Living in Mértola

Mértola had 7,274 residents in 2021 and is a city in Portugal. In June 2026, the unemployment rate was 1.68%.

Lower unemployment than 79% of Portuguese cities that publish it and less recorded crime than 75% of Portuguese cities that publish it.

Which Portugal-wide rules apply when you move to Mértola?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in PortugalNational rates and thresholds that apply in Mértola.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

No city-level rent or cost figure is published for Mértola yet. Portugal has country-level context; it is not substituted for this city.

Net rent across major citiesMértola highlighted among comparable cities

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Mértola?

The unemployment rate is about 1.7 % (June 2026).

Unemployment rate: 1.68 % · IEFP — registered unemployment by municipality, June 2026¹¹

Unemployment across cities in PortugalUnemployment in Mértola is 1.7%. Of 251 cities with data, 118 have unemployment of 2 to under 3%.

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Unemployment rate	1.68 %country median 2.3%	30 Jun 2026	IEFP — registered unemployment by municipality, June 2026¹¹Independent

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Mértola. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Instituto do Emprego e Formação Profissional — Public employment service

Instituto do Emprego e Formação Profissional (IEFP)

Job SearchRegistrationTraining

Open the Portugal service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Mértola. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Healthcare

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Physicians per 100,000 residents	100 per 100,000	2024	Official INE Statistics of Health Personnel indicator 0012837: physicians per 1,000 inhabitants by municipality of residence. Exact municipality row selected by INE DICO geocod; value converted to the requested per-100k unit.⁶Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Mértola when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

How safe is Mértola?

Police recorded 2,300 incidents per 100,000 (2022). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source.

Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents: 2,300 incidents per 100k · INE — Taxa de criminalidade (‰) por Localização geográfica (NUTS 2013) e Categoria de crime; Anual, indicador 0008074, categoria Total, ano 2022²

Recorded crime across major citiesMértola highlighted among comparable cities

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents	2,300 incidents per 100kcountry median 2,715	31 Dec 2022	INE — Taxa de criminalidade (‰) por Localização geográfica (NUTS 2013) e Categoria de crime; Anual, indicador 0008074, categoria Total, ano 2022²Official

Mobility and administration

The nearest airport was FAO, 74.3 km away, with 63 listed destinations in June 2026.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Destinations from nearest airport	63 count	13 Jun 2026	OpenFlights — routes.dat⁷Official
Nearest airport	FAO	13 Jun 2026	OurAirports — airports.csv⁸Official
Distance to nearest airport	74.3 km	13 Jun 2026	OurAirports — airports.csv⁸Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Mértola. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

PLA search route through Portal da Oferta Formativa — State Language Course

AIMA / Portal da Oferta Formativa

For migrants seeking Portuguese as a non-native language.

Portuguesevaries

Open official information

Português Língua de Acolhimento (PLA) — State Language Course

AIMA / DGEstE public-school network / IEFP / Centros Qualifica

For migrants aged 16 or older whose mother tongue is not Portuguese, residence-permit holders, people with pending residence/protection/NISS evidence.

PortugueseCEFR A1–B2varies

Open official information

Open the full Portugal section

National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Mértola.

Climate and air quality

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C

Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Average daytime high by month	Jan 14.5 · Feb 15.9 · Mar 19 · Apr 21.1 · May 25.4 · Jun 30.5 · Jul 34 · Aug 33.8 · Sep 29.5 · Oct 24.2 · Nov 18.3 · Dec 15.2 °C	31 Dec 1991	IPMA Normais Climatológicas 1991-2020 — IPMA estação MÉRTOLA (nº 863)⁵Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by month	Jan 4.7 · Feb 5.2 · Mar 7.4 · Apr 9 · May 11.5 · Jun 14.6 · Jul 16.4 · Aug 16.9 · Sep 15.3 · Oct 12.8 · Nov 8.5 · Dec 6 °C	31 Dec 1991	IPMA Normais Climatológicas 1991-2020 — IPMA estação MÉRTOLA (nº 863)⁵Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by month	Jan 9.6 · Feb 10.6 · Mar 13.2 · Apr 15.1 · May 18.5 · Jun 22.6 · Jul 25.2 · Aug 25.3 · Sep 22.4 · Oct 18.5 · Nov 13.4 · Dec 10.6 °C	31 Dec 1991	IPMA Normais Climatológicas 1991-2020 — IPMA estação MÉRTOLA (nº 863)⁵Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by month	Jan 48.3 · Feb 40.7 · Mar 49.6 · Apr 48.8 · May 39.3 · Jun 9.8 · Jul 1 · Aug 3.7 · Sep 23.4 · Oct 63.1 · Nov 56.7 · Dec 63.1 mm	31 Dec 1991	IPMA Normais Climatológicas 1991-2020 — IPMA estação MÉRTOLA (nº 863)⁵Official · nearest-station reading

