Portugal's economy explained: GDP data, market trends, business developments, inflation, real estate, and economic policy. Analysis of how economic trends affect daily life and expat finances.
The average rental listing in Portugal drew 24 enquiries in the second quarter of 2026 — up 36 percent on the year — even as advertised rents fell 2.4 percent and available stock shrank 13 percent, idealista data show. Demand is heaviest in the Lisbon and Porto commuter belts.
EDP Renováveis reported net profit of €184m for the first half of 2026, up from €93m a year earlier, as EBITDA rose 11% to €1,057m and the United States alone contributed 62% of it. CEO Miguel Stilwell d'Andrade says 70% of the group's growth targets through 2028 are already secured.
Some 641 tax cases each worth more than €1m are stuck in Portugal's courts, together totalling €23.16bn — roughly 8% of GDP. The CSTAF blames a shortage of judges, with the bottleneck at the appeal stage holding up significant funds for both companies and the State.
A financial valuation circulating as binding offers fall due values the whole of TAP at €1.948bn–€2.073bn, about five times its 2015 privatisation. The 49.9% stake the State is selling would be worth an estimated €972m–€1,034.5m, with Air France-KLM and Lufthansa the two bidders left in the race.
CTT's consolidated net profit fell 41.6% to €12.9 million in the first half of 2026 even as revenue rose 12.9% to €674.3 million. Banco CTT income grew 8.1% and the buyback expanded, but a new EU handling fee on sub-€150 parcels from China now looms over the parcel business.
The Azores regional government has opened the sale of SATA Handling, the ground-services arm of the islands' airline group. Bidders need five years' experience and must keep the headquarters in the Azores and freeze job cuts for 30 months — a privatisation entirely separate from the TAP sale on the
Half a year after Storm Kristin battered central Portugal on 28 January, insurers have settled 80 percent of housing claims and public aid tops €3.5 billion. Yet only a quarter of the €5.3 billion in damage was insured, businesses in Marinha Grande remain shut, and a labour shortage is stalling the
