The Liberal Initiative (IL) highlighted discrepancies in population data reporting in a request to authorities. On April 8, the Agency for Integration, Migrations and Asylum (AIMA) reported that by the end of 2024, there were approximately 1.6 million foreign citizens with residence permits, nearly quadrupling the 422,000 registered at the end of 2017.
However, on June 18, the National Institute of Statistics (INE) released figures indicating that the resident population in Portugal as of December 31 was about 10.75 million, showing an increase of approximately 110,000 compared to the end of 2023. This figure seemingly did not incorporate AIMA’s administrative data.
In July, the President of the Republic questioned the consistency between AIMA and INE’s figures, noting discrepancies as “one does not match the other,” suggesting that either there are 1.6 million immigrants leading to a total of 12 million residents or less than 11 million residents.
The IL asserts that this discrepancy is significant as it affects per capita indicators and public policy planning concerning health, education, housing, or social protection and the state’s resource allocation logic.
They insist that the nation cannot nonchalantly handle official population numbers or ignore the practical consequences of inaccurate data on public policy formulation, which directly concerns the Assembly of the Republic, the sovereign body with legislative power.
IL requests a hearing with the Minister of the Presidency, António Leitão Amaro, and the Secretary of State for the Presidency and Immigration, Rui Armindo Freitas, as well as AIMA’s President, Pedro Portugal Gaspar, and INE’s Director, António Rua.
The party aims for these parliamentary hearings to clarify responsibilities, procedures, timelines, and solutions concerning data flow and definitions used by AIMA, INE, and the government, particularly regarding valid residence permits and habitual residence population figures.
IL also seeks to understand the implications of the announced data for ongoing public policies and national and European statistical indicators, and the feasibility of potentially advancing the census or identifying alternatives.