Cities of a similar size in Portugal

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All Portugal cities

Castro Verde7,276 residents Vila Nova de Poiares7,281 residents Alvaiázere7,287 residents Terras de Bouro7,253 residents Almeida7,242 residents Vila Nova de Foz Côa7,312 residents

Population and city profile

The city covered 1,292.9 km² in 2021. Population density was 5.6 people per km² in 2021.

How many people live in Mértola?

The published population was 7,274 people in 2021. Source: INE — Portal municipal (quadro)¹

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
City area	1,293 km²	2021	INE — Portal municipal (quadro)¹Official
Foreign residents	251 people	2023	Foreign population with legal resident status at 31 December; Total Nacionalidade; annual municipality value.¹⁰Independent
Population density	5.63 people/km²	2021	Reproducible derived density from the same-period INE populationTotal divided by areaKm2; no external density number was substituted.⁹Official
Population	7,274 people	2021	INE — Portal municipal (quadro)¹Official

International community in Mértola

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Resident population at the 19 April 2021 Census reference date; total sex (HM) and total age; source-native indicator universe · 2021-04-19

Published group	People	Share
Total	6,206	100.0%
Portuguesa	5,966	96.1%
Estrangeira	240	3.9%
Europa	134	2.2%
União Europeia 27 (s/ PT - a partir de 2020)	84	1.4%
África	57	0.9%
Outros países - Europa	50	0.8%
América	39	0.6%
Brasil	36	0.6%
Angola	30	0.5%
França	26	0.4%

Show 26 more groups

Published group	People	Share
Suíça	15	0.2%
Alemanha	15	0.2%
Reino Unido	15	0.2%
Ucrânia	14	0.2%
Moçambique	13	0.2%
Outros países - África	11	0.2%
Espanha	11	0.2%
Países Baixos (Reino dos)	11	0.2%
Ásia	10	0.2%
Bélgica	9	0.1%
Índia	8	0.1%
Roménia	7	0.1%
Moldávia	5	0.1%
Luxemburgo	2	0.0%
Outros países - América	1	0.0%
Outros países - Ásia	1	0.0%
Argentina	1	0.0%
Bangladeche	1	0.0%
Cabo Verde	1	0.0%
Guiné-Bissau	1	0.0%
Irlanda	1	0.0%
Itália	1	0.0%
Lituânia	1	0.0%
Estados Unidos da América	1	0.0%
África do Sul	1	0.0%
Outros	1	0.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source⁴

Citizenship

Resident population at the 19 April 2021 Census reference date; total sex (HM) and total age; source-native indicator universe · 2021-04-19

Published group	People	Share
Total	6,206	100.0%
Portuguesa	6,073	97.9%
Estrangeira	133	2.1%
Europa	79	1.3%
União Europeia 27 (s/ PT - a partir de 2020)	46	0.7%
Outros países - Europa	33	0.5%
América	30	0.5%
Brasil	30	0.5%
Reino Unido	14	0.2%
África	13	0.2%
Países Baixos (Reino dos)	12	0.2%

Show 20 more groups

Published group	People	Share
Ásia	11	0.2%
Ucrânia	10	0.2%
Outros países - África	9	0.1%
Alemanha	8	0.1%
Índia	8	0.1%
Bélgica	6	0.1%
França	6	0.1%
Roménia	6	0.1%
Espanha	5	0.1%
Moldávia	5	0.1%
Suíça	3	0.0%
Outros países - Ásia	2	0.0%
Angola	2	0.0%
Bangladeche	1	0.0%
Cabo Verde	1	0.0%
Guiné-Bissau	1	0.0%
Irlanda	1	0.0%
Itália	1	0.0%
Lituânia	1	0.0%
Outros	1	0.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source³

