Tens of thousands march in Portuguese cities against surging home prices
LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Tens of thousands of people marched through more than 30 cities and towns across Portugal on Saturday in the largest protest yet against soaring housing costs that many say have put buying or renting a home beyond their reach.
The housing crisis has fueled weeks of demonstrations. Some activists have camped in central squares in Lisbon and Porto, the country’s two largest cities. Riot police with dogs have dispersed some protests, drawing accusations of heavy-handed tactics.
The demonstrations took inspiration from protests that began in neighboring Spain last month over similar housing concerns. They come amid widespread social unrest across Europe this autumn.
Marching under the slogan “We won’t let them steal our right to housing,” participants ranged from teenagers to retirees. Drums, music and chants accompanied the Lisbon march as protesters carried large banners and flags.
Susana Pacheco, a 35-year-old data analyst who works part-time as an astrologer to help pay her mortgage, said she worried about whether her younger sister could afford to move out of their parents’ home.
“I’m really worried about young people,” Pacheco said. “I don’t know how they’re going to be able to pay” for their own home.
“Things have become intolerable,” said Ana Encarnação, 42, citing rising living costs and the widening gap between rich and poor.
Activists want ceilings placed on rent increases, greater legal protection for tenants against eviction, and more affordable housing.
House prices in Portugal have risen much faster than incomes, statistics show.
Between 2015 and 2025, Portugal posted the biggest jump in the European Union in the home price-to-income ratio, with an increase of 61%, followed by the Netherlands with 34%, the EU statistical office Eurostat said last week.
There is no indication that the rise in housing costs is slowing. Between the first quarter of last year and the first quarter of 2026, housing prices rose by almost 20%, the National Statistics Institute, a government agency, said last month.
Rental prices, too, have climbed significantly, recording a 68% increase since 2020, according to the government.
Foreign buyers and investment funds have fueled price rises by buying Portuguese real estate. The country’s mild climate and long coastline have helped it grow popular with digital nomads and other remote workers, as well as retirees. Tourism has also surged, with many city center apartments switched to short-term rentals.
The government has responded with measures such as lowering taxes on new construction, restricting short-term rentals and promising to build 145,000 new homes. But it acknowledges that the effects won’t be immediate.
Portuguese President António José Seguro, whose role is mostly ceremonial but who wields political influence, convened a Council of State, an advisory body, to discuss the protests earlier this month and met Friday with some of the protesters.
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AP reporter Helena Alves in Lisbon contributed to this story.
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