The Autonomous Region of Madeira recorded the lowest unemployment rate in Portugal during the second quarter of 2026, at 3.5%. This figure marks a new minimum for the statistical series dating back to 2011, representing a 15-and-a-half-year low.
The regional rate was 1.8 percentage points below the national average of 5.3% and was the lowest among all NUTS II regions in Portugal. Madeira also saw the most significant year-on-year improvement, with a 1.3 percentage point decrease in unemployment.
Data from the National Statistics Institute (INE) shows that Madeira's active population increased to 142,800, the highest figure since the statistical series began. The employed population reached a historic high of 137,800, a 6.2% increase compared to the same period last year.
Conversely, the number of unemployed people in the region fell to 5,000, the lowest since 2011. This represents a 23.3% decrease year-on-year and a 21.4% drop from the previous quarter.
