The migratory balance is the difference between the people who entered the country and those who left. Costa pointed to recent figures by the National Statistics Institute, that revealed that in 2017, 20,000 fewer people emigrated in 2017 than in 2015. And 17,000 more people than those who had emigrated moved to Portugal.

Costa, who on Friday is visiting companies who have contributed to the country's economic growth, was speaking at a pavilion which Couro Azul, a tannery industry in Santarem, Portugal, is building in order to increase production.

"No-one comes to work to a country where there are no expectations of finding a job and developing their careers," the said.

Costa also said that companies in various sectors and in different regions of the country refer to an increase and quality of human resources as vital to continue to grow.

Portugal's Socialist government projects 2.3% growth in gross domestic product next year and a public sector budget deficit equivalent to 0.2% of GDP, as well as reducing public indebtedness to 118.4% of GDP.

The government, which lacks a majority in parliament but survives thanks to the votes of MPs from the Left Bloc and Communist Party, has reversed many of the austerity measures implemented by its right-of-centre predecessor as part of the terms of a euro-zone bailout from 2011-2014.