Portuguese emigration in the 21st century

Abstract

Portuguese emigration grew on the eve of the 25th of April, regressed to minimum levels after that date, increased again from the mid-1980s, became more accentuated at the beginning of the new century, decreased in the financial crisis of 2008, reached new historical highs in 2013 and has slowly declined since then. In comparative terms, Portugal is today a country of migratory repulsion, a characteristic that it shares with most Eastern European states. In this article, we present the recent history of Portuguese emigration, identify the mechanisms and episodes that explain it and discuss the methodological problems involved in its study.