Portugal and Qatar
Portugal and Qatar use a joint commission to expand economic and technical contacts. The second meeting in Lisbon addressed investment, technology, transport and education, as well as making dialogue more regular.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-08 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-08History and institutional framework
The second joint commission met on 1 and 2 October in Lisbon, eleven years after the previous one, according to the government statement.
What merchandise trade shows
In 2025, goods trade between Portugal and Qatar totalled 55.3 million current USD.
Documented trade sectors
Within the selected chapters, electrical and electronic equipment stands out in shipments from Portugal to Qatar, at 3.6 million USD in 2025.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | 55.28 M USD | 2025 · Comtrade |
| Goods: Portugal to Qatar | 30.82 M USD | 2025 · Comtrade |
| Goods: Qatar to Portugal | 24.46 M USD | 2025 · Comtrade |
| Services trade | ||
| Export share: Portugal to Qatar | 0.0344 % | 2025 · Comtrade |
| Export share: Qatar to Portugal | ||
| Investment stock: Portugal in Qatar | ||
| Investment stock: Qatar in Portugal |
Definitions and sources
Trade adds both directions. Shares refer to the country’s total goods exports; investment is an accumulated stock, not an annual flow. Every figure retains the currency and period of its source. BEA positions are historical-cost estimates based on the immediate counterpart, not market values or investment by ultimate owner. ‘More than’ indicates a lower bound, not an exact amount. A recorded stock does not establish new activity or authorisation to operate under sanctions.
- Goods trade
- 2025 · UN Comtrade; reporters NGA, PAK, PNG, PRK, PRT, QAT, ROU, RWA · Goods; full calendar year; reporter PRT. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF; no addition of mirror declarations. Both directions are identified from the same customs authority.
- Goods: Portugal to Qatar
- 2025 · UN Comtrade; reporters NGA, PAK, PNG, PRK, PRT, QAT, ROU, RWA · Goods; full calendar year; reporter PRT. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF; no addition of mirror declarations. Both directions are identified from the same customs authority.
- Goods: Qatar to Portugal
- 2025 · UN Comtrade; reporters NGA, PAK, PNG, PRK, PRT, QAT, ROU, RWA · Goods; full calendar year; reporter PRT. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF; no addition of mirror declarations. Both directions are identified from the same customs authority.
- Export share: Portugal to Qatar
- 2025 · UN Comtrade; reporters NGA, PAK, PNG, PRK, PRT, QAT, ROU, RWA · Exports to the partner / worldwide exports by the same reporter; same year and coverage.
Country comparison
Period and source beside each figure · est. = estimate by the stated institution.
Some annual indicators refer to different years. Check the period beside each value before comparing them.
| Indicator | Portugal | Qatar |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 346.64 billion USD2025 · WB | 215.56 billion USD2025 · WB |
| GDP per capita | 32,081.81 USD2025 · WB | 72,524.91 USD2025 · WB |
| GDP growth | 1.86 %2025 · WB | 2.9 %2025 · WB |
| Policy interest rate | 2.5 %2026-09-16 · BCE | |
| Inflation · annual average | 2.34 %Annual average · 2025 · WB | 1.27 %Annual average · 2024 · WB |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | 3.6 %provisionalprovisionalYear-on-year · Sept. 2026 · INE PT | |
| Unemployment | 6.16 %ILO est.2025 · WB | 0.13 %ILO est.2025 · WB |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | 0.3 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | -1 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 89.9 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 41.4 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | 1.2 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 14.81 %2025 · WB |
| Population | 10,804,871World Bank est.2025 · WB | 2,972,2152025 · WB |
| Area | 92,230 km²2023 · WB | 11,490 km²2023 · WB |
| Military expenditure | ||
| Military expenditure (% of GDP) |
Definitions, dates and sources
Blank cells are not zero. Average annual inflation and the latest year-on-year figure appear in separate rows: they are not the same measure. Every annual indicator retains its reference year; when the years differ, the figures are identified as not directly comparable. When a figure is unavailable from the World Bank, an annual IMF estimate is used and identified as such. The latest year-on-year figure is the latest official release verified as of 7 October 2026. This includes advance releases marked as provisional. Mexico may have a fortnightly figure before the full month is published; it is not automatically compared with a monthly figure. The publication date is retained in each source’s details; it does not replace the observation period or the annual average. Policy rates carry their own dates and represent different instruments. Spain and France share the ECB rate. Balances are positive for surpluses and negative for deficits. The IMF may use fiscal years; unemployment retains each source’s definition (ILO estimates, IMF WEO or PCBS), as stated in the details. For Palestine, debt and the fiscal balance cover central government and retain the PCBS definition; they are not presented as consolidated general government. These are economic magnitudes, not measures of relationship quality.
