According to the study “Consumption Intentions 2026” by Observador Cetelem, travel emerges as the main objective for 44% of respondents.
This is followed by home improvements and renovations (30%) and the purchase of new electronic or technological equipment (19%). To realise these plans, 60% of participants say they do not intend to resort to financing, although 30% admit this possibility.
Personal loans and credit cards are the most frequently mentioned options, both with 14%, while only 5% indicate a preference for immediate in-store payment solutions or “Buy Now Pay Later” models.
The study also reveals that half of the respondents (50%) believe that 2026 will be a better year than 2025, an increase of four percentage points from the 46% recorded in the previous year. Conversely, 12% anticipate a worsening of the financial situation, the same figure as last year.
The assessment of 2025 is generally positive: 62% of Portuguese people rate it favourably, with 28% considering it “very good”, a 3-percentage-point increase from 2024.
This climate of confidence is also reflected in personal finances.
Around 23% of respondents say they are in a better economic situation than a year ago, up 5 percentage points from 2024.
Among the rest, approximately half consider that their situation has remained unchanged, while 27% say it is worse.
In a statement, Hugo Lousada, Director of Marketing, B2B & B2C at Cetelem, highlights that “the data from the Cetelem 2026 Observer shows a positive evolution in the Portuguese people’s perception of the future, reflected in the resumption of postponed projects, such as travel or home improvements”.
He also emphasises that, in addition to cost, “the simplicity of the process and speed of response” are increasingly valued factors, adding that “in 2026, the excellence of the digital experience will be decisive in supporting the life projects of the Portuguese”.