Welcome to the Week em Breve, a wrap-up of important Portuguese news to keep you up to date and in the know.
Biggest increase in home prices since records began
In the third quarter of 2025, the average home price in Portugal was 17.7% higher than a year before, according to data from the National Statistics Institute.
This is the largest year-on-year increase since home prices begun being tracked in 2009, and the third quarter in a row to break this record, according to Bloomberg.
The increase was primarily driven by existing housing, which saw a 19.1% increase, rather than new builds, where prices jumped 14.1%.
These new figures show that the average cost of a home in Portugal could soon reach €250,000, a historical high, according to Público.
In Lisbon, the average has now hit €401,000 — the first time the average has breached €400,000 anywhere in the country, Público writes.
In total, more than 42,000 homes were sold in Q3, for a combined €10.5 billion — an increase in both total number and combined value compared to 2024.
The number of homes sold to people with tax residency outside Portugal saw a year-on-year decrease of 16.4% in the third quarter, down to 2,219.
Lisbon’s buses were slower than ever in 2025
Lisbon’s busses travelled at an average speed of 13.66 kilometers per hour, according to figures released by Carris, the company responsible for the capital’s public transport, Público writes.
This is a slight decrease in average speed compared to 2024 (13.71 km/hour), and Carris indicated it is expected to drop further in early 2026.
The primary culprit of slow speeds was construction, particularly work on the Lisbon General Drainage Plan and new metro stations, the publication writes.
Illegal parking and general poor traffic conditions were also highlighted as factors.
Carris is preparing to review its network plan, which hasn’t been touched in more than 15 years, and expects speeds to bounce back up in late 2026.
In other bus news, Carris will update its fares in 2026, adding 10 cents to the price of onboard tickets and between five and 40 cents to single-trips, Observador writes. Navegante monthly passes will stay the same.
‘Operation Natal’ identifies over 560 drunk drivers in 9 days
The National Republican Guard (Guarda Nacional Republicana, GNR) pulled over more than 75,000 drivers between Dec. 18 and 27 and found that 565 were under the influence of alcohol, Lusa reports.
Of these, 323 had a blood alcohol level equal to or greater than 1.2 grams per liter — almost three times the 0.5 grams per liter threshold.
The Polícia de Segurança Pública (PSP) are also out in force for the festive season as part of their “Operation Police Always Present – Safe Holidays” (Operação Polícia Sempre Presente – Festas em Segurança).
Figures from both forces revealed that there were 3,426 road accidents between December 18 and 26, resulting in 12 fatalities and 929 injuries.
This is about 5% fewer accidents compared with 2024, according to a statement by the National Road Safety Authority (ANSR), Lusa reports.
Portugal has one of the highest number of road deaths by population among European Union countries, with 58 per million in 2024 compared to the EU average of 45.
Lisbon city council closes Chiado to cars for festive weekends
The popular Chiado area of central Lisbon was closed to traffic over the weekend, opening up the space to pedestrians, tvi reports.
No cars were able to pass between 10:00 AM on Saturday and 11:59 PM on Sunday as part of a campaign by Lisbon city council (Câmara Municipal de Lisboa) to “increase pedestrian safety and allow for their free movement,” Expresso reports.
The “car free Christmas” initiative offered revellers the opportunity to enjoy parts of the city often overwhelmed with traffic and a glimpse of what a car-free downtown could look like.
