Portugal by the Numbers
From festival burnout and match-making plumbers, here´s what life stats in Portugal really look like.
Author Note: Some of you noticed I didn’t publish last Thursday. With it being 9/11, it didn’t feel right to share something lighthearted. Instead, I took the day to reflect and pray for my beloved USA.
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Can you believe it’s been 2 ½ years since I immigrated to Portugal? Wild ride, best decision of my life. But what’s Portugal really like? Between rubbing elbows with locals, butchering the language, and trying to pass for a native, I’ve picked up a few things. Let’s dive into some stats (with a side of sarcasm).
SOCIAL LIFE IN PORTUGAL
Smoking
Europe has a reputation for chain-smoking like it’s still 1975. Portugal is no exception. Cigarette butts decorate sidewalks, smoke drifts through cafés, and — my favorite —kids perched on laps while their parents light up. Overall, I find that Portuguese people are sensitive to those around them, except for their own children, of course.
Global Action To End Smoking states:
“In 2022, 20.9% of the population in Portugal used tobacco, with men (27.1%) having a significantly higher prevalence than women (15.5%).”
So yes, there’s smoke. But hey, Bulgaria and Greece win the EU gold medal for consumption. France is finally cutting back, so at least I can sip my espresso without hacking up a lung. Progress.
Festivals
The Portuguese love to party — religious, historical, sports, wine, food, you name it. More than 100 festivals a year. By September, I am on festival overload. Recently in Monte Gordo, we celebrated Feiras em Honra da Nossa Senhora Das Dores (Feast in Honor of Our Lady of Sorrows) with fireworks, concerts, and processions to the beach for a blessing of fishing and declaring an end to summer.
What blows my mind? Families bring toddlers and strollers at 11:00 p.m. for fireworks while I’m tucked in like a pumpkin. On a Sunday! The Portuguese are tougher than I am. They have work and school in the morning. But this girl needs her beauty sleep.
Birth Rates
Here’s an interesting shift: in 2023, six EU countries had more births outside of marriage than inside. Portugal ranks high at 59.5%. Bulgaria tops the list at 59.7%. Meanwhile, Greece is clinging to tradition, with 90% of births still within marriage, so much for old-fashioned values.
MONEY MATTERS
Portugal has a reputation for “brain drain” — youth leaving for higher-paying jobs abroad. Mama laments and stirs pots of soup alone while her grown kids share photos from Paris and Berlin.
Minimum monthly wage: €870 (about $1030.96)
Retirement age: 66 years and 7 months
Average pension: €500–600 (ouch — lower than EU average)
Jobs? Salary averages depend on how senior your position is and where in the country you work.
Lawyer: €67,143–€83,539
Plumber: €27,174–€35,715
Beautician: €16,197–€19,264
Firefighter: €30,207 (about €15/hour)
Registered Nurse: €33,792 (plus €554 bonus)
Realtor: €31,951 (plus ~€4,700 bonus)
Garbage truck driver: €20,833
Moral of the story: lawyers get alright, plumbers do okay, and beauticians better love what they do.
LIFE AT HOME
Dogs
Portugal ranks 4th in the EU for dog ownership (behind Romania, Poland, and the Czech Republic). With most folks living in apartments, the dog-walking game is strong. The poo-scooping game? Not so much.
Yes, the steaming piles are real, often smeared into artistic brown streaks along the cobblestones. By September, I’m praying for rain. On the upside, stray cats with clipped ears are usually healthy, well-fed, and pampered thanks to the famously generous Portuguese hearts. Dogs are happy, never met a stranger, and love gelato.
Ice Cream (Gelato)
Portuguese pastries? Sweet enough to make your teeth beg for mercy. Colonization, sugar trade, the Moors — whatever the origin story, the result is cavity-inducing. The nation’s top flavors? Chocolate and strawberry. Comforting and mercifully less sweet than bolo de arroz.
Wine
Ah, the famous “Portuguese Pour.” You’ll need both hands to lift the glass. Wine here is divine and cheap. Yes, you can grab a fabulous bottle for under €4. Compare that to the U.S., where a sad, wimpy pour will set you back $20 or more. Spoiled? Absolutely.
Seafood
With 517 miles of mainland coastline (1,115 including the Azores and Madeira), seafood dominates menus. If it swims or crawls, it’s dinner. Landgeist puts Portugal near the top of global seafood consumption: 57 kilos per capita per year. Omega-3 for days.
Obesity
Despite all that seafood, carbs, and sweets sneak in. And don´t get me started on the bread … lots of bread. At the beach, I’d guess 60% of sunbathers are overweight — kids included. Globally, though, Portugal ranks 88th for obesity. If you´re feeling adventurous, use this handy obesity ranking tool to locate the rate of flabbiness in your country. Spoiler alert: USA-it ain´t pretty.
KINDNESS & QUIRKS
The Portuguese take pride in their calmness, kindness, and willingness to step up when needed. My personal highlight reel:
Eating gelato, watching one-lane traffic blocked by a small delivery van. Stuck behind the delivery, instead of honking, a young businessman turns off his black Fiat, jumps out, and starts hauling in crates of carrots, bread, and oranges past swarms of tourists dining alfresco. He helps! Meanwhile, my jaw drops, gelato drips, and stains my sundress.
Groceries in hand, I stumble upon grandparents wrestling a new sofa into my apartment building. They apologized for blocking the front door (a very Portuguese gesture). I offer to help. Grandpa waves me off, but Nonna’s eyes plead. Groceries went in the corner of the entryway, and together we wrestled the beige, shrink-wrapped beast into the elevator. The Portuguese are a proud, yet humble people.
Returning from traveling, plumber Paolo fixes my leaky toilet while neighbors fuss because they thought I’d vanished forever and were worried about me. As one nonna admonished me: “Yooz has no uzhand!” Paolo even offers to set me up with his cousin — until the sparks darting from my eyes stop him mid-sentence. Wise move, Paolo. Now I know when I travel to let my ancient neighbors know, so they don´t worry. Isn´t that precious?!
Every day life here means strangers helping strangers. Strangers becoming neighbors. Neighbors becoming friends. Even the cursed apartment building front door, which slams shut mid-key search, can’t kill the vibe.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Is Portugal perfect? Heavens no. The dog poo, the late-night fireworks, and the sugar overload are real. But the people? They get a gold star for kindness, calmness, and making this immigrant feel welcome.
Moving here 2 ½ years ago was the best decision of my life. And I’ve got the wine glass biceps, protective neighbors, and stained sundress to prove it.