The pace of business creation has experienced a decline throughout the year, while the construction sector has accelerated, with 5,398 new companies created by August, idealista reports.

This cements it as one of the main forces in the Portuguese market, as the sector grew the most in this indicator (+13%) and is second with the most incorporations in absolute terms.

New companies created

Together with the Service sector (business and general), Construction and Real Estate Activities accounted for almost two-thirds of new company formations in Portugal since the beginning of the year, according to data from the Informa D&B Barometer.

Across those sectors, new company formations reached 36,124. Compared to the same first eight months of 2025, this represents a 3.0% decline, meaning 1,116 fewer companies were formed.

Decline across most districts

The agriculture and other natural resources sector experienced the largest percentage drop in companies created (-27%), followed by Transport (-12%) and then Accommodation and food services (-10%).

The only sectors that defied this trend were Construction and Information and Communication Technologies, with the latter creating 135 more companies compared to the same period last year, meaning an increase of +5.3%.

This decline in new companies created in 2026 affects most districts, with Lisbon, Faro, and Funchal being the most affected. The districts of Santarém, Porto, Coimbra, Angra do Heroísmo, and Vila Real were the only ones to grow.

Decrease in closures

On the upside, almost all sectors experienced a decrease in business closures, with the most notable declines being in the Business Services and Retail sectors.

In the last 12 months, from July last year to the end of August this year, there was a 7.8% decrease in closures.