"External pressures" challenge Lusophone infrastructure projects
12 Jun, 2026
A report published yesterday by Chinese state entities warns that, despite the resilience demonstrated in 2026, Portuguese-speaking countries face "strong external pressures" that condition the pace of development of their infrastructure.
The data comes from an annual report that assesses the state and prospects of infrastructure development in the nine Portuguese-speaking countries and Macau's progress in cooperation under the "Belt and Road" Initiative, published during the opening of the 17th International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum and Expo (17th IIICF), held in Macau.
According to the document, the construction and infrastructure sector has been affected by "divergent monetary policies", which increase uncertainty in financing costs, by "adjustments in international trade that alter the demand for projects", and by "growing geopolitical volatility that raises investment risks".
Furthermore, high sovereign debt in some countries and the slowness of structural reforms have reduced the efficiency and attractiveness of local markets.
"With favorable factors and constraints interacting, the infrastructure industry in the PLP [Portuguese-speaking countries] remained globally stable," the report notes.
The report was prepared by the China International Contractors Association – the only national Chinese organization dedicated to the international construction sector – and the state-owned insurer Sinosure.
The study measures performance through four core dimensions: development environment, demand, investment dynamics, and costs, based on 15 secondary indicators and 43 basic indicators.
Despite these pressures, the report points out that the Infrastructure Development Index (IDI) in these countries remained stable at 126 points in 2026.
Brazil reinforced its leadership with 129 points, supported by the "New Growth Acceleration Program (Novo PAC)", a Brazilian Federal Government investment plan launched in 2023 focused on infrastructure, industrialization, and sustainable development, and by tax reforms.
"The Novo PAC has been fully implemented and advanced, releasing sustained demand in sectors such as energy and transport," the study states.
"Rigid demand for transport, energy, and public services remained solid," the document notes, adding that practical cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries deepened, with new projects in green energy and digital infrastructure.
Mozambique rose to second place with 118 points, benefiting from energy projects supported by multilateral financial institutions, the report also points out.
"Energy resource advantages drove the rapid implementation of electricity projects," it is noted.
Angola, in turn, fell slightly to 115 points, penalized by "exchange rate fluctuations, rising import costs, and fiscal constraints." Despite this, it maintains a solid base in traditional sectors such as transport and construction.
Equatorial Guinea remained in fourth place (113 points), Portugal in fifth (111), Timor-Leste in sixth (108), Cape Verde fell to seventh (104), followed by Guinea-Bissau (102) and São Tomé and Príncipe (101).
The report also highlights that Macau has played an "active role in multilateral financing," supporting green energy, transport, and digitalization projects in Portuguese-speaking countries.
