A significant number of Portuguese choosing to emigrate
In recent years, Portugal has seen a shift in its emigration patterns, with the number of annual Portuguese emigrants stabilising at approximately 70,000, according to sociologist Rui Pena Pires.
Despite the stable numbers, the destinations of Portugal's emigrants have changed, with economic factors and the search for more favourable conditions for emigrants, particularly the more qualified, driving this shift. As a result, Portugal has dropped from the top position in the European Union countries with the highest proportion of emigrants.
The United Kingdom, previously the main destination for Portuguese emigrants, has seen a significant reduction in departures, leading to Portugal's fall from the top spot. The new leading countries in the EU with the highest proportions of emigrants are Romania, Bulgaria, Lithuania, and Croatia, all of which now rank above Portugal.
Switzerland has become the main host country for new Portuguese emigrants as of 2023, followed by Spain, France, Germany, and the Netherlands. This diversification in preferred destinations indicates a change in migration patterns rather than a decrease in overall emigration from Portugal.
The ranking shift is primarily due to the decrease in the number of Portuguese emigrants moving to traditional destinations like the UK, alongside stable emigration numbers but altered distribution of host countries.
Portugal's emigration trend is marked by fluctuations between destinations, with many emigrants having been away from the country for more than ten years. Estimates indicate that 81% of Portuguese emigrants fit this description.
Despite the high number of emigrants, Portugal is no longer the European Union country with the highest proportion of emigrants, with the report "Portuguese Emigration 2024" by the Emigration Observatory supporting this information. The report also reveals that the proportion of inactive Portuguese emigrants has risen from 29% to 32%, due to many reaching retirement age.
However, it's important to note that a significant portion of Portuguese emigrants end up returning to Portugal, which mitigates the negative migration balance. Over 12,000 new Portuguese immigrants moved to Switzerland in 2023, contributing to the total number of Portuguese emigrants, which remains stable at around 2.1 million.
Portugal is expected to continue to have a higher emigration volume than other EU member states, due to wages still being below the European average. This suggests that Portugal's emigration trend may continue to evolve in the coming years.
- Ongoing political discussions in Portugal are likely to focus on immigration policies, given the country's consistently high emigration rate, with Swiss, Spanish, French, German, and Dutch nations currently hosting a significant proportion of emigrants.
- As general news headlines shift, it's notable that Portugal, once known for its high emigration rates, has now dropped to fourth place in the European Union regarding the proportion of emigrants, with Romania, Bulgaria, Lithuania, and Croatia currently topping the list.
