Portugal is the 2nd largest footwear producer in Europe

Portugal is the 2nd largest footwear producer in Europe - Portugal Business News

Portugal news - Portugal is the 2nd largest footwear producer in Europe since 2022, according to Eurostat.

Portugal surpassed Spain to rank 2nd largest footwear producer after Italy, and Portugal's share in Europe's footwear production now accounts for 17.1% of the total.

While Portugal increased its footwear production by +14.4% in the last decade, Italy’s footwear industry is losing ground with production decreasing by 18.6% since 2012. Italy produced 162 million pairs of shoes in 2022, that is far from the 199 million produced a decade earlier. The over 14% rise in Portugal's footwear production is significant compared to the 14% decline in the Spanish footwear industry.

While Italy, Portugal, and Spain account for practically 70% of Europe’s footwear production, Portugal is the only country in Europe that has increased its production. As a result, Portugal's share in European production increased by 34.3%, now reaching a 17.1% share of the total.

The evolution of Portugal’s footwear industry reflects the country’s continued investment in the sector that is supported by an ambitious vision and adjusted public policies. These measures allowed the Portuguese footwear sector to reposition itself on the international competitive scene, according to APICCAPS, the Portuguese Association of Footwear, Components, Leather Articles, and their Substitutes.

While Portuguese footwear exports fell by 11.3% in quantity and by 8.2% in value in 2023, compared to the record year of 2022, Portugal’s footwear sector believes in the future of its industry regardless of the complex economic cycles, and the greatest proof of confidence in such a future is the investment planned until the end of the decade. Portugal has two major projects currently underway, namely the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) with an investment of 140 million euros by the end of 2025, and the new Strategic Plan with an investment of 600 million euros by the end of the decade, that are expected to increase the productivity of the country’s footwear industry.

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