In the “Migration and Asylum Report 2025”, which covers AIMA's work and the distribution of foreigners by nationality, type of documentation, and geographical distribution, Brazilians stand out with almost half a million people.

Following are Angola (99,050), India (91,405), Ukraine (84,889), Cape Verde (71,005), Nepal (53,304), Bangladesh (55,579), Guinea-Bissau (51,935), United Kingdom (47,726), Italy (42,418), Pakistan (42,042) and São Tomé and Príncipe (41,800) on the list of countries with the largest resident communities in Portugal.

Comparison to the previous year

Compared to the previous year, there are almost ten thousand more Brazilians living in Portugal, with a reduction in the Indian population, which was surpassed in the table by Angolans, while the increase in Italian citizens (two thousand more people) placed Italy in the top 10, surpassing Pakistan and São Tomé and Príncipe.

In total, citizens of Portuguese-speaking countries (Brazil, Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe, Mozambique, and East Timor) make up almost 50 percent of the foreign population residing in Portugal.

European citizens

“In the European context, the communities from Italy, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine stand out, continuing to represent a significant portion of the resident foreign population,” a situation that “reflects both intra-European mobility and the demand for Portugal as a safe, stable, and attractive destination to live, work, and invest,” states the AIMA annual report.

Compared with 2024, North and Central America, led by the USA, contributed the greatest growth in immigrants, with a 10% increase, while Asia saw a 4.1% decrease.

Gender and age range

Most foreigners are men (55.6%), 84.6% are of working age (between 18 and 64 years old), and 135,750 are minors (mostly female).

"The young population, between 0 and 17 years old, represents 9.1% of the total foreign residents in Portugal, contributing to the vitality of schools and to the construction of long-term integration pathways," while those 65 years or older represent 6.3%, a relatively small value.

"The combined reading of these data confirms that the foreign population residing in Portugal is young, active, and socially dynamic, playing a central role in economic vitality, innovation, and social cohesion," the report states.

Territorial distribution

In terms of territorial distribution, the Lisbon district has 605,895 foreign residents (approximately 40% of the total), followed by Setúbal (173,885), Porto (167,498), and Faro (166,124).

These four districts, “together, represent 1,114,402 foreign residents, corresponding to 70.3% of the national total,” a reality that “mainly reflects the economic and social attractiveness of these regions, conditioned by the installed capacity for reception, integration, and the provision of opportunities.”

With regard to municipalities, Lisbon has the most foreign residents (200,073), followed by Sintra (98,652), Porto (60,351), Cascais (53,683), Amadora (55,457), Loures (51,134), Odivelas (50,082) and Almada (39,098).

Regarding requests for international protection, which fell from 2,677 in 2024 to 1,765 in 2025, most came from Colombia (246), followed by China (169), Angola (159), Venezuela (104) and Gambia (100).

Fewer applications for minors

The report states that “in 2025, there was still a very significant reduction in the number of unaccompanied minors seeking asylum, with a decrease of 69.6% compared to the previous year”, going from 204 in 2024 to 62 in 2025, with most of these cases originating from Gambia, Morocco and Guinea-Conakry.

“Portugal also participated in the European Union Resettlement Programme, a legal and safe pathway that allows the transfer of refugees from third countries to Member States that commit to granting protection”, with 258 people being resettled, mostly from Syria (97), followed by Afghanistan (50).

Temporary protection

Of the nearly 85,000 Ukrainians residing in Portugal, close to 65,000 benefit from temporary protection in Portugal, "an exceptional mechanism provided for in European and national law, designed to provide a rapid, effective and humanitarian response to massive flows of displaced persons who cannot safely return to their country of origin," the report also states.