"Around 25,000 French people are currently living in Portugal, 5,000 more than a year ago. Not only is the flow of arrivals not drying up, it's tending to increase, says Carlos Vinhas Pereira, President of the Franco-Portuguese Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Portugal is still a dream destination for the French, especially retirees, who account for between 80 % and 90 % of expatriates. "The recent attacks in Paris and Brussels reinforce the attractiveness of a country where crime is low and people feel safe, comments Miguel Poisson, Managing Director of the ERA agency network in Portugal. This country of 11 million inhabitants has definitively supplanted Morocco, which had the wind in its sails before the rise of radical Islamism in Africa and the fear of terrorism.
Sunshine and proximity
It's true that the country is not lacking in charm, with ideal sunshine just two hours by plane from Paris, close cultural proximity and a cost of living 35 % lower than in France, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
