- The percentage of Portuguese firms that expect to increase rather than decrease investment in 2025 is one of the highest rates in the European Union and well above the EU average.
- Firms are investing more in climate action than in previous years, and more than the EU average in innovation.
- They remain more optimistic about their sector’s business outlook than the EU average and are diversifying their import sources to cater for disruptions in value chains.
- Availability of skilled staff and uncertainty about the future are the main perceived barriers to invest.
- Portuguese firms have one of the highest shares in the European Union of female representation in leadership roles: 41% of firms have females representing at least 40% of senior management, higher than the EU average of 25%.
The most recent European Investment Bank Group (EIB Group) Investment Survey (EIBIS) shows that Portuguese firms continue to show strong investment intentions and remain more optimistic about their sector’s business prospects than the EU average. 16% of Portuguese firms expect to increase rather than decrease investment in 2025, which is one of the highest rates in the European Union and significantly above the EU average of 4%.
“The EIB Group Investment Survey shows that Portuguese firms have strong investment intentions and a positive sector outlook. They are stepping up investment in climate action and investing more than the EU average in innovation – clear evidence of their commitment to competitiveness and the green transition,” said EIB Chief Economist Debora Revoltella.
Main conclusions of survey regarding Portuguese firms
- Portuguese companies continue to show strong investment intentions despite concerns about the economic climate, and they are more optimistic about the business outlook in their sector than the EU average.
- 16% of Portuguese firms expect to increase rather than decrease investment in 2025 – one of the highest rates in the European Union and well above the EU average of 4%.
- The share of Portuguese companies expecting their sector’s business outlook to improve is 14 percentage points higher than the proportion expecting it to worsen. This is significantly above the EU average where the figures are broadly equal.
- Firms in Portugal are more positive than the EU average regarding access to both external finance (11% vs. 1%) and internal finance (16% vs. 9%).
- The share of Portuguese firms that invested in the last financial year and received policy support is higher than the EU average (20% vs. 16%).
- Portuguese firms are prioritising equipment replacement and capacity expansion in their future investments in line with their European peers.
- Availability of skilled staff and uncertainty about the future are the main perceived barriers to invest.
- Eight out of ten Portuguese firms say they experience a physical risk from climate change and 64% have already invested in measures to deal with climate change. Large firms and manufacturing firms are more likely to have already invested in measures to deal with climate change impact.
- The vast majority (96%) have taken practical action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, focusing on waste minimisation and recycling, sustainable transport options and investment in energy efficiency.
- Portuguese firms have one of the highest shares in the European Union of female representation in leadership roles: 41% of firms have females representing at least 40% of senior management, higher than the EU average of 25%.
More than 12 000 firms from all EU Member States participated in the survey, in addition to a sample from the United States. Published in October, the main EU-level results show that European firms are firmly on track, are investing in the green and digital transition, and are demonstrating resilience to a changing global landscape. Detailed reports for each EU Member State – including Portugal – were published today.
More information on the 2025 EIB Investment Survey in Portugal is available here.
Background information
The European Investment Bank is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. Built around eight core priorities, it finances investments that contribute to EU policy objectives by bolstering climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and bioeconomy, social infrastructure, the capital markets union, and a stronger Europe in a more peaceful and prosperous world.
The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security.
Around half of EIB financing in the European Union goes to cohesion regions, where per capita income is below the EU average, while almost 60% of annual EIB Group investments support climate action and environmental sustainability.
High-quality, up-to-date photos of EIB headquarters for media use are available here.
EIB Group Investment Survey
The EIB Group Investment Survey, which has been carried out since 2016, is a unique annual survey of some 12 000 firms. Data for the latest edition were collected in mid-2025 from companies in all EU Member States. The survey also includes a sample of businesses in the United States. It gathers data on company characteristics and performance, past investment activities and future plans, sources of finance, financing hurdles and other business challenges such as climate change, digitalisation and international trade.