Area retains each source’s territorial coverage; it does not determine sovereignty or effective control. Canada uses an archived national geographic reference. Military expenditure retains the 2024 SIPRI sample distributed by the World Bank: the amount and percentage of GDP use that same definition, which differs from NATO’s. It is not an approved budget or a 2026 figure. Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Military expenditure database · Terms of use0
Indicators reviewed: 2026-10-07. Each source retains its original access date; this review does not turn all the data into 2026 observations. Figures may be revised.
- Nominal GDP
- Current USDPortugal: 2025 · World BankQatar: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- GDP per capita
- Current USD per personPortugal: 2025 · World BankQatar: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- GDP growth
- Annual real change (%)Portugal: 2025 · World BankQatar: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Policy interest rate
- Central bank instrument (%)Portugal: 2026-09-16 · ECB: deposit facility; shared euro-area rate · European Central Bank
- Inflation · annual average
- Average annual change in headline CPI (%)Portugal: 2025 · Annual average change in the CPI (%) · World BankQatar: 2024 · Annual average CPI change (%) · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Inflation · latest year-on-year figure
- Headline CPI relative to the same period of the previous year (%); monthly or fortnightly frequency statedPortugal: 2026-09 · Change in headline CPI from the same month of the previous year (%) · Portugal INE · Published: 2026-09-30 · provisional · Provisional · National headline CPI, year-on-year, not monthly inflation or an annual average. Provisional data or an official advance release; subject to revision.
- Unemployment
- % of the labour force; definition used by the stated institutionPortugal: 2025 · World Bank · ILO est.Qatar: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate; percentage of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Budget balance
- General government (% of GDP)Portugal: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.Qatar: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · WEO general-government estimate, % of GDP. Not an observed balance for the current month.
- Gross public debt
- General government (% of GDP)Portugal: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.Qatar: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · WEO general-government estimate, % of GDP. Not an observed balance for the current month.
- Current account balance
- % of GDPPortugal: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est. · Current-account balance as a percentage of GDP; IMF WEO estimate for PRT.Qatar: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Population
- PeoplePortugal: 2025 · World Bank · World Bank est. · Extrapolated estimate identified by the World Bank; not a census count for 2025.Qatar: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Area
- Total area in km²; territorial coverage of the sourcePortugal: 2023 · Area according to the series' coverage; does not determine sovereignty or effective control · World BankQatar: 2023 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Military expenditure
- Current USD per year; SIPRI series
- Military expenditure (% of GDP)
- Percentage of GDP; SIPRI definition, not NATO’s definition
Other data specific to this relationship
What they buy and sell
Documented selection, not an exhaustive list. Cells without a figure do not mean zero value; some products are identified without a verified amount.
Portugal to Qatar
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 3.6 M USD2025 · Source |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 2.9 M USD2025 · Source |
| Vehicles and components | 1.3 M USD2025 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 0.81 M USD2025 · Source |
| Mineral fuels and oils | 0.000157 M USD2025 · Source |
| Metal ores | 0.0000652 M USD2025 · Source |
Qatar to Portugal
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 0.0375 M USD2025 · Source |
| Mineral fuels and oils | 0.00863 M USD2025 · Source |
| Dairy products, eggs and honey | 0.00765 M USD2025 · Source |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 0.00229 M USD2025 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 0.000305 M USD2025 · Source |
How trade has changed
Millions of current USD · full calendar years
View chart figures
| Period | Total | Portugal to Qatar | Qatar to Portugal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 141.9 | 42.6 | 99.3 |
| 2022 | 157.4 | 75.6 | 81.8 |
| 2023 | 71.2 | 35.1 | 36.1 |
| 2024 | 62.9 | 39.2 | 23.6 |
| 2025 | 55.3 | 30.8 | 24.5 |
Connections between people
Texts on educational, scientific, youth, sporting and cultural cooperation were presented as expected instruments, not as agreements already signed. [1]
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from Portugal living in Qatar | ||
| Residents from Qatar living in Portugal | ||
| Study and training: Portugal in Qatar | ||
| Study and training: Qatar in Portugal | ||
| Academic stays: Portugal in Qatar | ||
| Academic stays: Qatar in Portugal | ||
| Travel: Portugal to Qatar | ||
| Travel: Qatar to Portugal |
What each figure measures
Residents are counted by nationality and the coverage of the stated register, not as people born in the other country or as new arrivals in one year. PERE includes dual nationals and people born outside Spain. Study with OPT and stays carrying academic credit are different measures. Travel may include several visits by the same person; FRONTUR arrivals require an overnight stay, whereas the Canadian survey includes day visits. These figures are neither added together nor automatically compared across directions.
