en 
Prepared by the Observatório da Emigração, a research center at ISCTE - Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, the report indicates that, from 80,000 departures in 2019, this number dropped to 45,000 in 2020.
The reduction was general, encompassing practically all the traditional destinations of Portuguese emigration.
According to this document, the Covid-19 pandemic crisis and the departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Brexit) contributed to this drop.
In relation to the pandemic, the impact was expressed through “limits to international mobility for health purposes and the economic crisis that resulted from the containment”.
Brexit contributed through barriers to migration to this country, following the plan for the UK's exit from the European area of free movement.
The United Kingdom had been, in 2019, the main destination of Portuguese emigration, having been dethroned from that position in 2020 by Switzerland.
The numbers reflect these changes, since, in 2020, 18,000 fewer Portuguese emigrated to the United Kingdom than in the previous year, which represents “the biggest drop of the century in emigration to this destination”.
The report indicates that Portuguese emigration continues its downward path, which began in 2014 and is explained by the “resumption of economic growth in Portugal, expressed in the revitalisation of the labour market, with employment growth and a drop in unemployment”.
High emigration
According to the United Nations, whose data are cited in this report, Portugal was, in 2019, the 26th country in the world with the most emigrants.
In Europe, only seven countries had larger emigrant populations: Russian Federation, Ukraine, Poland, United Kingdom, Germany, Romania and Italy.
In terms of the number of emigrants by the population of the country of origin, Portugal had an emigration rate of 26%. In this indicator, Portugal was the eighth country in the world with more emigrants.
Portugal was, in 2019, the first country in the European Union with more emigrants as a percentage of the population: 25.7%.
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The Portuguese treat one another and hard-working legal economic migrants (Brazilians, Bangladeshi, Ukrainians, etc) like slaves: enough money for rent, but you don't get to eat.
With the influx of moneyed foreigners, salaries are slowly rising as well, so a Portuguese exodus isn't as necessary anymore for survival. However, with covid diktats by Brussels, people are losing their businesses.
The Portuguese socialist mindset desperately needs reform. My own housekeeper has told me absolute horror stories how she's treated appallingly, has been forced to work for 12 hours a day, sometimes without a lunch break for 5 euros an hour! This is appalling. If a country wants a stable economy and a happy middle class, they need to stop being so corrupt and treat humans like humans, and not like slaves. Socialism has never worked, anywhere. Stop believing it will be different this time around - it's always the same: an tiny elite that feasts on caviar and the masses that don't even have necessities.
By DD from Lisbon on 26 Dec 2021, 08:24
"My house keeper makes 5€ an hour"
I don't believe a sentence you wrote
...none of it. And capitalism, especially rampant in places like the USA, makes people greedy, selfish, ignorant and willing to work like slaves for very little money and actually accept policies like PTO make for a happy work/life/home balance. There can be improvements to any system, but the Portugal system vs that of America is far superior, and so are it's people and values.
By Elle from Porto on 26 Dec 2021, 12:27
Well said Sra. D. Elle. The withdrawal by many highly skilled Portuguese professionals from Brexit-land was expected and it was hoped that they would return home to enrich our culture but, unfortunately, many are choosing to migrate to Switzerland , France and Luxembourg. Antonio Costa will have to better his attempts to atract these nationals to return to the fold and help with the restoral of Portugal as a leader within the EU.
Roberto Cavaleiro de Tomar 27-12-21
By Cavaleiro R. from Other on 27 Dec 2021, 10:38
P.S. I pay my housekeeper €10.00 hourly with semestral bonuses of €500 for Natal and Ferias de Verão. She is worth every centimo !
Roberto Cavaleiro de Tomar
By Cavaleiro R. from Other on 27 Dec 2021, 10:49
Fundamentalism, socialism, communism, capitalism, liberalism, conservatism. It seems to me, people can take anything with possible merit and turn it into an ism to the exclusion of all else, while extolling their pride in having done so. I could find something to ponder as a good from each of these isms and yet, as understood in our global economy, I can’t affix my devotion to any one of them.
I am a great believer in mentorship, apprenticeship, stewardship. These I believe are foundational to passing along skills, patience and wisdom to those wanting to learn and foundational to building a sustainable economy. You might say I’m for a lot of “ships” and few or no “isms.” Make of that what you will.
By T P Graf from USA on 27 Dec 2021, 15:54
Modern day slavery affects every country. Portugal is not immune!
By Ian from Lisbon on 27 Dec 2021, 18:46
I was born abroad and lived abroad all my life. I have regularly visited Portugal.
After considering everything, I have made a conscious decision to invest in Portugal and relocate to the land of my forefathers.
And yes I am Portuguese !
Trust me I don't really believe the comments here. Please visit the USA, UK etc and see the exploitation. Its much much worse than anywhere else.
I think portugal should put its own nationals before economic migrants like all other countries.
By L Sousa from UK on 31 Dec 2021, 21:16
Exploration happen worldwide,this its not a nation issue.is the all world,come to london ,and you will see, happen the same in dubai,usa, Germany,france,brasil .... everywhere
By P J P DUARTEexpi from UK on 03 Aug 2024, 12:26