Lisbon, June 24, 2026 (Lusa) - The Portuguese financial system, particularly the banking sector, has proved resilient and is in a stronger position since the debt crisis, but the risks must be monitored closely, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Wednesday.

In its Financial System Stability Assessment for Portugal, published today, the IMF considers that “banks are demonstrating resilience under severe adverse stress tests, including shocks of a magnitude similar to those of the European debt crisis”.

On the other hand, “the rapid increase in property prices warrants close monitoring, given that mortgage lending is booming”, even though macroprudential measures help to limit systemic risks.

The IMF believes that the authorities should “ensure adequate resources to address emerging challenges”, noting that risks in the property market “require close monitoring and the Bank of Portugal (BdP) should continue to develop tools to track risks in the banking sector”.

At a press conference, Ranjit Singh, head of the IMF mission for the Financial Sector Assessment Programme, noted that “the financial system is in a stronger position than it was a decade ago; banks are better capitalised and more resilient”.

As such, the system has the capacity to withstand financial shocks, but looking ahead, the priority must be “to preserve resilience whilst the environment is changing”, particularly in the international context.

MES/AYLS // AYLS

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