InterNations' 2026 Expat Insider survey ranked Portugal 8th out of 31 countries, with 78% of expats saying they're happy with life there. The same data shows exactly where the country struggles.
Portugal's reputation as an expat favourite isn't just a property-marketing talking point — it shows up consistently in independent survey data. InterNations' Expat Insider 2026 study, covering 31 countries, ranked Portugal 8th overall, and 78% of respondents living there said they were happy with life in the country, against a 70% global average. Here's what's actually driving that, and what isn't working as well.
Settling in is genuinely easy, by the numbers
Portugal ranked 7th worldwide for Ease of Settling In. More than three-quarters of respondents described Portuguese people as friendly, said they felt at home, and reported feeling welcome in the country — a specific, measurable finding, not just a general impression.
Quality of life is strong on the fundamentals
Portugal placed 11th for Quality of Life, with particularly strong ratings for air quality, climate and personal safety. It's a narrower lead than Spain's #1 position, but still solidly top-tier, and the specific strengths (air, climate, safety) are exactly the things that are hardest to fake or market around — they're either true on the ground or they aren't.
Money goes further than expats expect
Portugal ranked 4th worldwide for Personal Finance. For a Western European country with EU membership, strong infrastructure and a genuinely international expat community, that combination — reasonable cost of living plus first-world amenities — is a large part of why buyers keep choosing the Algarve, Lisbon and the Silver Coast.
Where Portugal genuinely struggles
The same survey that puts Portugal in the top 10 overall ranks it 29th in the Working Abroad Index and dead last for career opportunities and labour market dynamism — this is not a country to move to expecting an easy local job market. Essential services are a second weak spot: Portugal ranks 23rd in the Essential Services Index and falls to last place, 31st, for ease of dealing with public services. If you've heard that Portuguese bureaucracy can be slow, the survey data backs that up directly rather than leaving it as hearsay.
What this means in practice
The honest read of the data: Portugal is a strong choice for people prioritising lifestyle, safety, settling-in ease and value for money — retirees, remote workers, and lifestyle-first relocators score the country highly for exactly the reasons that matter to them. It's a weaker choice for anyone counting on finding local employment or a fast, friction-free relationship with public administration. Plan your visa route and paperwork timeline with that gap in mind rather than assuming ease-of-settling-in extends to every bureaucratic process.
FAQ
Is Portugal really one of the best countries for expats? By independent survey data, yes on several specific measures — 8th overall out of 31 countries, 7th for ease of settling in, 4th for personal finance, and 78% of residents reporting they're happy, well above the global average. What's the biggest real downside? Career opportunities and dealing with public services — Portugal ranks near the bottom of the entire survey on both. Is it genuinely easy to feel welcome? The data says yes specifically — over three-quarters of expats describe locals as friendly and say they feel at home. Should I expect bureaucracy to be fast? No — this is Portugal's documented weak point, budget real time for it.
How we help
We help set realistic expectations alongside the genuine upside — matching your relocation plan (retirement, remote work, lifestyle move) to what the data actually shows works well in Portugal, and preparing you for the parts of the process that take longer than the glossy version suggests. Informational only; survey rankings reflect aggregate respondent experience, not a guarantee of your own.