The Portuguese pharmaceutical industry is not a major player on a pan-European scale. Valued in 2021 at around €3.8 billion (£3.3 billion), the domestic market accounts for 1.5 per cent of the European market, according to EFPIA.
R&D investment is low at €120 million (£103 million) and 0.3 per cent of European total. In terms of pharma employment, Portugal is ranked no.21 in Europe. The medtech industry is also modest in a European context. Portugal has one of the lowest employment rates (six persons per 10,000 inhabitants) in Europe and it is a net importer of medical devices with a negative trade balance of €837 million (£720 million).
Portugal has approximately 200 companies distributing medical products, primarily comprised of small or medium-sized companies employing, on average, 15 to 60 people.
