Lisbon, June 23, 2025 (Lusa) - Home purchases by foreigners accounted for 5.1% of the total in the first quarter of this year, the lowest relative weight since the second quarter of 2021, according to data released today by Statistics Portugal (INE).
The Housing Price Index (IPHab) of Statistics Portugal (INE) shows that, from January to March, 5.1% of homes sold in Portugal (2,098) involved buyers with tax residence outside the country, with the European Union (EU) accounting for 2.7% and other countries 2.4%.
“The relative weight of purchases by buyers with tax residence outside the national territory was the lowest since the second quarter of 2021,” it highlights.
On the contrary, buyers with tax residence in Portugal acquired dwellings at a 26.6% higher rate than in the previous year, to 39,260 units.
According to INE, there were “different dynamics” in transactions by buyers with tax residence outside Portugal: While home purchases by buyers with tax residence in the EU grew by 12.1% year-on-year to a total of 1,109 units, the “other countries” tax residence category totalled 989 transactions, reflecting an annual reduction of 8.3% and the fifth consecutive decline.
In total, buyers purchased 41,358 homes in the first quarter, a year-on-year increase of 25.0% and a month-on-month adjustment of 8.5%. In terms of value, transactions amounted to €9.6 billion, up 42.9% compared to the same period in 2024.
By region, the North, with a total of 12,285 transactions, accounted for 29.7% of all housing sales, a 0.3 percentage point decrease compared to the same period last year.
Greater Lisbon and the Central region followed, recording 8,018 sales and 6,501 units respectively in terms of number of transactions, representing 19.4% and 15.7% of the total (a change of 0.3 and 0.6 percentage points compared to the same quarter of 2024).
In terms of value, the Setúbal Peninsula and Madeira were the regions that recorded the highest year-on-year increases in relative shares, 0.6 and 0.4 percentage points, respectively, totalling 9.9% and 2.8% of the total value.
Greater Lisbon and the Algarve, which together accounted for 42.4% of the total value transacted, saw their regional shares decline by 0.7 and 0.3 percentage points year-on-year, in the same order.
PD/ADB // ADB.
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