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A Caixa Geral de Depositos bank branch with its blue sign on the ground floor of white Portuguese apartment blocks in Albufeira, seen from across the road with a bus shelter in front

Interest Now Eats 49.5% of the Average Portuguese Mortgage Payment, and New Borrowers Face €731 a Month

INE's July reading puts the implicit rate on Portuguese housing credit at 3.135%, a second straight monthly rise, with interest taking 49.5% of the average €414 instalment. Loans signed in the last three months average €731 a month, 15.1% more than a year ago.

The Portugal Brief 20 Aug 2026

General Daily Briefing: Thursday, 20 August 2026

General Daily Briefing: Thursday, 20 August 2026

Good morning. Here is your Thursday briefing for 20 August 2026: the day's essential Portugal stories for residents, expats and anyone keeping an eye on the country, running from workplace safety and the school-year budget to satellites, ferries, a strike at Sines and a very large tax bill.

The Portugal Brief 20 Aug 2026

The arched concrete wall of the Picote dam in the Douro Internacional gorge in north-east Portugal

The Tax Office Begins Billing EDP's Douro Dam Sale, Starting With €12.2 Million of a €335 Million Claim

The Autoridade Tributaria has issued its first assessment on the 2020 sale of six dams to the Movhera consortium, with the balance expected in September. EDP disputes both the tax framework and the sums, and will not pay until the courts rule.

The Portugal Brief 20 Aug 2026

The dark red and white facade of the Liceu Passos Manuel secondary school in Lisbon, Portugal

Portuguese Families Brace for a €100 to €250 Back-to-School Bill Per Child, and Most Expect Worse Next Year

A ConsumerChoice study finds 43% of parents expect to spend EUR 100 to EUR 250 per child on the return to classes, 83% think it will cost more than last year, and eight in ten will cut restaurants, leisure or holidays to pay for it.

The Portugal Brief 20 Aug 2026

Large liquefied natural gas storage tanks at the Sines terminal on Portugal's south-west coast

Staff at the Sines LNG Terminal Set a Three-Day Stoppage Over Shifts, in a Grievance Dating Back to 2012

Workers at REN Atlantico's Sines terminal, Portugal's only LNG import point, strike from 23 to 25 August. Their unions say most staff face nearly 47 years on rotating shifts before they can retire, and want an earlier exit.

The Portugal Brief 20 Aug 2026

The orange and white Transtejo ferry Palmelense crossing the Tagus estuary near Lisbon at dusk

The Transport Regulator Puts Lisbon's River Ferries on a Monthly Report Card for Delays and Cancellations

After a rising tide of passenger complaints, the AMT has ordered Transtejo/Soflusa to file monthly returns on every service run, delayed or cancelled, with causes and remedies, broken down by line and by time of day.

The Portugal Brief 20 Aug 2026

The city of Coimbra rising above the Mondego river in central Portugal at dusk

A Coimbra Firm of 35 People Lands Its Biggest Order Yet, and Its Parts Will Reach Venus in 2031

Active Space Technologies will build 340 structural components for a European satellite constellation, worth up to EUR 3 million, with deliveries running to June 2028. Its hardware is also booked onto ESA missions to Venus, the Sun and Jupiter.

The Portugal Brief 20 Aug 2026

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