ERPI (Nursing Homes) — Beds
~107k
2,570 units (Mainland 2023)
Home Support (SAD)
~108k
users — fastest growth
Day Centers
~49k
places — stable trend
Coverage Rate
11.5%
↓ declining (was 12.5% in 2010)
Utilization Rate
93.2%
near-full occupancy in 2023
Evolution of Elder-Care Capacity
Source: Carta Social 2023 (GEP/MTSSS), mainland Portugal data
Coverage Rate — The Growth Paradox
Rate = (Total ERPI+SAD+Day Center capacity) / Pop. 65+ × 100. Source: Carta Social, INE
The coverage paradox
Although capacity grew 65% between 2000 and 2022, the coverage rate fell from 12.5% to 11.5%. The reason is simple: the 65+ population is growing faster than new places are being built. With ~107k ERPI beds for 2.6 million older adults, the network is operating near its limit — the average 93.2% occupancy in 2023 confirms this. In Lisbon and Porto, the coverage rate is even lower than the national average.
Who Operates the Beds? Social vs Private Sector
IPSS organizations and Misericórdias manage around 75% of all beds in Portugal. They are non-profit entities, many with centuries of history, operating with Social Security co-funding. The private sector holds 25% and is expanding rapidly, with new models focused on independent seniors with higher purchasing power.
Main private operators:
Residências Montepio — 850 beds, 9 units
Emeis (ex-Orpea) — 780 beds, 8 units
DomusVi — 650 beds, 7 units
Naturidade — 580 beds, 6 units
CUF/Domus Vida — 420 beds, 4 units
Core Capital (Ser) — 430 beds, 5 units
Sources: Carta Social 2023 (GEP/MTSSS) · INE — Estimativas Pop. Residente 2024, Projeções 2025–2100 · Cushman & Wakefield — Marketbeat Nursing Home 2025 · Savills Portugal — Senior Living Report · PORDATA · Relatório OCDE Health at a Glance 2025 · Gov.pt — PRR e PARES · Tribunal de Contas (Auditoria RNCCI, 2024) · CNIS · SCML — scml.pt (População 65+, Lisboa Cidade de Todas as Idades) · Cáritas Diocesana de Lisboa — caritaslisboa.pt · Idealista News · ECO · Observador · Via Senior · Comunicados de imprensa das entidades referidas. Nota: projeções de necessidades futuras são estimativas baseadas em cenários de cobertura de referência aplicados às projeções INE (cenário central).
