Despite a slight recovery that occurred in 2016 (+7%), in 2017 there was a sharp decrease (-33%), making 2017 the year in which fewer Portuguese entered France in the current decade.

With the 2017 figures, France is no longer the second country of destination of the Portuguese, having been surpassed by Spain and Switzerland.

The number of new Portuguese emigrants in France reached a peak in 2012 with 19,658. But since then the number of Portuguese entering the country has been falling.

In 2013, the number of new Portuguese living in France fell by 4%, the following year by 22% and in 2015 there was a further decrease of 21%, according to the figures revealed by the observatory.