Foreign direct investment in Portugal reached 6.7 billion euros in the first half of 2026, according to data from the Bank of Portugal (Banco de Portugal). While total investment recovered, foreign interest in real estate slowed to 1.7 billion euros, a decrease from the 1.9 billion euros recorded during the same period in 2025.
Foreign direct investment rebounds to 6.7 billion euros
Wednesday, 26 August 2026AI summary
Context & Explainers
- Governor of Banco de Portugal (2020–present)
- Former: Minister of Finance (2015–2020), President of the Eurogroup (2018–2020)
- Party: Independent (PS-affiliated)
- Background: Economist (PhD, Harvard)
Mário José Gomes de Freitas Centeno (born 1966) is Portugal's central bank governor and one of the country's most internationally recognized economic figures. As Finance Minister under António Costa's first PS government, he became known as "Cristiano Ronaldo of European finance" for turning Portugal's deficit into a surplus while reversing austerity.
He was elected president of the Eurogroup (the informal body of euro area finance ministers) in 2018 — the first Portuguese to hold the role. Since becoming Governor of Banco de Portugal in 2020, he sits on the ECB's Governing Council and oversees Portuguese banking supervision and financial stability.
