OCDE - Data on homelessness and housing exclusion 2026 - Portugal de 2026

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DATA ON HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION 2026: PORTUGAL © OECD 2026

Summary of key data and information Summary of key data and information Official statistical definition of homelessness (Table 1) Portugal’s definition of homelessness considers people living rough or in emergency accommodation, in precarious places, and in accommodation for the homeless. Latest national estimates of homelessness (Table 2, Table 3) 14 476 individuals, representing 0.1% of the total population (2024) 32% are women, 68% are men Point-in-time count, based on the Characterization Survey of Homeless People ETHOS Light groups included Included: • ETHOS Light 1: Living on the streets, in public spaces • ETHOS Light 2: Emergency accommodation (e.g. shelters) • ETHOS Light 3: Accommodation for the homeless (e.g. hostels and women’s refuges) Not included: • ETHOS Light 4: People in institutions • ETHOS Light 5: People in non-conventional dwellings (e.g. caravans, cars or tents) • ETHOS Light 6: Living temporarily with others in conventional housing (e.g. sofa-surfing) Notes: Each ETHOS Light group includes one or more sub-categories of living situations. ETHOS Light groups are considered as “included” in the data collection approach if at least one of the sub-categories is counted. Legal framework to collect data on homelessness (Table 4) There is no legal obligation to collect data on homelessness in Portugal.

Homelessness Strategy (Table 5) National Homelessness Strategy: National Strategy for the Inclusion of People Experiencing Homelessness 2025-2030 (Estratégia Nacional para a Integração das Pessoas em Situação de Sem-Abrigo 2025-2030) Other (e.g. anti-poverty, housing) national strategy addressing homelessness: Building Portugal: New Strategy for Housing (2024). Approaches to collect data

(Estratégia Nacional para a Integração das Pessoas em Situação de Sem-Abrigo 2025-2030) Other (e.g. anti-poverty, housing) national strategy addressing homelessness: Building Portugal: New Strategy for Housing (2024). Approaches to collect data on homelessness (Table 6) • Characterization Survey of Homeless People: Enumeration and survey of people experiencing homelessness (Table 6.1)

Data on homelessness and housing exclusion 2026: Portugal2  DATA ON HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION 2026: PORTUGAL © OECD 2026

Table 1. Official statistical definition of homelessness Statistical definition Homelessness The person who, irrespective of his / her nationality, racial or ethnic origin, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, socio-economic status and physical and mental health condition, is: People living rough or in emergency accommodation: the people are living in the public space, housed in an emergency shelter or living in a precarious place; • Public space – spaces for public use such as gardens, metro / bus stations, bus stops, parking lots, sidewalks, viaducts, bridges or others; • Emergency accommodation – any equipment which immediately accommodates, free of charge and for short periods of time, persons who do not have access to another overnight accommodation; • Precarious place – place that, due to the conditions in which it is allowed, a public use, such as abandoned cars, stairwells, entrances of buildings, abandoned factories and buildings, abandoned houses or others. or People living in accommodation for the homeless (temporary): • Temporary accommodation – equipment which accommodates persons who do not have access to permanent accommodation and who promote their insertion. It corresponds, for example, to the social response of the nomenclature of Social Security or others of a similar nature, known as the Temporary Accommodation Centre: “social response, developed in equipment, aimed at the reception, for a limited period, of adults in situation of deficiency, with a view to the most appropriate social response.”

nomenclature of Social Security or others of a similar nature, known as the Temporary Accommodation Centre: “social response, developed in equipment, aimed at the reception, for a limited period, of adults in situation of deficiency, with a view to the most appropriate social response.” Table 2. Data on people experiencing homelessness: Headline estimate, by living situation Presented according to ETHOS Light Typology Year Headline estimate of homelessness (Individuals) % of total population ETHOS Light 1 People living rough ETHOS Light 2 People in emergency accommodation ETHOS Light 3 People in accommodation for the homeless ETHOS Light 4 People living in institutions ETHOS Light 5 People living in unconventional dwellings ETHOS Light 6 People staying with family/friends 2018 6 044 0.06% NA NA NA NA NA NA 2022 10 773 0.10% 5 975 Included under ETHOS 1 4 798 Not included Not included Not included 2024 14 476 0.14% 9 403 Included under ETHOS 1 5 073 Not included Not included Not included Metadata: • Type of count: Point-in-time • Data are comparable across years: Yes

• Included in headline estimate:

o Children: Yes o Temporary accommodation for: ‒ Asylum seekers: Yes ‒ Refugees: Yes ‒ Victims/survivors of domestic violence: Yes Note: Data refer to mainland Portugal.

