Foreign direct investment in Portugal totaled 4,800 million euros in the third quarter, mainly due to investment in the capital of Portuguese entities, bringing the total investment ‘stock’ to 69% of GDP, the BdP announced this Wednesday, 26th.
According to the Bank of Portugal (BdP), the 4,800 million euros in foreign direct investment (FDI) transactions in the third quarter compare with 5,400 million in the same period last year, with 3,400 million corresponding to investment in the capital of Portuguese entities, including 1,000 million relating to real estate investment.
European countries were the ones that invested the most in Portugal during this period, with emphasis on investment from Spain (1,400 million euros), Luxembourg (800 million euros), France and the United Kingdom (400 million euros each).
Conversely, Portugal’s direct investment transactions abroad (IPE) totaled 2,100 million euros in the third quarter, compared to 2,900 million euros in the same period last year.
From an immediate counterpart perspective, the investment made in European countries stood out, mainly in the Netherlands (700 million euros) and Spain (700 million euros).
At the end of September, the stock of foreign direct investment in Portugal was 208,100 million euros, while the stock of Portugal’s direct investment abroad totaled 78,400 million euros.
These amounts represented, respectively, 69% and 26% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
According to the BdP, since 2008 both ‘stocks’ have increased, although at different rates: FDI more than doubled between the end of 2008 and the third quarter of 2025, while IPE grew by 50%.
When measured as a percentage of GDP, the weight of FDI increased by 23 percentage points, but the weight of IPE fell by three points.
With regard to direct investment income, in the third quarter FDI income paid to non-residents was 3,800 million euros, in line with that recorded in the same period last year.
IPE income received from non-residents totaled 1,800 million euros, 100 million euros less than in the same period last year.