Portugal records 66% rise in immigrant social‑security departures

Portugal’s National Institute of Statistics (INE) reports the resident population reached a new high of 11.4 million in 2025, with immigrants accounting for about 14 % (1.6 million) of residents. The same year, data from the Instituto da Segurança Social show that 162,252 immigrant workers stopped contributing to the Portuguese social‑security system, a 66 % increase over 2024 and an average of 455 daily exits. Brazilian nationals led the departures with roughly 60,000 cases, while the fastest proportional growth came from workers from the Indian sub‑continent (India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal). Despite the surge in exits, the overall labour‑market balance remained positive: 539,493 foreign workers entered the system in 2025, only 0.12 % fewer than the previous year, leaving the country with about 45,000 more foreign contributors than at the end of 2024. Contributions from immigrant workers rose 18 % year‑on‑year, underscoring their growing weight in Portugal’s social‑security finances.