According to the Bank of Portugal (BdP), foreign direct investment (FDI) transactions rose 18.9% compared to the 11.1 billion registered in 2023, "mainly due to the investment made in the capital of Portuguese entities (11.1 billion euros)".

"FDI transactions also reflect a significant contribution from real estate investment, amounting to 3.5 billion euros," the central bank adds.

European countries invested the most in Portugal last year, with emphasis on Spain (3.8 billion euros), Luxembourg (3.1 billion euros) and the Netherlands (1.4 billion euros).

While Spain invested more in the Central, Setúbal Peninsula, Alentejo, North and West and Tagus Valley regions, Luxembourg was the main investing country in the Autonomous Region of Madeira (33%).

The Netherlands was the main investor in Greater Lisbon (21%).

On the other hand, Portugal's direct investment transactions abroad totalled 7.2 billion euros (5.7 billion euros in 2023).

This investment was also made mainly in entities resident in countries on the European continent, in particular in the Netherlands (1.8 billion euros), Spain (1.1 billion euros) and Luxembourg (1.1 billion euros).

Taking these transactions into account, at the end of 2024, "the stock of foreign direct investment in Portugal was 200.3 billion euros, and that of Portugal's direct investment abroad (IPE) was 76.0 billion euros", indicates the BdP, values ​​that represented, respectively, 71% and 27% of Portuguese GDP.

In terms of distribution across the country, Greater Lisbon was the region that concentrated the highest FDI value: 106.2 billion euros, which translates into more than half (53.0%) of the FDI stock.

"The North followed, with 34.6 billion euros (17.3% of total FDI), and the Algarve, with 19.5 billion euros (9.7% of total FDI)," indicates the BdP.