Thousands take to streets in Portugal to protest against soaring rents and house prices

Thousands of people took to the streets of Lisbon and other cities across Portugal in protest against soaring rents and house prices. The protest was organised by the movement Home to Live and other groups.  

Rents in Lisbon, a tourist hotspot, have jumped 65% since 2015 and sale prices have sky-rocketed 137% in that period. Rents increased 37% last year alone, more



than in Barcelona or Paris, according to a real estate data company, Casafari.  Portugal’s current 8.2% inflation rate has exacerbated the problem.

 

Portugal is one of Western Europe’s poorest countries, with government data showing more than 50% of workers earned less than 1,084 dollor per month last year.