🇵🇹 Daily Portugal news for expats & investors — FREE Subscribe

The Portugal Brief

Home
Politics
Economy
Guides
About

Sign in Subscribe

Banco de Portugal

The Banco de Portugal headquarters in Lisbon floodlit at night, its neoclassical facade and corner tower lit against a dark sky

Portugal's Economy Now Carries €894 Billion of Debt, Four Percentage Points More of GDP Than at New Year

A Bank of Portugal note puts household, corporate and public debt at 282.7% of GDP in June, after roughly €40 billion was added in six months. Housing credit drove the €8.2 billion household increase.

The Portugal Brief 21 Aug 2026

The Banco de Portugal (Bank of Portugal) headquarters in the Baixa quarter of Lisbon

Portugal's External Surplus Halved to 0.8% of GDP in the First Half, Even as Its Debt to the Rest of the World Fell to a 25-Year Low

The Bank of Portugal says the combined current and capital account surplus fell to 0.8% of GDP in the first half, down 45.8% on a year earlier, as a wider goods deficit bit. Yet net external debt dropped to 33.9% of GDP, its lowest since 2001. What the split means for residents and investors.

The Portugal Brief 19 Aug 2026

The illuminated stone facade of a Banco de Portugal building at night, its neoclassical columns and pediment lit gold against a dark sky

Corporate Profitability Held Near a Record 9.5% in Early 2026 as Portuguese Firms Leaned Less on Debt

Fresh Banco de Portugal figures show Portuguese companies opened 2026 more profitable and better capitalised. The return on assets rose to a historically high 9.5% in the first quarter, while financial autonomy — the share of assets funded by equity — climbed to 45.7% as firms leaned less on borrowi

The Portugal Brief 11 Jul 2026

Aerial view of Lisbon's rooftops with the Tagus estuary and a cargo ship beyond

Bank of Portugal's Resolution Fund Books a €630 Million Reserve for Possible BES Compensation Claims

The Fundo de Resolucao, which financed the 2014 rescue of Banco Espirito Santo, has set aside €630 million in its 2025 accounts against the chance it must one day compensate BES creditors under the 'no creditor worse off' principle.

The Portugal Brief 26 Jun 2026

Aerial view of a bank headquarters in Lisbon

Bank Profits Cool in the First Quarter as Lending Margins Tighten

A new Bank of Portugal report shows banking-sector return on equity slipped to 13.65% in the first quarter of 2026 as falling rates compress net interest margins.

The Portugal Brief 26 Jun 2026

Loan Brokers Handle More Than Half of Portugal's 2025 Consumer Lending for the First Time, Bank of Portugal Finds

Loan Brokers Handle More Than Half of Portugal's 2025 Consumer Lending for the First Time, Bank of Portugal Finds

Credit intermediaries arranged 50.6% of consumer loans in 2025 — the first time the channel has crossed half since it was regulated in 2018. They handled 57% of mortgages and 82.6% of car finance, the Bank of Portugal reports.

The Portugal Brief 23 Jun 2026

Portugal's Total Debt Load Swells €8.1 Billion in April to €876.2 Billion, Bank of Portugal Reports

Portugal's Total Debt Load Swells €8.1 Billion in April to €876.2 Billion, Bank of Portugal Reports

The total indebtedness of the Portuguese economy climbed to €876.2 billion in April 2026, an increase of €8.1 billion from March, according to figures released on 22 June 2026 by the Banco de Portugal (Bank of Portugal). The jump was driven...

The Portugal Brief 23 Jun 2026

Subscribe to The Portugal Brief

Don't miss out on the latest news. Sign up now to get access to the library of members-only articles.

Sign up
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service
Partner with Us
Editorial Standards

The Portugal Brief © 2026. Powered by Ghost

Operated by Thrifty Explorations LLC.

[email protected]