Portugal witnessed a continuous rise in its foreign resident population for the seventh consecutive year in 2022, reaching a total of 781,915 individuals, according to the latest report by

SEF (Immigration and Borders Service).

The report, called the Immigration, Borders, and Asylum Report (RIFA), reveals that the resident foreign population experienced an 11.9% increase compared to 2021, with 781,915 foreign citizens holding a residence permit.

While Brazilians remain the largest foreign community in Portugal, comprising 30.7% of the total, it was the British residents who constituted the second largest group. The United Kingdom saw a growth rate of 5.8% from the previous year, maintaining its position from 2021.

The report attributes the sustained growth of foreign citizens, particularly from European Union countries, to various factors such as Portugal's reputation as a safe country and the tax advantages provided by the non-resident regime. Angola and India also witnessed significant increases, with the former rising to the sixth position with a growth rate of 23.1%, and the latter becoming the fourth most representative community.

Romania and China, however, dropped out of the top ten nationalities list in Portugal.

As of the end of 2022, the Brazilian community comprised the largest group of foreign residents in Portugal with 239,744 individuals. They were followed by citizens from the United Kingdom (45,218), Cape Verde (36,748), India (35,416), Italy (34,039), Angola (31,761), France (27,512), Ukraine (25,445), Nepal (23,839), and Guinea-Bissau (23,737).

The coastal regions attract the majority of immigrants, with approximately 65% of them residing in the districts of Lisbon, Faro, and Setúbal. The total number of registered residents in these districts increased from 466,779 in 2021 to 512,141 in 2022.

The report also highlights an upward trend in the districts of Bragança and Viana do Castelo, which had experienced a decline since 2020. Additionally, seven out of the top ten municipalities with the highest number of registered foreign citizens are located in the Lisbon metropolitan area. Photo by Threeohsix, Wikimedia commons.