Portuguese emigration totaled approximately 65 people in 2024, according to a report by the Emigration Observatory of the Center for Research and Studies in Sociology (CIES), released this Thursday, December 18th. This number represents a decrease of five thousand compared to the previous year.
The document attributes this "slight slowdown" to the recessionary effects of Brexit. The emigration of Portuguese citizens to the United Kingdom fell by 37% between 2023 and 2024. In 2015, the country received 32,000 Portuguese citizens. In 2024, there were fewer than 3,000.
Switzerland and Spain remained the main destinations.Switzerland recorded 12.388 entries and Spain, 11.332. France, although without updated data, still appears among the three most sought-after countries. Germany received 7.410 Portuguese visitors and may have surpassed France as the third main route.
According to the executive coordinator of the Emigration Observatory, Inês Vidigal, "five of the seven main destination countries for Portuguese emigration continue to have a predominantly low level of migration among those with low educational qualifications: Switzerland, Spain, France, Germany, and Luxembourg."
On the other hand, the reality is different for Portuguese people who choose Belgium and the Netherlands. In these cases, most have higher education. Belgium received 5.471 Portuguese, the Netherlands 4.795, and Luxembourg 3.469.
According to sociologist Rui Pena Pires, the data is relevant given the changes in immigration policy in Portugal. "While Portugal is increasingly placing obstacles in the way of immigrants entering the country, Portuguese citizens continue to leave in significant numbers for other countries, particularly those in the European Union," he stated.
The researcher observes that some of the space left by Portuguese emigrants with low levels of education ends up being occupied by immigrants. However, many of those who arrive in the country have higher education and face difficulties in validating their diplomas. "There are many qualified immigrants who, because they cannot get their qualifications recognized, perform low-skilled jobs, which translates into a huge waste of skills necessary for the country's development," he added.
The Bank of Portugal also pointed to a significant increase in the departure of immigrant workers registered in the Social Security system. The monthly average of departures grew by 40% throughout 2024. This was the highest number since 2015, the beginning of the institution's historical series.
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