According to a recent study conducted by Flatio, Portugal has emerged as the most favored destination for digital nomads. The survey, which gathered data from 1,200 digital nomads, revealed

that 27.1% of them consider Portugal as their top choice to live and work. The introduction of the digital nomad visa last year played a significant role in attracting these individuals to the country.

Interestingly, the study also highlighted that sunshine played a crucial role in determining the next destination for digital nomads, making Ericeira, Lagos, Lisbon, and Porto popular centers for them in Europe.

Over half of the participants in the survey have either applied for a digital nomad visa or have already utilized it, expressing their belief in the benefits these visas offer. More than 60% of the respondents view the Portuguese visa for digital nomads as highly advantageous.

Besides mainland Portugal, the study also shed light on the appeal of the island of Madeira, which ranked seventh on the list with 3.9% of digital nomads preferring it as their destination.

The top ten favorite destinations for digital nomads are: Portugal (27.1%), Thailand (12.2%), Spain (8.6%), Argentina (8.2%), Mexico (8.1%), Indonesia (7.6%), Madeira (part of Portugal) (3.9%), Germany (3.5%), Romania (2.8%), and Malaysia (2.1%).

Flatio's co-founder, Radim Razek, commented on the study's findings, stating that digital nomads are not to blame for housing issues in certain European cities. He emphasized that these nomads are educated and cost-conscious travelers, who also consider the social impact of the places they reside in, making them a positive force in the locations they visit.

In terms of demography, the majority of digital nomads are from the United States (37.4%), followed by the United Kingdom (12.3%) and Germany (5.6%). Most of them fall within the age range of 30 to 39 years (52.6%), with a significant number between 18 and 39 years (75%). The pandemic-induced trend of working from anywhere has resulted in 31.5% of digital nomads being full-time employees.

Regarding their work, digital nomads primarily engage in IT & Technology (19.3%), marketing, public relations, advertising, and communication (19.3%), technology and entrepreneurship, and business (17.2%). Freelancing is the most common type of employment, accounting for 35%.

Regarding accommodation preferences, more than half (43.4%) of digital nomads prefer private apartments (34.7%) or hotels (33.8%). They tend to stay in each destination for short to medium terms, with 29.1% staying for 1 to 2 months and 26% staying for 3 to 4 months. Surprisingly, contrary to stereotypes, over 25% spend less than 700 euros per month on accommodation, while less than 10% spend more than 1,400 euros. Photo by Ville Koistinen, Wikimedia commons.