Is Mértola a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile

Remote worker60%strong on work, weak on air quality · range 50–70%

Skilled employee70%strong on work, weak on education · range 61–79%

Student52%strong on legal route, weak on education · range 42–62%

Family61%strong on family, weak on education · range 52–70%

Retirement51%strong on safety, weak on admin · range 40–62%

Foreign residents251 people2023Independent source · Foreign population with legal resident status at 31 December; Total Nacionalidade; annual municipality value.

Population7,274 people2021Official source · INE — Portal municipal (quadro)

Unemployment rate1.68 %30 Jun 2026Independent source · IEFP — registered unemployment by municipality, June 2026

City area1,293 km²2021Official source · INE — Portal municipal (quadro)

Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents2,300 incidents per 100k31 Dec 2022Official source · INE — Taxa de criminalidade (‰) por Localização geográfica (NUTS 2013) e Categoria de crime; Anual, indicador 0008074, categoria Total, ano 2022

Physicians per 100,000 residents100 per 100,0002024Official source · Official INE Statistics of Health Personnel indicator 0012837: physicians per 1,000 inhabitants by municipality of residence. Exact municipality row selected by INE DICO geocod; value converted to the requested per-100k unit.

Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-07-31

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Mértola?

The published population was 7,274 people in 2021. Source: INE — Portal municipal (quadro).

How safe is Mértola?

Police recorded 2,300 incidents per 100,000 (2022). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: INE — Taxa de criminalidade (‰) por Localização geográfica (NUTS 2013) e Categoria de crime; Anual, indicador 0008074, categoria Total, ano 2022.

What is the unemployment rate in Mértola?

The unemployment rate is about 1.7 % (June 2026). Source: IEFP — registered unemployment by municipality, June 2026.

How many foreign residents live in Mértola?

251 people residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Foreign population with legal resident status at 31 December; Total Nacionalidade; annual municipality value..

Is Mértola a good place to live?

Mértola may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

How many people born in Europa live in Mértola?

The official country of birth distribution records 134 people (2.2%) in the source-defined population for 2021-04-19. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation

ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 12). Mértola, Portugal: jobs, safety, climate [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/pt/mertola/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_mertola-portugal-jobs-safety-climate_8307eaa11474,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Mértola, Portugal: jobs, safety, climate},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/pt/mertola/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Mértola, Portugal: jobs, safety, climate](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/pt/mertola/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; retrieved 2026-09-12; built 2026-09-12.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown

INE — Portal municipal (quadro) INE · ine.pt · checked 2026-07-14
INE — Taxa de criminalidade (‰) por Localização geográfica (NUTS 2013) e Categoria de crime; Anual, indicador 0008074, categoria Total, ano 2022 INE · ine.pt · checked 2026-07-31
Instituto Nacional de Estatística (INE), Portugal Censos 2021 indicator 0014632 nationality ine.pt · checked 2026-09-01
Instituto Nacional de Estatística (INE), Portugal Censos 2021 indicator 0014633 country of birth ine.pt · checked 2026-09-01
IPMA Normais Climatológicas 1991-2020 — IPMA estação MÉRTOLA (nº 863) IPMA Normais Climatológicas 1991-2020 · ipma.pt · checked 2026-07-31
Official INE Statistics of Health Personnel indicator 0012837: physicians per 1,000 inhabitants by municipality of residence. Exact municipality row selected by INE DICO geocod; value converted to the requested per-100k unit. ine.pt · checked 2026-07-15
OpenFlights — routes.dat OpenFlights · raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-07-14
OurAirports — airports.csv OurAirports · davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-07-14
Reproducible derived density from the same-period INE populationTotal divided by areaKm2; no external density number was substituted. ine.pt · checked 2026-07-15
Foreign population with legal resident status at 31 December; Total Nacionalidade; annual municipality value. pordata.pt · checked 2026-07-15

Show 1 more source

IEFP — registered unemployment by municipality, June 2026 IEFP · iefp.pt · checked 2026-07-26

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.