Forbes Magazine ranked the best countries to live the retirement (and not only) after the outbreak of COVID-19 and placed Portugal – the third safest country in the world, where English is widely spoken – at the top of the list. The magazine highlights the affordable cost of living, quality health care, and investment in good infrastructures, which place the country in a good position in this ranking. The magazine also mentioned sunshine, which is present all year round, and the wide beaches along the coast, which are clean, in a country where pollution rates are low and streets have no litter.
These are the main reasons why in 2019 foreign buyers accounted for 35% of total real estate investment in the housing segment, with a total investment of EUR 744.3 million. Last year, around 1630 residential properties were acquired by international buyers, which represents an average of 31 properties per week. The parishes of Santo António and Santa Maria Maior are, in Lisbon, the parishes of choice for these investments, which represent, respectively, 17% and 16% of the international amount invested in housing.
The investment came from investors of 92 different nationalities, which represents an increase of 8 nationalities over the previous year. Among the 92 countries that invest the most in real estate in Portugal, those with the most investors are China, France, Brazil, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Sources: Forbes Magazine and Confidencial Imobiliário
