Main Cities

Portugal Guide

Related: Main Cities of Minho

A guide with relevant information about Portugal, regions, districts (states, in Brazil) and counties (municipalities) and parishes (administrative regions of municipalities). Miscellaneous information, latest statistics, maps, sources and references.

This Guide is completed with other sections of the Top de Portugal portal and its Directory.

Lisbon and Porto, metropolises

"About 50% of the population is concentrated in 31 of the 308 municipalities, located mostly in the Metropolitan Areas of Lisbon and Porto". These are the two great metropolises of Portugal [Jornal Expresso, 28/7/2021].

The 10 most populous Portuguese cities

According to the latest statistics from the INE (Instituto Nacional de Estatística), the total resident population of Portugal is 10,344,802 inhabitants (INE, 2021). Below, the main cities and the population of the respective municipalities.

1. Lisboa (545.923 inhab.)
2. Sintra (385.654 inhab.)
3. Vila Nova de Gaia (303.854 inhab.)
4. Porto (231.828 inhab.)
5. Cascais (214.in158 hab.)
6. Loures (201.632 inhab.)
7. Braga (193.349 inhab.)
8. Almada (177.268 inhab.)
9. Matosinhos (172.586 inhab.)
10. Oeiras (171.767 inhab.)

Other important Portuguese cities

1. Amadora (171.500 hab.)
2. Seixal (166.525 hab.)
3. Gondomar (164.277 hab.)
4. Guimarães (156.849 hab.)
5. Odivelas (148.058 hab.)
6. Coimbra (140.838 hab.)
7. Vila Franca de Xira (137.540 hab.)
8. Santa Maria da Feira (136.715 hab.)
9. Maia (134.988 hab.)
10. Vila Nova de Famalicão (133.574 hab.)

Lisbon Metropolitan Area

The Lisbon Metropolitan Area (AML) (2,870,770 inhab., INE 2021) comprises 18 municipalities around the capital, this area being divided by Rio Tagus. Its limits are, to the north, the West Region, to the northeast, the Lezíria do Tejo, to the east, the Central Alentejo and to the south, the Alentejo Litoral.

The AML is the most populous metropolitan region in Portugal, with almost 2.9 million inhabitants. Only the North Region is more populous. Learn more

North of the Tagus, this entire large metropolitan area is known as the Lisbon Peninsula. The part to the south of the river is known as the Setúbal Peninsula.

And to complete the 30 most important Portuguese cities:

1. Leiria (128.616 hab.)
2. Setúbal (123.519 hab.)
3. Barcelos (116.766 hab.)
4. Funchal (105.795 hab.)
5. Viseu (99.561 hab.)
6. Valongo (94.697 hab.)
7. Mafra (86.521 hab.)
8. Viana do Castelo (85.784 hab.)
9. Paredes (84.371 hab.)
10. Torres Vedras (83.075 hab.)
11. Vila do Conde (80.831 hab.)