In 2022, there were 10 402 foreign affiliates in Portugal (+2.3% compared to 2021), corresponding to 2.1% of all non-financial companies.

Foreign affiliates employed about 639 thousand persons in 2022, representing 18.4% of the total employment of non-financial companies. On average, each affiliate employed about 61 persons in 2022, an ammount much higher than in the domestic companies (about 6 persons). Between 2020 and 2022,  persons employed of foreign affiliates increased by 0.6 p.p of total non-financial companies, with an increase of about 68 thousand persons employed by foreign affiliates.

The GVA of foreign affiliates in Portugal increased by 19.9% in 2022 (+17.4% in 2021), corresponding in nominal terms to a total of EUR 34 billion. The GVA of domestic companies increased by 18.1% (+15.8% in 2021). 65.0% of the GVA generated by foreign affiliates concerned companies owned by entities based in European Union countries. Country with the greatest increased in terms of GVA was France, represented 16.6% of foreign affiliates. Apparent labour productivity and average monthly remuneration per person employed in foreign affiliates were 72.8% and 44.6% higher than in domestic companies, reaching EUR 53 340 and EUR 1 647 respectively, in 2022.

The GVA of large affiliates (591 companies) represented 63.9% of the total GVA of foreign affiliates.

The GVA of foreign affiliates with an exporting profile (+42.1% of the total GVA of foreign affiliates) increased by 11.4% in 2022, which compares with an increase of 26.9% in foreign affiliates without an exporting profile. Exports by foreign affiliates accounted for 36.9% of total exports of goods and increased by EUR 4.8 billion year-on-year (+19.8 per cent), a lower growth than that observed in domestic companies (+25.3%).