OECD reports 130% rise in Portugal's 2025 immigration
📌 Key Highlights & Context
- OECD records 319,000 long‑term immigrants in 2025.
- INE reports 254,000 arrivals in 2025, a drop of 394,000 from 2024.
- 75% of newcomers arrived with employment contracts.
According to the OECD, Portugal received 319,000 long‑term immigrants in 2025, representing a 130% increase over the previous year. The figure appears in the OECD’s International Migration Outlook 2026 and underscores the scale of recent migration flows.
The National Statistics Institute (INE) provides a contrasting picture, stating that 254,000 immigrants entered Portugal in 2025 and that this figure is 394,000 lower than in 2024. The discrepancy between the two agencies highlights uncertainty in official migration statistics.
The OECD report adds that 12% of the 2025 arrivals came from other EU member states, 75% arrived with an employment contract, and 6% were admitted through family reunification or reception schemes. Brazil, Angola and Cape Verde were the top countries of origin. The report also notes that around 61,000 Portuguese left the country in 2024, with Switzerland (20%), Spain (19%) and France (13%) being the most popular destinations.