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OEm Fact Sheets
OEm Fact Sheets is a periodical publication of synthetic texts summarizing indicators on Portuguese emigration of particular interest to researchers, policy makers and journalists. These texts are supplemented by tables, graphs and maps and are intended to make public, in useful time, some of the main results of the Observatory's work.+

Coordination  Inês Vidigal

Periodicity  four-monthly

ISSN  2183-4385 (online)

Liliana Nunes e Carlota Moura Veiga
Portugal has historically been recognised as a country of emigrants. Since the early days of migration, it has been characterised by higher volumes of Portuguese outflows than foreign inflows. Compared to transatlantic migrations in the first phase, from the 1960s onwards there was a redirection of Portuguese migratory flows towards northern European countries, among which France stands out. The strong presence of the Portuguese community in this country triggered the activation of a strong associative movement, which led to the creation of this factsheet. To this end, a database was set up containing the associations founded by Portuguese residents in France from 1902 to 2023. In this way, it is possible to identify the periods of greatest Portuguese emigration to France and, in turn, the evolution of the Portuguese associative movement in French territory in terms of its organisation and goals.
Inês Vidigal
Analysis of a long statistical series on births in Switzerland of mothers of foreign nationality. The series, which is annual, begins in 1987 and ends 34 years later, in 2021. The analysis of the series makes it possible to identify the evolution of births in Swiss territory of mothers of Portuguese nationality and their relationship with the evolution of births in Switzerland in general. Throughout the series, this evolution is marked by the greater weight in the births of European origins.
Inês Vidigal
Analysis of a long statistical series on births in Germany of mothers of foreign nationality. The series, which is annual, begins in 1960 and ends 60 years later, in 2020. The analysis of the series makes it possible to identify the evolution of births in German territory of mothers of Portuguese nationality and their relationship with the evolution of births in Germany in general. Throughout the series, this evolution is marked by the greater weight in the births of European and Asian origins.
Inês Vidigal
Analysis of a long statistical series on births in Spain of mothers of foreign nationality. The series, which is annual, begins in 1996 and ends 23 years later, in 2019. The analysis of the series makes it possible to identify the evolution of births in Spanish territory of mothers of Portuguese nationality and their relationship with the evolution of births in Spain in general. Throughout the series, this evolution is marked by the greater weight in the births of African and American origin from foreign mothers, while there is a decline of European origins.
Inês Vidigal, Carlota Moura Veiga, Hélder Paulino
Analysis of a statistical series on the permits granted to Portuguese to reside in Brazil. The series, which is annual, begins in 2000 and ends in 2015. The analysis of the series makes it possible to identify some characteristics of the Portuguese population that emigrated to Brazilian territory during this period: gender, age group, marital status, work status, professions and geographical distribution at destination. Portuguese emigration to Brazil is marked by a large increase in permits granted for residence from 2011, with a value of more than 3,000 annual entries in the following years.
Inês Vidigal
The value of remittances recorded in Portugal suffered a decrease in 2020 (-1.4%), after ten consecutive years of growth. Emigrants' remittances remained above three billion euros, which corresponded to 1.8% of GDP. Together, the two countries where most Portuguese live, France and Switzerland, were also the countries of origin of more than half of the remittances inflows. Conversely, almost half of remittances sent abroad by immigrants living in Portugal went to Brazil. Portugal was, in 2018, the 35th country in the world that received more remittances. However, the degree of economic dependence on emigration remittances has declined in recent decades and today is low by international standards.
Inês Vidigal
Analysis of a long statistical series on births in France of mothers of foreign origin. The series, which is annual, begins in 1977 and ends 41 years later, in 2018. The analysis of the series makes it possible to identify the decline of births in French territory of mothers of Portuguese origin and their relationship with the evolution of births in France in general. This evolution is marked by the great weight of births of African origin of foreign mothers throughout the series, while there is a progressive decline of European origins. +
Rui Pena Pires e Inês Vidigal
From 2000 to 2017, net migration in Portugal fluctuated from a surplus of 67 thousand individuals, in 2000, to six years of negative balances (2011 to 2016) and returning to positive balances in 2017 (+4.886). According to Eurostat data on migration in EU and EFTA countries, Portugal is part of the group of European countries with the most negative migration balances both in absolute and relative terms. When the effects of return and re-emigration flows are removed, Portugal has even more negative figures, being exceeded only by Lithuania, Romania, Croatia and Latvia (average 2015-2017).
Inês Vidigal
