in-depth interviews.

One of the most striking findings concerns how different communities perceive one another. While Portuguese people generally saw themselves as similar to other Western Europeans, only 2% of immigrants said their community felt “very similar” to the locals. The pattern was reversed for Angolans and Cape Verdeans, 40% of whom felt similar to the Portuguese — a feeling that wasn’t fully returned by the local population.

A survey by the Consumer Intelligence Lab (C-Lab) found that Brazilians reported the highest levels of well-being among immigrants in Portugal, while those from South Asia reported the lowest. Western Europeans were the least likely to speak Portuguese and were slower than immigrants from Africa, South America, or other European regions to adopt Portuguese customs.

Brazilians also felt the most integrated, frequently going out to restaurants and shopping centre’s, even though they earned less than Western European immigrants. At the same time, they could easily access products from home, which may have helped them feel a sense of belonging.

When it comes to language, nearly half of Western Europeans (49%) spoke little or no Portuguese — the highest proportion among all groups. This was followed by immigrants from South Asia (34%), East Asia (28%), Eastern Europe (13%), South America (10%), the Balkans (8%), and Portuguese-speaking African countries (0%).

South Asian immigrants reported the poorest living conditions and faced problems accessing services, making integration more challenging. About 63% of them felt “very different” from Portuguese people. East Asian immigrants reported the highest sense of difference, with 83% reporting feeling “very different,” followed by Western Europeans (31%), the Balkans (31%), Eastern Europe (19%), Africa (13%), and South America (14%).

In contrast, immigrants from Africa, Eastern Europe, and the Balkans often experienced a sense of belonging through everyday habits, such as shopping and dining. Overall, 63% of immigrants described the Portuguese as “very welcoming,” though 25% reported experiencing discrimination.