Lisbon, Aug. 20, 2026 (Lusa) - Foreign-owned companies in Portugal account for 22% of employment and 46% of exports, with Spain dominating among shareholders and the US offering the highest wages to workers, according to a study by Informa D&B.
In total, Portugal has 17,000 foreign-owned companies, of which 9,721 were established in the last decade, says Informa D&B, a company that compiles data on commercial enterprises and is owned by the D&B Worldwide Network.
According to the study on foreign capital in the Portuguese market, this group of entities, despite accounting for just 3% of the business sector, has «a much greater influence on the domestic economy, due to its larger scale and export-oriented profile».
These companies «account for almost a third [31%] of the total turnover of the Portuguese business sector, 22% of employment, 46% of exports and 15% of the Gross Value Added (GVA) generated by companies», states Informa D&B in a press release.
The 17,000 companies employ 808,000 workers, have a turnover of €173 billion and are responsible for €52 billion in exports, with an associated GVA of €44 billion, according to the study.
Spain is the country of origin of the shareholders with the highest number of companies in Portugal (3,684), accounting for 21% of the total.
Spain and France are the countries with the highest levels of employment and turnover amongst foreign-owned companies, accounting for 8.1% of employment and 11.2% of turnover.
Informa D&B estimates that 28% of foreign-owned companies are exporters, compared with 8% among domestic companies.
«Foreign-owned companies also display a more technology-driven and productive profile and have higher average wages, differences that stem in part from their larger scale and capacity to generate wealth,» the statement notes.
According to Informa D&B's productivity indicator, «40% of foreign-owned companies have a high or medium-high level of productivity, a level achieved by 31% of domestically-owned companies».
With regard to wages, the analysis notes that «foreign-owned companies record, on average, €33,000 in staff costs per employee, which is €10,000 more than domestically-owned companies».
In this regard, US-owned companies «stand out with an average of €50,000 in staff costs per employee».
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