In 2018, remittances amounted to more than three billion euros, corresponding to about 1.8% of GDP. Together, the two main destination countries of Portuguese emigration, France and Switzerland, were also the countries of origin of more than half of remittances inflows. Conversely, almost half of remittances sent abroad by immigrants living in Portugal went to Brazil. From 2017 to 2018 there was a significantly increase of the value of remittances received in Portugal: more than 34% in nominal terms. Portugal was, in 2017, the 31st country in the world that received more remittances. However, the degree of economic dependence on emigration remittances has declined in recent decades and today is low by international standards.+
Ana Filipa Cândido
According to DIOC 2010/11 data (database on Portuguese immigrants in OECD countries), about 1.4 million Portuguese were emigrants in OECD countries. With regard to qualifications, the majority of Portuguese emigrants had a low level of education, including in the countries where there was a greater stock of Portuguese emigrants. Even if there was a predominance of emigrants with low education, there is an increase in the number of emigrants with higher education in the case of those who have emigrated more recently, that is, when the length of stay corresponds to one year or less. The most recent emigration, therefore, tends to be more qualified.
Inês Vidigal
Analysis of a long statistical series on entries of foreign migrants in Canada. The annual series begins in 1966 and ends 50 years later in 2016 in the case of data on total admission of foreigners and Portuguese in that country. Data on the remaining nationalities of migrants entering Canada cover a shorter period of 35 years, starting in 1980 and ending in 2015. The analysis of the series identifies the decline of Portuguese emigration to Canada and its relation to evolution of Canadian immigration in general. This evolution is marked by the progressive decline of the European origins of migrants entering Canada and the growth, in contrast, of Asian immigration.
Isabel Tiago de Oliveira, Pedro Candeias, João Peixoto, Jorge Malheiros, Joana Azevedo
In the first decade of this century (2001-2011), at least 233 thousand Portuguese emigrants returned to Portugal. The large majority (almost 70%) returned from France, Switzerland, Spain, United Kingdom and Germany (France is the country with the largest proportion - about a quarter). The large majority returns during working age (more than 75%) and the proportion of those who return in retirement age is comparatively much lower (less than 20%). In the population that has already reached the working age (15 years or more) and has returned in this decade, education tends to be low (almost 60% has a maximum of 9 years of schooling, less than 30% has secondary education and a little more than 10% has higher education). Regarding labour status, the most frequent condition is to be employed (more than 40%), followed by retirement (about 25%) and unemployment is a significant situation (slightly more than 10%). Finally, about 80% of the returned emigrants with a job, is an employee.
Mara Clemente
Between 2008 and 2014, 1,110 trafficked persons were reported in Portugal. About a quarter of the reported trafficked persons are citizens of Portuguese origin. They are mainly men, exploited workers, either within or outside the country. The experience of some actors directly involved in the fight to stem trafficking in human beings (THB) crime leads to a better understanding of the problem. In-depth qualitative studies, besides enhancing the knowledge of the problem, could also support effective prevention and the assistance of trafficked persons.
Rui Pena Pires e Inês Espírito-Santo
According to Eurostat data on migration in the EU and EFTA countries, Portugal, which had a positive net migration of 47,000 individuals in 2000, became, in 2013, one of the European countries with the top negative net migration both in absolute values (-36 thousand individuals) and relative values (-0.3% of the resident population). That year, only Poland, Greece and Spain had larger negative net migration in absolute values. Excluding the impact of return migration, only Poland and Romania had larger negative net migration than Portugal.
Cláudia Pereira, Nuno Pinto, Rui Pena Pires
In a sample of 349 Portuguese nurses in the United Kingdom, close to half were young, recent graduates, 25 years old or less and found their first job upon emigration to the UK. Generally, employment in the UK was obtained through employment agencies that recruited Portuguese nurses either in Portugal or the UK. In the majority of cases, emigration translated into possibilities for better professional mobility.
Inês Vidigal & Rui Pena Pires
In 2013, remittances amounted to more than three billion euros, corresponding to about 1.8% of GDP. Together, the two main destination countries of Portuguese emigration, France and Switzerland, were also the countries of origin of more than half of remittances inflows. Conversely, almost half of remittances sent abroad by immigrants living in Portugal went to Brazil. From 2012 to 2013 there was a significantly increase of the value of remittances received in Portugal: more than 10% per year in nominal terms. Portugal was, in 2012, the 29th country in the world that received more remittances. However, the degree of economic dependence on emigration remittances has declined in recent decades and today is low by international standards.
Rui Pena Pires, Cláudia Pereira, Inês Espírito-Santo
According to the data of the 2011 census, more than one million Portuguese-born migrants lived in the European Union and EFTA countries. France, Luxembourg and, to a lesser extent, Germany stood out among the former countries of emigration in the 60's. Switzerland, the UK and Spain were the main new European countries of Portuguese emigration.

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