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.
Portuguese public bodies signed a record €24.8 billion in contracts in 2025, up about a third on 2024, across 254,700 deals — a 14% jump in volume and the highest total since the IMPIC register began in 2010. Public works alone accounted for €8.2 billion.
Rents frozen since before 1990 are finally being unlocked, and the government is building a safety net for the mostly elderly, low-income tenants who could be pushed out.
The British fintech now says it is the country's third-largest bank, and it is arriving at the exact moment Portuguese households have parked more money than ever in low-yielding deposits.
📋 In This Edition * Portuguese Equities: PSI Slips 0.9% as Galp Sinks on Its Own Results * Blue-Chip Movers * Government Bonds and the Euro * Business & Tech Focus: Galp's Profit Jumps
Hennig, a 75-year-old Munich manufacturer that supplies Nvidia and Apple, will build a €53 million plant for data-centre and energy components in Figueira da Foz, creating 450 jobs by 2028. The deal, backed by €7.7 million in state support via AICEP, targets €500 million in turnover.
From 1 August the Bank of Portugal cuts the cap on household debt repayments from 50% to 45% of net monthly income for new loan assessments. A household earning €2,000 a month sees its maximum repayment fall from €1,000 to about €900, shrinking how much the banks will lend.
For the first time since euro notes launched in 2002, the ECB has shortlisted ten designs and opened a public vote that runs until 21 September. The choice is between a 'European Culture' theme, with figures such as Marie Curie, and a 'Rivers and Birds' theme. New notes are expected in the early 203
