In front of Santa Maria Hospital in northern Lisbon, Isabel hurried past patients on her way to the parking lot.
`I work 40 hours a week at a public hospital with a salary of 2,000 euros a month after taxes, even though I studied surgery for 6 years. It’s not enough to live decently because I can’t find a house to rent in Lisbon for less than 1,300 euros.`
To make ends meet and raise her two children, Isabel works 5 hours a week at a private clinic and does after-hours surgeries.
Or like Gonçalo Henriques, 32 years old, still living with his parents.
Police protest against low wages in Lisbon on January 24.
Situations like Isabel or Gonçalo Henriques are not rare.
This number is also notable compared to Portugal’s other strong economic indicators.
On the tourist-filled streets of Lisbon, inequality is increasingly evident, reflecting a two-speed economy, according to Le Monde.
On the other hand, three out of four Portuguese families have difficulty paying their 2023 bills, according to consumer advocacy organization Deco Proteste.
In 2022, the average monthly salary before taxes is about 1,400 euros ($1,500) – just enough to rent a one-bedroom apartment in Lisbon as prices soar amid the housing crisis.
Difficulties increased due to escalating inflation.
Despite tens of billions of euros in development aid from the European Union in recent decades, Portugal remains one of Western Europe’s poorest countries.
Economist José Reis at Coimbra University (Portugal) said that after the 2011 crisis, the country’s growth was based on low-cost, low-productivity, labor-intensive sectors such as tourism and