News

Why expats are choosing Porto and Northern Portugal as their next destination

Porto is now recognised as an emerging centre for digital business and innovation. In 2025, fDi Intelligence named Porto the Best European City for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Attraction, a title driven by the city’s growing role as a hub for scientists, technologists, engineers, and entrepreneurs.

Porto named as the best European city for attracting investment

Porto has once again been distinguished by the Financial Times as the best European city of the future in terms of strategy for attracting foreign direct investment (FDI), in the category of FDI Strategy – Large Cities.

Portuguese housing market ends 2024 strong, with optimism for 2025

The Portuguese housing market has shown remarkable resilience, ending 2024 on a high note with strong expectations for 2025, according to the latest December 2024 Portuguese Housing Market Survey from RICS and Confidencial Imobiliário. The report highlights an 11% increase in property prices year-on-year and a 27% surge in sales volumes, underscoring the market’s robust performance.

Porto and Lisbon lead with highest home appreciation

Porto was in eighth place in a ranking that brings together 30 cities around the world, while Lisbon was the 11th city where housing prices rose the most. When analysing the appreciation of the real estate market in various urban centres around the world, eXp Realty Portugal concluded that Porto and Lisbon are among the 15 global cities where properties increased in value the most in the last year. In Porto, the average price of a house rose 8.6%, while in Lisbon it increased 4.7%.

Portugal will be a "safe harbour" for investment

Portugal's Minister of the Economy, Pedro Reis, argued that, during this time of geopolitical tensions and changes, Portugal will take on the role of a "safe harbour" for investment. "There is no path to a sustainable growth model disconnected from a vibrant private sector, capable of providing the necessary investment and innovation," the minister reiterated.

Portugal ranks in Top 10 Best Countries to Raise a Family

Portugal ranked in first place, with a Family Relocation Score of 6.33, making it the best country to raise a family in the OECD. While the country performed well across the board, it excelled in financial factors. Families in Portugal benefit from affordable childcare, which costs on average 5 percent of household income, and the average monthly cost of essential utilities is quite low at €110.