The number of Portuguese nationals newly granted residency rights in the Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR) fell sharply in 2024, totaling just 14 individuals – a 73% decrease from the 53 recorded in 2023 – according to data from the Macao Statistics and Census Service (DSEC), cited in the latest Portuguese Emigration Report, released by the Emigration Observatory.
This figure represents the second-lowest since 2000, the year in which only four Portuguese nationals obtained residence permits, according to the report. Subsequent trends show a gradual increase until 2013, when the peak of 265 entries was reached, a period also marked by rising Portuguese emigration following the financial crisis and the austerity program in Portugal between 2011 and 2014.
Between 2013 and 2017, there was a continuous decline, followed by fluctuations: a one-off increase in 2018, stabilization in 2019, and further declines in 2020 and 2021. In 2022, a brief recovery was observed (72.2%), and in 2023, significant growth (71%), before a sharp contraction of 73.6% in 2024.
By comparison, the number of Portuguese nationals who obtained residency rights in 2024 represents only 5% of the total recorded in 2014 (262 cases), indicating a structural decline in the trend of emigration to Macau.
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The 14 Portuguese nationals in 2024 accounted for just 1.3% of the total number of new non-local residents (1,074) in the Macau SAR, down from the 6% recorded in 2023, when the 53 Portuguese nationals were part of a total of 878 new residents, according to the same report.
Macau’s residency grant system, which grants the right of abode and eligibility for a Resident Identity Card (BIR), has been overhauled in recent years, including legislative changes in 2021 and the gradual replacement of channels for attracting skilled workers with new talent recruitment schemes since 2023.
Despite the recent sharp decline, the number of Portuguese residents in Macau remains relatively stable in the total population. In 2021, the latest census data available, 2,213 people born in Portugal resided in the Macau SAR, 10% more than in 2016. This group is predominantly male (61.6%), with women accounting for 38.4%, and relatively young, as only 1.2% are over 65 years old.
Overall, Portuguese nationals represent a small minority among the foreign-born population in Macau (0.6% in 2021), although they remain the fifth-largest foreign community in the region. In international comparison, Macau ranks 21st among destinations with the most resident Portuguese emigrants.
The report also notes that there were 8,991 residents with Portuguese nationality in Macau, excluding more than 100,000 local residents of Chinese ethnicity holding Portuguese passports. In 2024, there were also 63 Portuguese nationals registered with non-resident work permits.
The DSEC analysis also highlights that the age and gender distribution confirms global patterns of Portuguese emigration, with a male predominance in most Asian and Middle Eastern destinations, while countries such as the United Kingdom, Italy, or Canada show a greater balance or female predominance.
