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The ornate interior of the Lello bookstore in Porto, with carved wooden shelves, hanging lamps and a stained-glass ceiling

Portuguese Book Sales Dip 1.9% in the Second Quarter, the First Fall Since the Pandemic

Portuguese book sales fell 1.9% by volume in the second quarter to 3.26 million copies, the first decline since the pandemic despite the Lisbon Book Fair. Revenue slipped 1.8% to €47.25 million, with flat prices pointing to fewer buyers rather than costlier books.

The Portugal Brief 11 Jul 2026

The white neoclassical Palacio de Sao Bento in Lisbon, seat of Portugal's Assembly of the Republic, flying the national flag under a clear blue sky

Livre Gathers in Sintra to Choose New Spokespeople as Rui Tavares Steps Back After Four Years

Livre opens its 17th congress in Sintra with a leadership contest, as founder Rui Tavares steps down as spokesperson after four years. Three lists compete, the frontrunner proposing dual spokespeople and a new secretary-general, while challengers demand less centralised power.

The Portugal Brief 11 Jul 2026

Aerial view over the red rooftops of central Lisbon looking down the pedestrian Rua Augusta filled with people, under a cloudy sky

Portugal Rises to the EU's Ninth-Most-Populous Country as Its Resident Count Passes 11.4 Million

Portugal has become the EU's ninth most populous state, with 11,424,031 residents on 1 January 2026, up 36,809 on the year. With deaths outnumbering births, the entire increase comes from net migration — a reliance now at the centre of the country's politics.

The Portugal Brief 11 Jul 2026

A multi-storey timber building under construction, wrapped in scaffolding with a crane alongside, against a clear blue sky

Braga's Casais and Spain's ACR Launch CREE Iberia, a 50/50 Venture in Industrialised Construction

Grupo Casais of Braga and Spain's ACR have created CREE Iberia, a 50/50 company to build with prefabricated timber-and-concrete systems across the Iberian Peninsula. It targets hotels, student and senior housing and 'flex living', betting factory-made construction can beat the building site.

The Portugal Brief 11 Jul 2026

A golden retriever puppy resting its paws on a wooden fence rail and looking towards the camera

Sonae's Musti Acquires ICA's Three Gaston Pet Stores in Sweden and Folds Them Into Arken Zoo

Sonae's Finnish pet-care arm Musti has agreed to buy three Gaston pet stores from ICA, Sweden's largest retailer, folding them into its Arken Zoo chain. The deal ends ICA's short-lived pet pilot and extends a pan-European buying spree that already includes Portugal's ZU.

The Portugal Brief 11 Jul 2026

A multi-storey building under construction behind a tall crane, next to an older apartment block, on a street in Lisbon, Portugal

Building Your Own Home in Portugal in 2026 — A Practical Guide to Autoconstrução, Buying Building Land, Câmara Licensing Under the Reformed RJUE, and the New Partial VAT Refund on Construction

Thinking of buying a plot and building in Portugal? A practical 2026 guide to self-building (autoconstrução): confirming what a plot allows before you buy, licensing through the câmara under the reformed RJUE, the architect and engineers you must hire, and the new partial VAT refund that cuts constr

The Portugal Brief 11 Jul 2026

A tranquil salt-marsh landscape in the Salinas de Aveiro, with an island of reeds and vegetation rising from shallow lagoon water under a clear sky in central Portugal

A 37-Hectare Island in the Ria de Aveiro Goes to Online Auction at €750,000 — Salt Pans, Oyster Beds and All

The Ilha dos Puxadoiros — some 37 hectares of reclaimed salt marsh, fish ponds and low white buildings in the Ria de Aveiro lagoon — has gone to online auction with a base price of €750,000. A rare, self-contained slice of the lagoon, it produces salt, samphire and oysters, but sits inside a Natura

The Portugal Brief 11 Jul 2026

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