Different trajectories show that immigration to Portugal includes both short-term stays of less than three years and longer-term stays with stable employment and family ties.

The study, A Characterisation of the Stay of Foreign Workers in Portugal, analyses patterns among foreign citizens registered with the Portuguese Social Security authorities between 2010 and 2025, and identifies trends relevant to the labour market, the economy and public policy.

Over 1.13 million foreign citizens were registered with Social Security in 2025 — a staggering number compared with only 152,000 in 2010, reflecting a strong acceleration in employment-related migration flows.

So, who are these many foreign workers coming to Portugal? With an average age of 33 and 60% being men, around 38% were from Brazil, followed by South Asian countries, including India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan, with 19%, and 14% from the Portuguese-speaking African countries, also known as PALOP. Workers from the rest of the EU and the UK represented around 14%.

It is especially jobs in the service industry, such as tourism, hospitality and restaurants, that employ foreign workers, but agriculture, construction and industry also account for many.

Despite the high number of foreign workers in Portugal, the analysis concludes that 86% of the time they are employed and nearly 5% are self-employed. The use of social benefits is minimal, highlighting a strong connection to the labour market while staying in Portugal. Being unemployed can, however, increase the likelihood of leaving the country. Foreign workers receiving unemployment benefits have a 55% higher risk of dropping out of the Social Security system, which could mean that they have left the country.

The Bank of Portugal suggests that public policies focused on stable employment, higher salaries, support for families and family integration could strengthen the retention of foreign workers and therefore have an even more positive impact on economic growth, demographic balance, the sustainability of Social Security and social integration. Today, around 22% stay for less than a year and approximately 39% stay for less than three years.

The study concludes that labour immigration will continue to play a central role in Portugal, but its contribution will increase depending on the country’s ability to transform temporary workers into lasting stays.

The labour market is expected to remain solid, with a projected slowdown in employment and a stabilisation of the unemployment rate at low levels.