Welcome to the Week em Breve, a wrap-up of important Portuguese news to keep you up to date and in the know.
Up to 33 Million Tourists Expected in 2025
A panel of “tourism experts” estimates that 33 million people will visit Portugal this year, generating €6.5 billion in revenue, according to the Tourism Barometer from Instituto de Planeamento e Desenvolvimento do Turismo ( Institute of Tourism Planning and Development). The IPDT said: “56% of respondents anticipate growth to between 30.1 and 33 million by 2025.” The panel also noted the need to deal with “the perception of ‘overtourism,’” with 80% of respondents classifying it as “important” or “very important.”
Thousands March in Lisbon Against Racism, Fascism
On Saturday, thousands of people marched down Avenida Almirante Reis in response to a police operation in Martim Moniz last December. Portuguese flags flew and familiar chants such as “April 25th forever, fascism never again” filled the air, Público reports. People rallied around the demand “Don’t push us against the wall” in reference to those who were forced against the walls of Rua do Benformoso for up to two hours during the December operation.
Affordable Housing Not Required for Land Conversions
The decree-law allowing municipalities to build housing on rural land does not include “affordable rental” as one of the conditions, as was erroneously reported in December. This stipulation was from older texts, Público reports. The actual decree-law requires 70% of the converted construction area to be for “public” or “moderate-value” housing. Moderate-value housing can still be sold above market value, Público reports. There is also no fixed ratio of public housing, meaning, in theory, new construction could include none.
Portugal Sees Biggest House Price rise in Eurozone
In the third quarter of 2024, house prices in Portugal increased 3.7% compared to the previous three months, Jornal de Negócios reports. The Eurozone and the wider European Union saw an average increase of 1.4%. In the EU, Portugal was second only to Bulgaria, which saw house prices jump 3.9%.
Portugal Remains One of the Most Unequal Countries in the EU
A recent study found that inequality in Portugal decreased from 2022 to 2023, but the country still has one of the highest poverty rates in the EU. Roughly 1.8 million people are living in Poverty in Portugal. Children and young people had the lowest poverty rates since 2003, but among the elderly, there was an increase from 17.1% to 21.1%. This could be due to changes in methodology and an increase in the poverty threshold, author of the research Carlos Farinha Rodrigues told Sábado.
Teachers Worked Almost 14,000 Hours Overtime in the First Term
At the start of the academic year, Portugal faced a severe teacher shortage. At the time, the National Teachers’ Federation estimated it could leave 200,000 pupils without a teacher for at least one subject. To plug this gap, public school teachers worked 13,831 extra hours between September and December 2024, Público reports. The government also introduced subsidies for teachers posted more than 70 kilometers from their homes. By December, 1,678 teachers had started receiving this subsidy, with almost half receiving the highest amount possible: €450 for those posted more than 300km from home. An external audit to understand the actual number of students missing class is being contracted.
Export-Oriented Foreign Investment in Portugal Increases Tenfold
The Portuguese Trade & Investment Agency (AICEP) attracted projects worth €420 in 2024, compared with €41 million in 2023, Reuters reports. This will create 1,000 jobs and is “proof of investors’ confidence in the Portuguese economy,” according to the Minister of Economy, Pedro Rei. The investments include automotive manufacturing, semiconductors, wood manufacturing, and pharmaceuticals.
