THE DEMOGRAPHIC DECLINE IN PORTUGAL

PORTUGAL'S DEMOGRAPHIC DECLINE HALTED

Historically, Portugal has always been a country where its population left to immigrate to other countries. Since the 2007 crisis, this demographic decline has accelerated.

For the first time, thanks to the influx of foreigners, particularly from the European Union, the statistics show an increase.

A sharp rise in immigration

Portugal has set a record: according to a report by the border service, 480,300 foreign residents packed their bags in Portugal in 2018. This increase of around 13.9 % (the third in a row), is due in particular to the arrival of many nationals from European Union countries but also to the introduction of the status of non-European resident.

For the first time, this increase in foreign residents is helping to maintain Portugal's population levels and, above all, to meet the needs of the job market. These were the words of Portuguese Interior Minister Eduardo Cabrita at the presentation of the report. Portugal is striving to attract immigrants to offset the falling birth rate and support economic activity.

A few days ago, Antonio Costa declared that professional associations were calling for the creation of legal migration channels for Portugal to meet human resources needs.

With a fertility rate among the lowest in Europe at 1.41 children per woman in 2018, Portugal has been experiencing a severe demographic decline for several years.

France and Italy are the most representative nationalities

France and Italy are among the most popular nationalities represented in Portugal. It seems to confirm the impact of attractiveness factors on citizens from the European Union. These include the perception of Portugal as a safe country, not to mention its tax advantages.

Portugal offers tax exemption on pensions and foreign-source income for ten years from the time residence permits are obtained. Brazilians make up the largest foreign community in Portugal with 105,423 citizens in 2018, representing over 20% of the total number of foreigners, up 23.4% on 2017.

We'll have to look at longevity to see if Portugal's demographic decline is about to be reversed.