The majority of Portuguese citizens have either undertaken or plan to undertake projects this year, at a time when confidence in the development of the Portuguese economy by the end of the year is moderate, registering an average of 4.97 points on a scale of 1 to 10, as per a study released by Observador Cetelem on Wednesday.
“Regarding confidence in the evolution of the Portuguese economy until the end of 2025, the Portuguese assign an average of 4.97 points on a scale of 1 to 10, with most respondents (39%) showing moderate confidence (options 5 and 6), while 25% are more confident (values of 7 to 10), and 29% little or not confident at all (values between 1 and 4),” the statement reads.
The data reveals that most Portuguese people have already carried out or plan to carry out projects this year, with half considering postponing or canceling at least one of the planned projects:
“In this context, 75% maintain the intention to complete at least one important project in 2025. However, 57% will have to postpone or cancel some of their plans, adjusting to the circumstances,” the statement reveals.
What are the projects of the Portuguese?
It is worth noting that the “areas with the greatest intention for completion include travel (44%), renovations and the purchase of appliances (both at 22%), and academic or professional training (15%).”
On the other hand, “higher investment projects, such as buying a house (9%) continue to represent a minority.”
The Observador Cetelem data also demonstrates that “the Portuguese are trying to adapt their priorities to their financial capacity, but also to the context.”
“In this realm, their concerns in 2025 are vast and reflect some anxiety about the future. The international situation (70%), housing access and costs (69%), the youth’s future (69%), and the increase in the cost of living (68%) are some of the issues more concerning to the population,” the statement says.
The study encompassed “1,000 self-completed online interviews with individuals of both genders, ages between 18 and 74, residing in mainland Portugal, conducted between May 2 and 9, 2025.”
“Maximum error of +3.1 for a 95% confidence interval. The sample is representative of the population (gender, age, and region quotas according to INE data). The interviews were conducted through a structured questionnaire with closed, semi-closed, and open questions, provided by Cetelem, with a maximum duration of 13 minutes,” it states.
It is also revealed that “for the purpose of regional analysis, the districts were grouped into: Lisbon District; Porto District; North (comprising the districts of Aveiro, Braga, Bragança, Guarda, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, and Viseu); Center (comprising the districts of Castelo Branco, Coimbra, Leiria, Portalegre, and Santarém); and South (comprising the districts of Beja, Évora, Faro, and Setúbal.”
