Portugal's Schools Transform: 871 Foreign Students from 51 Nations Enroll
Braga's D. Maria II school exemplifies Portugal's silent demographic shift, as classrooms now host 871 foreign students representing 51 nationalities.
📌 Key Highlights & Context
- In the 2025/2026 academic year, the school serves 2,530 students, 871 of whom are foreigners.
- Ten years ago the school had about 3,000 mainly Portuguese students; today Portuguese numbers have dropped sharply.
- Students arrive mainly from Brazil, but also from dozens of other countries, creating a multicultural environment.
D. Maria II public school in Braga has undergone a striking demographic change over the past ten years. While the school enrolled roughly 3,000 students a decade ago, the total student body now stands at 2,530.
Decline of Portuguese Enrolments
The number of Portuguese pupils has fallen noticeably, driven by an aging population, lower birth rates and a growing preference for private education among families.
Rise of Foreign Students
Conversely, foreign enrolments surged to 871 for the 2025/2026 school year, representing 51 different nationalities. The largest group comes from Brazil, but there are also significant numbers from African, Asian and other European countries.
- The school has introduced new curricula and support programmes to foster a multilingual, multicultural learning environment.
- Language courses and cultural activities are organised to ease integration for newcomer students.
- Local authorities are collecting data to monitor how this demographic shift impacts educational infrastructure.