Tens of thousands of people took to the streets across more than 30 cities and towns in Portugal on Saturday in the largest demonstration yet against rising housing costs, with protesters demanding more affordable homes, limits on rent increases and stronger protection for tenants.The protests, which drew participants ranging from teenagers to retirees, reflected growing anger over housing prices that have risen much faster than incomes over the past decade.Demonstrators marched under the slogan “We won’t let them steal our right to housing”, while protesters in Lisbon chanted: “Lower rents, higher salaries”, according to news agency AFP.The demonstrations followed weeks of protests over the housing crisis, including tent camps set up in central squares in Lisbon and Porto, the country’s two largest cities.Police have forcibly cleared some of these camps, with riot police and dogs deployed during certain demonstrations, drawing accusations of heavy-handed tactics.The protest movement gained momentum after parliament adopted a bill aimed at speeding up procedures for property owners to evict tenants.Demonstrators have also drawn inspiration from similar housing protests in neighbouring Spain that began last month.
Housing prices outpace incomes
Official figures underline the scale of the affordability challenge. Portugal recorded the European Union’s biggest increase in the ratio of house prices to incomes between 2015 and 2025, with a rise of 61%, according to Eurostat data.The increase was 60.8%, compared with 34.3% in the Netherlands, which ranked second.Housing prices continued to climb in the more recent period. Between the first quarter of 2025 and the first quarter of 2026, prices rose by almost 20%, according to Portugal’s National Statistics Institute.Rental costs have also increased sharply, rising 68% since 2020, according to the Portuguese government.The problem has been particularly pronounced in Lisbon and Porto. Factors contributing to the rise include increased demand from foreign buyers, investment funds, digital nomads and retirees, as well as the growth of tourism and the conversion of city-centre apartments into short-term accommodation.Lagging housing construction has also added to the pressure.
Protesters demand rent controls and tenant protection
Activists are calling for limits on rent increases, stronger legal safeguards against evictions, more public and affordable housing, and measures to curb speculation in the property market.Susana Pacheco, a 35-year-old data analyst who works part-time as an astrologer to help pay her mortgage, said she was concerned about whether younger people would be able to afford homes of their own.“I’m really worried about young people,” Pacheco said. “I don’t know how they’re going to be able to pay” for their own home.“Things have become intolerable,” said Ana Encarnação, 42, pointing to rising living costs and the widening gap between rich and poor.Speaking to AFP, 20-year-old arts student Matile Cunha said finding decent accommodation had become difficult for students.“We just want a place where we can study, but you can’t find decent accommodation,” she said. “Prices are at a level that no-one can afford.”Maite Chaves, a 40-year-old Uruguayan who has lived in Lisbon for 17 years, said: “With the little we earn and the prices of rent, we are the most unequal country in Europe.”
Government promises new homes
The Portuguese government has introduced measures including tax cuts for new construction, restrictions on short-term rentals and a pledge to build 145,000 homes. However, it has acknowledged that the measures will take time to produce results.President António José Seguro, whose position is largely ceremonial but carries political influence, convened the Council of State, an advisory body, earlier this month to discuss the protests.He also met some of the demonstrators on Friday.The housing demonstrations began last month as frustration grew over years of rising costs and incomes that have failed to keep pace.