Portugal spent 2.5 billion euros in public assistance due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

In 2020, Portugal spent a total of €2,558.6 million in government aid to support the economy in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, corresponding to 72.9% of total government support that year, above the European average.

The figures are part of the European Union (EU) 2021 ranking of public assistance measures taken to cope with the effects of the pandemic, published this Thursday by the European Commission, which indicates that “in 2020, Covid-19-related spending for Portugal amounted to EUR 2,558.6 million, i.e. 72.9% of all state aid expenditures.”

This percentage is comparable to the costs of Covid-19-related public assistance at the level of the EU 27, which is 59.3%.

In addition to this percentage of 72.9%, directed by Portugal to “eliminate serious shocks in the economy”, the country provides state support for regional development, equivalent to 14.4% of the total, as well as assistance to small and medium-sized enterprises. large enterprises and venture capital (5.1%) and research and development (3.3%), a total of 94 government assistance measures taken in 2020.

In 2020, member states (plus the UK, which was still counted for this data) allocated 384.33 billion euros in public assistance measures, of which 227.97 billion euros went to fight the pandemic, according to a report from the Community Executive. hard hit companies.

The European Commission concluded that these figures show the “critical role of state aid policies in maintaining a fair single market by enabling member states to support companies during an acute and unforeseen crisis”.

In total, between 2010 and 2020, Portugal spent 13.8 billion euros in public assistance, the institution said.

In March 2020, due to the effects of the pandemic on the economy, the European Commission adopted a temporary framework to facilitate state aid, an initiative that expanded the support that member states can provide to their economies, normally prohibited by EU competition rules, which translate into loans with sovereign guarantees. grants, among others.