Three months before the end of the year, the government achieves a surplus of over five billion euros

Portugal's public accounts show a surplus exceeding five billion euros despite economic challenges. The Ministry of Finance reported a surplus of 5.064 billion euros for the third quarter of 2026, down from 6.302 billion euros the previous year. This surplus is attributed to a 12% increase in expenditure, primarily due to the National Health Service settling overdue debts. The health sector's payments to suppliers reached 1.427 billion euros, significantly higher than the previous year's 199 million euros. Additionally, fiscal revenues were impacted by moratoriums and exemptions for companies affected by storms. Without the health service's effect, the surplus could have approached 6.5 billion euros.