Porto and the surrounding area of northern Portugal has been doing rather well recently in attracting inward investment from firms looking to set up an office or factory there. It is worthwhile to have a look at a few of the dry numbers which help to explain why Porto is pulling in this investment:
Workforce
Higher Education Level in Total Population – 27.2%
Higher Education – about 60,000 students
Graduates per year – more than 16,500
STEM graduates per year – about 3,000
61% of population speak at least one foreign language
Infrastructure
Porto airport serves 8 million+ passengers a year to over 70 destinations
Leixões harbour processes 18 million+ tonnes of cargo annually
New metro/subway system
Environment
Porto classified as 5th safest city in the world
220 days of sunshine per year
Cost
Rents average €/m2 in 2016:
Residential €6.50
Office €9.70
Commercial €11.90
Average cost of a cappuccino = €0.89
Average cost of a 3* hotel single room = €44.47
Average monthly gross wages = €1124.49
We like to think that Porto has a lot more to offer than what these statistics show, but they give a good indication of the compelling case there is for inward investment in Porto.