Source: OECD Questionnaire on Affordable and Social Housing (QuASH); National Strategy for the Integra tion of Homeless People 2025-2030, Characterization Survey of Homeless People 2024. 3

DATA ON HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION 2026: PORTUGAL © OECD 2026

Characterization Survey of Homeless People 2024. 3

DATA ON HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION 2026: PORTUGAL © OECD 2026

Table 3. Data on people experiencing homelessness: Headline estimate, by sub-group and living situation Presented according to ETHOS Light Typology, 2024 Single adults Men Women Youth (aged 15-29) Older people (aged 65 and over) Families with children (# of households) Headline estimate of homelessness NA 9 857 4 619 NA NA NA As percentage of total population experiencing homelessness NA 68.10% 31.90% NA NA NA ETHOS Light 1: People living rough NA 6 016 3 387 NA NA NA ETHOS Light 2: People in emergency accommodation NA NA NA NA NA NA ETHOS Light 3: People in accommodation for the homeless NA 3 841 1 232 NA NA NA ETHOS Light 4: People living in institutions NA NA NA NA NA NA ETHOS Light 5: People living in unconventional dwellings NA NA NA NA NA NA ETHOS Light 6: People staying with family/friends NA NA NA NA NA NA Metadata: • Type of count: Point-in-time

• Included in headline estimate:

o Children: Yes o Temporary accommodation for: ‒ Asylum seekers: Yes ‒ Refugees: Yes ‒ Victims/survivors of domestic violence: Yes Note: Sub-groups are not mutually exclusive.

Source: OECD Questionnaire on Affordable and Social Housing (QuASH); Characterization Survey of Homeless People 2024.

https://www.enipssa.pt/documents/10180/11876/Inquérito+Caracterização+das+Pessoas+em+Situação+de+Sem-Abrigo+-+31+de+dezembro+2024+- +Quadros/77733784-0f2a-44fd-aa3d-9e9ba6611ddc. https://www.enipssa.pt/documents/10180/11876/Síntese+de+resultados+2024+-+Inquérito+de+caracterização+das+pessoas+em+situação+de+semabrigo/b9db6b38-3edf-4f8c-bce6-ad02c9a55534]. Table 4. Legal framework to collect data on homelessness Legal framework Law that governs data collection on homelessness None. Legal obligations None. Table 5. Homelessness strategy Homelessness strategies in place National Homelessness Strategy National Homelessness Strategy: National Strategy for the Inclusion of People Experiencing Homelessness 2025-2030 (Estratégia Nacional para a Integração das Pessoas em Situação de SemAbrigo 2025-2030) Other (e.g. anti-poverty, housing) national strategy addressing homelessness: Building Portugal: New Strategy for Housing (2024). Regional and/or local homelessness strategies exist

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Note: Although the Building Portugal: New Housing Strategy (2024) does not directly mention homeless people, it does: 1) focus on the housing crisis, the need to increase the supply of public housing and affordable rental housing; 2) Aim to support vulnerable groups affected by housing insecurity, which includes people at risk of housing exclusion.

Table 6. Approaches to collect data on homelessness 6.1. Characterization Survey of Homeless People Description The Characterization Survey of Homeless People seeks to provide a snapshot of the number of people experiencing homelessness in Portuga l and

insecurity, which includes people at risk of housing exclusion. Table 6. Approaches to collect data on homelessness 6.1. Characterization Survey of Homeless People Description The Characterization Survey of Homeless People seeks to provide a snapshot of the number of people experiencing homelessness in Portuga l and their demographic characteristics. The count and the survey are carried out at the municipal level through public institutions that have a local mandate through the Local Councils of Social Action (CLAS) or Homeless Planning an d Intervention Centers (NPISA). The data is officially reported by the National Strategy for the Integration of Homeless People 2017-2023 and subsequently the National Strategy for the Inclusion of People Experiencing Homelessness 2025-2030.

Type of count generated Point-in-time Methods • Street count • Service-based method Lead authority(ies) • Ministry of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security • National Strategy for the Integration of People homelessness – ENIPSSA Source(s) of information People experiencing homelessness are surveyed directly. Scope National level, but only mainland Portugal. All 278 mainland municipalities are covered. Depth of data Socio-demographic characteristics are surveyed: (age, sex, marital status, nationality, education level, income sources, etc). Frequency Annual (since 2018) ETHOS Light groups included: • ETHOS Light 1: Living on the streets, in public spaces • ETHOS Light 2: Emergency accommodation (e.g. shelters) • ETHOS Light 3: Accommodation for the homeless (e.g. hostels and women’s refuges)

Note: Each ETHOS Light group includes one or more sub-categories of living situations. ETHOS Light groups are considered as “included” in the data collection approach if at least one of the sub-categories is counted.

Notes and sources ENIPSSA síntese resultados 31dez2022 V_110823 rev MV-LNEC Results 2024:

collection approach if at least one of the sub-categories is counted.

Notes and sources ENIPSSA síntese resultados 31dez2022 V_110823 rev MV-LNEC Results 2024: https://www.enipssa.pt/documents/10180/11876/S%C3%ADntese+de+resultados+2024+- +Inqu%C3%A9rito+de+caracteriza%C3%A7%C3%A3o+das+pessoas+em+situa%C3%A7%C3%A3o+de+sem-abrigo/b9db6b38-3edf-4f8c-bce6ad02c9a55534 https://www.enipssa.percentage points (p.p.)/documents/10 180/11 876/InqupercentageC3%A9rito+CaracterizapercentageC3%A7%C3%A3o+das+Pessoas+em+SituapercentageC3%A7 %C3%A3o+de+Sem-Abrigo+-+31+de+dezembro+2024+-+Quadros/77 733 784-0f2a-44fd-aa3d-9e9ba6611ddc

Please refer to the OECD Affordable Housing Database, indicator HC3.1. Population experiencing homelessness, https://www.oecd.org/content/oecd/en/data/datasets/oecd-affordable-housingdatabase.html. 5

DATA ON HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION 2026: PORTUGAL © OECD 2026

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