More than 95% of the houses sold in Portugal were bought by people living in the country

New data showing the buyer profile in the market during the period when house prices in Portugal were rising rapidly reveals a striking picture.

More than 95% of the houses sold in Portugal in the second quarter of 2026 were purchased by households that are tax residents in the country.

The share of buyers with tax residence outside Portugal in total transactions remained below 5%.

Covers the period April–June

The data covers the second quarter of 2026, that is, the three-month period between April and June.

During this period, households living in the country carried out the majority of housing transactions.

According to RTP's analysis based on INE data, people living in Portugal bought fewer houses compared to the same period last year, but the total amount they spent on houses increased.

A foreign buyer is not the same as a buyer living abroad.

The classification used in housing statistics is based on the buyer's tax residence rather than their citizenship.

Therefore, a Brazilian, Turkish, French or other foreign citizen living in Portugal falls into the resident buyer category if his tax residence is in Portugal.

Likewise, a person who is a Portuguese citizen and whose tax residence is in another country can be included in the foreign resident category.

Therefore, the 95% figure does not mean "95% of the houses were bought by Portuguese citizens".

Housing prices increased by 16.5% in the same period

Data released last week It becomes more remarkable when evaluated together with housing price figures.

According to INE, house prices in Portugal increased by 16.5% in the second quarter of 2026 compared to the same period last year.

On the other hand, the number of house sales decreased by 6.4% on an annual basis to 40,142.

The total value of the transactions increased to approximately 10.7 billion euros due to the increase in prices.

Share of people living outside Portugal is below 5%

Latest data shows that the overwhelming majority of housing demand in Portugal still comes from households living within the country.

However, this distribution does not mean that foreign capital is ineffective in certain regions or in higher price segments.

In terms of the number of national transactions, the overwhelming majority of purchases in the second quarter were made by buyers with tax residence in Portugal.

Resources

RTP — September 27, 2026

https://www.rtp.pt/noticias/economia/casas-portuguesas-tem-sido-compradas-por-residentes-no-pais_v1768081

Instituto Nacional de Estatística — Índice de Preços da Habitação

https://www.ine.pt/