Diversity and Inclusion in Portugal
Before embarking on a journey to a new country and completely uprooting yourself towards a new life and a new geographical and cultural location, it's wise to understand the nuances behind diversity and inclusion, as well as better understand the political scene awaiting you. With that in mind, this brief guide will explore different aspects of Portugal's recent data and statistics on safety, diversity, inclusion and the current political parties and movements and their trends.
Remember that diversity and inclusion are ongoing discussions, and it's essential to involve a wide range of perspectives and voices in these conversations.
Crime in Portugal
First things first, Portugal is one of the safest countries to live in. Year after year, statistics show Portugal as a safe country, with low criminality rates and low violence levels. Even in major cities (where crime tends to be more evident) you can expect a fairly safe environment, and you might find that many locals are comfortable taking night walks (something that may feel very strange and unusual depending on where you are based on these days).
According to the World Population Review, Portugal ranked 3rd (in 2022) among the safest countries in the world. As of the latest Global Peace Index for the same year, Portugal ranked as the seventh safest country in the world, after Iceland, Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand, Austria, and Singapore. It seems that Portugal has been consistently ranked as an exceptionally safe place to live.
Racism in Portugal
According to the World Population Review, Portugal ranked 12th (back in 2021) among the least racist countries in the world. This means you shouldn't expect minorities to be targeted, and you shouldn't expect to witness racism or violent crimes in general. Portugal has been consistently ranked as a safe place to live, regardless of ethnicity.
That being said, one must mention the country's historical background of colonialism, which is still somewhat present in the country's narrative and shared identity.
Ethnic and cultural diversity in Portugal
It's important to mention that Portugal tends to be a fairly homogenous country when it comes to ethnic and cultural background. Historically, Portugal has been a country of mostly emigrants and not immigrants. However, in recent years, the country has experienced increased cultural diversity due to immigration mainly from former Portuguese colonies and other nations with similar economic constraints.
In recent years, the country has also been receiving a lot of attention from the expat community and Lisbon has become a very well-known hub for this specific demographic.
Religious diversity in Portugal
The main thing you should know is that Portugal doesn't have any state religion or official religion, and all people are free to practice whichever ideology they support.
That being said, Catholicism has been a big part of the country's history, and according to statistics from 2017, more than 80% of the population identifies as Christians (but many admit that despite having been baptized as infants, they don't actually practice any rituals or religion related practices aside from the major yearly celebrations such as Christmas or Easter).
Since 1974 (when the country experienced the Carnation Revolution), the country has changed drastically, and freedom to practice all religions was proclaimed.
Here is a list of a few religions you'll be able to find in Portugal:
- Catholicism & Christianity
- Judaism
- Islam
- Hinduism & Sikhism
- Atheism
- Agnosticism
The country's law declares that all people have a right to practice religious freedom with no discrimination. However, the most important data you should know is that while the law protects religious freedom, there is rarely a need to resort to any legal involvement since these issues don't tend to arise within the population.
Once again, regardless of ethnicity or religious background, Portugal has been considered a safe place to live.
Gender and LGBTQ inclusion in Portugal
Since 2004, the Constitution of Portugal has prohibited any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation. Portugal has become, ever since, one of the only countries in the world to establish in its Constitution a ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Same-sex marriage in Portugal has been legalized since 2010, and same-sex unions have been recognized by the state since the end of 1999/early 2000s. The country's law protects people from discrimination, and it extends to different areas such as visa issues, inheritance, and all other legal matters.
Inclusion among people with disabilities in Portugal
Like many other countries, people with disabilities in Portugal face a wide range of challenges, and while significant progress has been made in recent years to improve inclusivity and accessibility, there's still much to be done.
One of the most prominent challenges for individuals with disabilities in Portugal is the limited accessibility to public spaces, transportation and buildings, since many cities and towns lack proper infrastructure, making it difficult for people with mobility issues to move around independently.
Moreover, access to quality education can be a significant challenge for individuals with learning/mental disabilities in Portugal, as students with disabilities often face a lack of appropriate support. The same goes for employment since finding and maintaining a job can be a significant challenge due to discrimination in the workplace. As proof/result of this stigmatization and social isolation, Portugal has a high unemployment rate among people with disabilities compared to the general population.
That being said, Portugal has established a legal document to protect the rights of people with disabilities through the National Strategy for Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities.
As part of the document, Portugal has made efforts to promote inclusive education, highlighting the right of students with disabilities to access regular education and receive necessary support. Special education support, though usually inefficient, is nonetheless provided to ensure that students with disabilities can go to regular schools. The same goes for accessibility, as local authorities have been working to improve access to public spaces, transportation and buildings. In fact, and from a legal standpoint, all new construction projects are required to obey accessibility guidelines.
Last but certainly not least, Portugal has implemented programs and incentives to encourage the hiring of individuals with disabilities in order to address employment discrimination, such as Valor T. As part of these policies, employers can benefit from financial incentives and tax breaks for hiring people with disabilities. Plus, the government has established quotas for companies with more than 75 workers. As part of the current legislation, companies that employ between 75 and 249 workers must have at least 1% of their workforce composed of people with a proven disability incapacity of at least 60%. That threshold goes up to 2% for companies with at least 250 employees.
The political scene in Portugal
It seems that the post-pandemic political scene is changing all over Europe, and Portugal is no exception.
In recent years, the political party CHEGA (a far-right party showcasing a vast array of xenophobic and discriminatory intentions and values) has gained popularity amongst the unhappy and disappointed fringes of society, leading it to become the third main political party in the country. While this hasn't yet had impacts on the country's laws, structure, or ways of living, it does still show a generalized discontentment experienced by the majority of the population – one that is being harnessed to feed the xenophobic narrative/agenda.
The world is changing rapidly, at a faster pace than expected, so we do recommend keeping an eye for current and updated trends within the political scene and fact-checking the available data using multiple sources.
Overall, it seems that Portugal is a very accepting and friendly country and consistently safe and violence-free for people from all walks of life, regardless of ethnicity, religious background, or sexuality.
