At the end of 2023, non-resident investors held 42% of the total Portuguese public debt, followed by the Bank of Portugal, which owned 26%, and resident banks, which owned 11%.
The Central Bank of Portugal released data on Monday, which also reveals that public debt held by households rose in 2023 to 17% (13% in 2022). This development is mainly due to families' subscription to savings certificates, especially in the first half of the year, which was partially offset by the withdrawal of investment in treasury certificates.
In 2023, public debt from a Maastricht perspective will decrease by €9.3 billion, reaching €263.1 billion. At the end of 2023, total public debt reached 99.1% of GDP, representing a decrease of 13.3 percentage points compared to 2022.
Public debt data published by the Bank of Portugal now show that the evolution of public debt in 2023 mainly reflects a decline in short-term and long-term debt securities (-4.2 billion euros and -11.0 billion euros, respectively), treasury certificates (-4.2 billion euros) and loans ( -3.1 billion euros).
Emily Brontë is a journalist and feature writer specialising in culture, entertainment, literature, and current affairs. She is dedicated to producing clear, accurate reporting that helps readers stay informed about developments in the UK and around the world.