Mobility data added or reviewed: 2026-10-07. Reference periods may be earlier.
Underlying ties
History, institutions and long-standing issues.
History and institutional framework
The second joint commission met on 1 and 2 October in Lisbon, eleven years after the previous one, according to the government statement. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Sayed, Castro Almeida and João Rui Ferreira participated. [1]
The scale of both economies
Nominal GDP for Portugal is 346.6 billion USD (2025), compared with 215.6 for Qatar (2025). The reference populations are 10.8 and 2.97 million, respectively. In the same year, the economy of Portugal was 1.61 times that of Qatar in nominal GDP. The comparison provides context on market size, but does not, on its own, measure influence, well-being or diplomatic closeness. Estimates and their sources retain their labels in the tables. [5] [6] [7] [8]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Review: 2026-10-08
Cooperation and bilateral issues
Technical meetings took place between Banco Português de Fomento and the Qatar Investment Authority, and between AICEP, the Qatari chamber and Invest Qatar. It was agreed to hold commissions every two years and establish a joint economic council; the third would take place in Doha on a date still to be determined. Texts on educational, scientific, youth, sporting and cultural cooperation were presented as expected instruments, not as agreements already signed. [1]
What merchandise trade shows
In 2025, merchandise trade between the two countries (Portugal and Qatar) totalled 55.3 million current USD. Shipments from the first to the second were 30.8 million; those in the opposite direction, 24.5 million. The difference between the two flows was 6.4 million, in favour of Portugal. This is a goods balance, not the total balance of the economic relationship: it excludes services, income and transfers. Both directions come from a single customs reporter to avoid adding mirror records. [2]
The partner's share of exports
Sales from Portugal to the partner represented 0.0344% of its worldwide goods exports in 2025. The share compares the same reporter, year and coverage. It measures export concentration, not the percentage of GDP dependent on this relationship. A partner may be important in a specific sector even if its share of total goods trade is small. [2]
Five years of trade trends
The consistent series shows 141.9 million USD in 2021 and 55.3 million in 2025. The change between the two endpoints was -61 % in current dollars. The highest annual value in the period was recorded in 2022, at 157.4 million. The chart allows the two directions to be compared to see whether they moved together or differently. The change combines quantities, prices and exchange rates; it is not automatically attributed to a treaty, a visit or a political decision. The same reporter is retained and missing years are not interpolated. [3]
Documented trade sectors
Within the selected chapters, electrical and electronic equipment stands out in shipments from Portugal to Qatar, at 3.6 million USD in 2025. Within the selected chapters, electrical and electronic equipment stands out in shipments from Qatar to Portugal, at 0.0375 million USD in 2025. The table compares eight selected chapters with the same coverage as the trade total. It is not a complete list or proof that the first item in this selection is the leading product across the entire relationship. A chapter groups numerous goods: machinery and components, for example, do not describe a single business transaction. [4]
Sources and data
Periods and scope of the figures
Institutional sources and periods accompany each figure. Annual trade, investment positions, residents and visits are distinct measures. Empty cells do not mean zero. Statements of intent are not presented as project implementation or treaties in force.
- Bilateral relations — PRT-QAT
portugal.gov.pt · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- Bounded matrix; reporter, partner, year, chapter and direction identified in each record
UN Comtrade; reporters NGA, PAK, PNG, PRK, PRT, QAT, ROU, RWA · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- Trade series 2021–2025
UN Comtrade / PRT · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- Bounded matrix; reporter, partner, year, chapter and direction identified in each record
UN Comtrade; reporters PRT, PRY, ROU · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- Official statistics
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- NY.GDP.MKTP.CD; ISO and reference year; no military dataset expansion
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Official statistics
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- SP.POP.TOTL; ISO and reference year; no military dataset expansion
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
Additional sources on products and human connections
- UN Comtrade; reporters PRT, PRY, ROU
2026-10-08 · Accessed: 2026-10-08 · Bounded matrix; reporter, partner, year, chapter and direction identified in each record.