An official report published today by Chinese state entities warns that despite demonstrating resilience in 2026, Portuguese-speaking countries face “strong external pressures” that are restricting the development pace of their infrastructure projects.
The data stems from an annual report assessing the current state and future prospects of infrastructure development across the nine Lusophone nations, alongside Macau’s collaborative progress within the framework of the “Belt and Road Initiative” (BRI). The document was released today during the opening of the 17th International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum (17th IIICF), organized in Macau.
According to the document, the construction and infrastructure sectors have been heavily affected by divergent monetary policies, which increase financing cost uncertainties, alongside international trade adjustments that shift project demands, and growing geopolitical volatility that raises investment risks.
Furthermore, high sovereign debt in some of these countries and the slow pace of structural reforms have reduced overall efficiency and local market attractiveness. The report notes that with favorable factors and constraints interacting, the infrastructure industry within the CPLP (Community of Portuguese Language Countries) has remained globally stable.
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The document was jointly prepared by the China International Contractors Association—the sole national Chinese organization dedicated to the international construction sector—and the state-owned insurance company Sinosure.
The extensive study measures overall performance across four core dimensions: development environment, demand, investment dynamics, and costs, drawing data from 15 secondary indicators and 43 basic baseline indicators.
Despite these highlighted economic pressures, the report indicates that the Infrastructure Development Index (IDI) in these specific nations remained completely stable at 126 points in 2026. Brazil reinforced its leading position at 129 points, strongly supported by its “New Growth Acceleration Program (Novo PAC)”—a federal investment plan launched in 2023 focused on infrastructure, industrialization, and sustainable development—and recent fiscal reforms.
The study notes that the Novo PAC has been fully implemented and advanced, unleashing a sustained demand in key sectors like energy and transport. The document adds that rigid demand for transportation, energy, and public utilities remained solid, while practical cooperation between China and Lusophone countries deepened, particularly through new projects in green energy and digital infrastructure.
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Meanwhile, Mozambique climbed to second place with 118 points, benefiting from energetic projects backed by multilateral financial institutions, according to the report.
It highlights that the country’s advantages in energy resources fueled the rapid implementation of electricity projects. Angola, on the other hand, dropped slightly to 115 points, penalized by currency fluctuations, rising import costs, and fiscal constraints, though it maintains a solid foundation in traditional transport and construction sectors.
Equatorial Guinea remained in fourth place (113 points), Portugal followed in fifth (111), East Timor ranked sixth (108), Cape Verde dropped to seventh (104), followed by Guinea-Bissau (102), and São Tomé and Príncipe (101).
The report further emphasizes that Macau has played an active role in multilateral financing, supporting green energy, transport, and digitalization projects across the Lusophone world.
