Over the past four decades, Lisbon’s population has witnessed some notable changes in its growth, age structure, conjugal patterns and ethnic diversity. These changes have affected the size, composition and structure of households, which in turn modified the demand for housing in Lisbon. At the same time, some changes were also made to the housing stock, especially in size, but also in the replacement of small apartment buildings with large residential apartment blocks. However, the discrepancies between demographic changes and the housing stock have created new challenges for the housing market in Lisbon to provide adequate housing to all households in the city. Using data from the 1981–2011 census obtained from IPUMS International, population estimates from the National Institute of Statistics (INE) and other secondary sources, this article identifies and measures the magnitude of (mis)matches between existing housing stock and housing needs of the population in Lisbon. Theoretically, this article adds to the knowledge about the relationship between population and housing dynamics in large cities. Empirically, it provides evidence on the existence and magnitude of (mis)matches in Lisbon’s housing market and explores the underlying dynamics behind them. Lastly, it offers some policy tools and recommendations to address these (mis)matches.

Rent regulation has a significant impact on tenant–landlord relations and the overall functioning of the private rented sector. Different forms of rent regulation—in relation to rent levels, rent increases, security of tenure, etc.—also affect the quality, the social composition and, ultimately, the size of the private rented sector. Together they affect the character of much urban regeneration and renewal. The introduction in Portugal of more flexible rent regimes that aimed to gradually replace open-ended tenancies with freely negotiated contracts led researchers to classify the country as a free market system. In this paper, by using a mixed methods approach that combined desk-based research with census data and in-depth interviews, we test the) classification of Portugal’s rented sector as a free market against empirical evidence and examine the impacts of the main rent regulation regimes on social sustainability-oriented urban regeneration. Our results show that open-ended contracts, which were signed before the 1990s, still account for a significant part of the private rented sector, thus the classification of Portugal’s rent regulation regime as a free-market system does not capture the country’s most significant features. This is particularly evident in inner-city Lisbon, where various extreme rent regimes (in terms of contract duration, tenant security and prices) coexist, giving rise to tensions between housing quality and demographic shifts that threaten the overall social sustainability of the city.

The increase of the proportion of rental-occupied dwellings between 2001 and 2011 is one of the most outstanding results of the 2011 Spanish census. This study aims to explain this increase in tenancy, unveiling the sociodemographic factors behind this pattern at the individual level, and at the regional level clarifying the role of market dynamics in this change. Accordingly, using the microdata from the 2001 and 2011 Spanish censuses, multilevel logistic models are estimated. Two main findings can be drawn from this study: the recent increase in tenancy occurs concurrently with a process of convergence towards a greater acceptance of tenancy among sociodemographic groups, and changes in housing purchase prices have an impact on the likelihood of a young Spanish couple being tenants. The policy implications of these findings are twofold. On the one hand, a more active role in the regulation of housing purchase prices to deter speculative demand is needed. On the other, a greater demand for tenancy requires changes in the tenure composition of Spanish housing stock. Finally, having effective alternatives to homeownership, young adults could rely less upon family networks during the transition to adulthood which could ultimately contribute to a reduction in late parental home-leaving and encourage family formation.

Southern European countries (SEC) are often considered as a homogenous group, distinct from the rest of Europe, in the literature of housing studies. This article explores the idea that despite sharing cohesion factors, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal and Spain also displayed a significant degree of heterogeneity in their housing patterns at the outset of the current economic crisis. The study analyses 2005 and 2009 micro-data from the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions at two levels. At the macro level, a cluster analysis was used to define four homogeneous groups in the European context. At the micro level, both homogeneous and heterogeneous features of home ownership in the SEC were identified using logistic modelling. The results of the macro analysis highlight the structural proximity between the southern and the post-socialist countries in terms of housing characteristics. With regard to predictors of home ownership, the micro analysis confirms that SEC form a distinctive group when compared with the European Union at large, while displaying significant internal heterogeneity in predictors such as age, citizenship, dwelling type and social environment.

Although Portuguese immigration to the United States has a long history, there is limited knowledge about its socio-demographic reproduction in the 21st century. This paper aims to fill this gap by providing a current overview of people born in Portugal or of Portuguese descent and living in the United States. We use five-year micro data from the American Community Survey, covering 2006 to 2022, to 1) explore the migration process of Portuguese immigrants and the size and composition of the Portuguese population in the United States; 2) examine the spatial distribution of Portuguese immigrants and their descendants in different states in the United States; 3) to explore the socio-demographic profile of Portuguese immigrants and their descendants and how it is evolving over the last decades. The results reveal that Portuguese immigrants and descendants have successfully reproduced socio-demographically for a century and form a vibrant community of Portuguese origin in different parts of the United States. Overall, they outperform other U.S. residents on several socioeconomic indicators, although there are significant differences between them. Aunque la inmigración portuguesa en los Estados Unidos tiene una larga historia, existe un conocimiento limitado sobre su reproducción sociodemográfica en el siglo XXI. Este artículo pretende llenar este vacío, proporcionando una visión actual de las personas nacidas en Portugal o con ascendencia portuguesa y que viven en los Estados Unidos. Utilizamos los micro datos quinquenales de la American Community Survey, que abarcan desde 2006 hasta 2022, para 1) explorar el proceso migratorio de los inmigrantes portugueses y el tamaño y la composición de la población portuguesa en los Estados Unidos; 2) examinar la distribución espacial de los inmigrantes portugueses y sus descendientes en diferentes estados de Estados Unidos; 3) para explorar el perfil sociodemográfico de los inmigrantes portugueses y sus descendientes y cómo está evolucionando durante las últimas décadas. Los resultados revelan que los inmigrantes y descendientes portugueses se han reproducido socio demográficamente con éxito durante un siglo y forman una vibrante comunidad en diferentes partes de Estados Unidos. En general, superan a la población residente en Estados Unidos en diversos indicadores socioeconómicos, aunque existen diferencias significativas entre ellos.