Portugal's population estimate rises to 11.4 million, foreign‑born share hits 14 percent

Portugal's National Institute of Statistics (INE) released new population estimates for 2025, showing 11.42 million residents, up from previous figures. The revision, based on an administrative‑data methodology that draws on civil registers, tax records, social security, education and migration authorities, raises the proportion of foreign‑national residents to 14 percent (1.6 million people). The agency says the new approach will provide faster, more detailed statistics and will be the basis for future censuses.

In the autonomous region of Madeira, the share of foreign residents more than doubled between 2021 and 2025, reaching 19,371 people (7.3 % of the regional population). Venezuelans form the largest group, followed by Brazilians, Nepalese, Germans and Britons.

The updated figures also place Portugal among the EU countries with the steepest recent rise in immigrant share, ranking tenth in the bloc with a 6.45‑point increase in the proportion of foreign‑born residents since 2021. The surge has implications for employment statistics, GDP per‑capita calculations and public‑debt ratios, prompting discussion of productivity and integration policies.

These demographic changes are expected to influence future policy decisions on migration, social services and economic planning.