Portugal retained its 9th position in the ranking of the most attractive European countries for foreign investment, according to the EY Attractiveness Survey 2026. Although the country recorded a 5% decrease in the number of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) projects in 2025, its performance was more resilient than the European average, reflecting Portugal’s ability to continue attracting investors in a challenging international environment.
The software, information technology, business services and professional services sectors continue to lead in attracting investment, confirming the importance of knowledge-intensive activities within the Portuguese economy.
At the same time, the number of expansion projects undertaken by companies already established in Portugal increased, signalling confidence in the domestic market and in the growth potential of their operations.
Nevertheless, experts warn that the resilience demonstrated by the country must now be translated into long-term competitiveness gains. To achieve this, it will be essential to create better conditions for financing, executing and expanding investments, enabling Portugal to keep pace with European markets that have experienced faster growth in attracting FDI.
Attracting higher value-added investment also requires a strong focus on strategic areas such as artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, advanced services and sustainable reindustrialisation. The objective is to attract projects with a greater impact on innovation, productivity and economic development. In the coming years, data centres, logistics and supply chains are expected to play a prominent role. The availability of skilled talent, political stability, quality of life and growing access to renewable energy are factors that continue to strengthen Portugal’s position as a competitive destination for international investment.