Portuguese Auto Market in 2026 grows steadily. YTD sales up to April rose by 10.8%, with Mercedes climbing 9.7% into 2nd as Renault dropped by 24.4%. Notably, Citroen and Opel reported the largest gains and secured a spot in the top 10.
Economic Environment
In 2026, Portugal’s economic outlook shows GDP growth of about 2.2%, with domestic demand and public investment acting as the main drivers of expansion. The unemployment rate is expected to remain low at around 6.0%, reflecting a strong labour market but also ongoing labour shortages. Inflation is projected to stabilise near 2.2%, indicating relatively contained price pressures despite global uncertainty. Public finances are forecast to weaken slightly, with a budget deficit of around -0.6% of GDP, though still relatively contained.
At the same time, public debt is expected to continue declining to about 87.2% of GDP, maintaining a downward trend. Investment is projected to grow strongly (around 5.0%), supported by EU recovery funds, while exports are expected to increase modestly by about 2.2%. The current account surplus is forecast at roughly 1.0% of GDP, indicating balanced external accounts.
Automotive Industry Trend and Outlook
Building on last year’s growth spur, the portuguese car market continues to expand in 2026. YTD sales up to April reported 85,637 units sold, growing by 10.8%.
Brand-wise, the leader was still Peugeot in 1st with 10.8% of the market (+9.3%), followed by Mercedes -up 2 spots- in 2nd with 7.6% (+9.7%) and BMW -up 2 spots- in 3rd with 6.4% (+10.5%).
Dacia -down 1 spot- ranked 4th (-17.5%) followed by Renault -down 3 spots- in 5th (-24.4%), Citroen -up 3 spots- in 6th (+30%), and Toyota -down 1 spot- in 7th (+4.5%).
Volkswagen -down 1 spot- ranked 8th (+4.4%), followed by Nissan -down 1 spot- in 9th (+1.2%), and Opel -up 1 spot- which closed the top 10 (+35.1%).
Looking at specific models, reported in the dedicated article, the Peugeot 2008 was the leader, growing 13.4% while the Peugeot 208 followed in 2nd (+11.1%). The Citroen C3 ranked 3rd, up by 12.1%.
EV Market Trend and Outlook
Portugal’s EV segment continues to expand, reaching a 18.2% share up to April 2026 and growing by 19.1%. The government continues to support EV adoption through grants and incentives programs.
Tesla secured leadership gaining 19.7%, while BYD followed in 2nd growing by 36.4%. BMW in 3rd also reporte notable growth, up 21.9%.
Medium-Term Market Trend
The Portuguese car market grew strongly between 2014 and 2018, rising from 142,826 to a peak of 228,323 units (+59.9%), before being hit by a sharp 35% drop in 2020 due to COVID-19. Recovery was gradual at first, with sales reaching 156,310 units in 2022, then accelerating in 2023 (+27.7%) and continuing in 2024 with 209,716 units, followed by further growth to 224,935 in 2025. This rebound was supported by improved supply chains, postponed purchases, and policy support.
In contrast, the EV market showed consistent long-term expansion despite a brief dip in 2020, with strong surges such as +152.4% in 2018 and +128.5% in 2023. EV registrations reached 32,456 units in 2024 and increased to 42,368 in 2025, reflecting rising adoption. Overall growth in electric vehicles has been driven by incentives, better charging infrastructure, and a broader range of available models.
In the tables below we report sales for all Brands, top 10 Manufacturers Group and top 10 Models
