Introductory Note
The Portuguese Institute of Direct Selling (IPVD) presents the first edition of the IPVD Barometer, a strategic tool designed to provide concrete, credible and representative data on the reality of the direct selling sector in Portugal. This inaugural study, carried out in technical partnership with Multidados, is a milestone in the institutional development of IPVD and in building knowledge about a sector that brings together and mobilises thousands of professionals across the country.
The IPVD Barometer was designed to strengthen IPVD’s institutional standing with the direct selling companies operating in Portugal, the media, policymakers, partners and other relevant stakeholders, as well as with society at large. At the same time, it aims to highlight the impact of direct selling on entrepreneurship, financial independence and employability, supporting future public initiatives, studies and positions taken by the sector.
Message from the President
Direct selling in Portugal has a face that is not always visible in the official figures of the economy. It is the face of thousands of women and men who, every day, choose this sector to build income, autonomy and purpose, often alongside another job, and sometimes as a full-time profession.
This Barometer stems from IPVD’s wish to give that face the data it deserves. Not to confirm what we already knew by intuition, but to back it up with facts: that three in every four professionals in the sector are women; that almost 70% have been in the business for more than three years; that 86% consider that direct selling gives them a better balance between their professional and personal lives than any other form of work they have experienced.
These figures confirm what we have heard, year after year, from those working on the ground: direct selling is neither a marginal nor a temporary activity. It is a mature, demanding and evolving model of work, able to meet very real needs for flexibility, community and economic opportunity, in a labour market that still struggles to offer them to everyone.
As President of IPVD, these results bring a clear responsibility: to keep investing in the professionalisation of the sector, in accessible training and in championing a sector that is ever more ethical, transparent and recognised by society and by policymakers.
To all the professionals who shared their experience with us, my thanks. Above all, this Barometer is the portrait that you made possible.
Thank you,
Sandra Silva
President of IPVD
Key Findings
The State of Direct Selling in Portugal
75.3%
Three in every four professionals are women, making direct selling one of the most female sectors of the Portuguese economy.
86.0%
Consider that direct selling allows a better balance between professional and personal life than other forms of work.
69.3%
Have been in the business for more than three years, a clear sign of retention and of a mature, rather than transient, sector.
79.6%
Recognise that direct selling offers real opportunities for progression and leadership.
84.5%
Cite extra income as their main motivation, practically on a par with liking the product, at 83.0%.
65.8%
Work part-time, alongside another job, confirming flexibility as the hallmark of the sector.
80.1%
Value sustainability and innovation as important factors in their customers’ purchasing decisions.
Portugal in the European and International Context
Direct selling in Portugal should not be viewed from a narrow or purely domestic perspective. The sector is part of a much broader economic and social movement, linked to entrepreneurship, digitalisation, flexible working and the growing demand for supplementary income. It is within this European and international framework that the data in this Barometer should be interpreted.
Since 2022, the Portuguese economy has shown its capacity for recovery, resilience and convergence. According to Statistics Portugal (INE), after growing by 7.0% in 2022 and 2.5% in 2023, Gross Domestic Product rose by 2.1% in 2024. In 2025, according to INE data and European Commission estimates, Portugal once again grew faster than the European Union and euro area averages, expanding by 1.9%. This performance is particularly significant because it shows that Portugal is not on the margins of Europe. On the contrary, it is keeping pace with, and on several indicators exceeding, the European average.
Real GDP growth (%)
Average annual inflation (%)
National minimum wage (€)
Unemployment remained at historically moderate levels, and the European Commission forecasts growth of 1.7 per cent for 2026, with the labour market still relatively robust. This context helps to explain why models of work based on autonomy, flexibility and personal initiative have gained greater social and economic relevance.
Direct selling is part of this movement. According to the World Federation of Direct Selling Associations, the sector generated 163.9 billion dollars in retail sales worldwide in 2024 and around 35.4 billion dollars in Europe, involving approximately 12.9 million independent representatives. Portugal is part of this international reality and shares several structural trends with more mature markets, from the growing digitalisation of the commercial relationship to the increasing value placed on propositions centred on well-being, personalised advice and closeness to the consumer.
Retail sales (€ million)
Independent agents
Also according to the World Federation of Direct Selling Associations, Portugal recorded sales of 173 million euros in 2023 and 160 million in 2024, with 181,300 independent agents in 2023 and 140,300 in 2024. More important than the reading of any single year is the positioning of the sector. According to the same source, 59% of direct sales in Portugal in 2024 were in the Wellness category and 36% in Cosmetics and Personal Care, putting the Portuguese market in line with international consumption patterns associated with health, self-care and quality of life.
This framework leads to a strategic conclusion. Direct selling in Portugal should not be seen as a peripheral or residual activity. It should be understood as part of an open, connected economy that is increasingly geared towards flexible forms of income, entrepreneurship and direct relationships with the consumer. In a country that has shown in recent years that it can grow, converge and compete within Europe, direct selling emerges not as an exception, but as an expression of a wider transformation of the economy and of work.
Technical Details
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Promoting body | Portuguese Institute of Direct Selling (IPVD) |
| Technical partner | Multidados (The Research Agency) |
| Objective | To understand the profile, motivations, practices and outlook of direct selling agents in Portugal |
| Methodology | CAWI (Computer Assisted Web Interview) |
| Instrument | Online questionnaire lasting approximately 6 minutes |
| Fieldwork period | 3 March to 29 April 2026 |
| Universe | IPVD members |
| Sample | 594 valid interviews |
| Selection method | Random, from the IPVD members' contact list |
| Study reference | P012.2026 |
1. Sample Profile
1.1. Gender
Direct selling in Portugal is carried out predominantly by women. Of the 594 respondents, 75.3% are female and 24.4% male. This distribution confirms the strong female presence in the sector and underlines the importance of direct selling as a vehicle for entrepreneurship and financial autonomy for Portuguese women.
- Female
- Male
- Non-binary
- Prefer not to say
1.2. Age
The age profile of direct selling professionals is concentrated mainly in the 35 to 54 age groups, which together account for more than 60% of the sample. The 35 to 44 age group is the largest (31.3%), followed closely by the 45 to 54 group (29.5%). The presence of professionals aged 55 or over (24.2%) shows that the sector offers opportunities for economic activity at later stages of working life.
It is worth noting that the 25 to 34 age group already accounts for 13.1% of respondents, a sign that direct selling is beginning to attract the interest of a younger generation that values autonomy and flexibility.
1.3. Employment Status
Most direct selling professionals work part-time, alongside another job (65.8%). This is a defining figure that highlights the flexible and complementary nature of direct selling. Even so, 18.4% of respondents work in the business full-time, showing that direct selling can be a fully fledged professional career.
- Part-time (alongside other work)
- Full-time in direct selling
- Unemployed
- Other
- Retired
- Student
1.4. Length of Time in the Sector
The sector shows a remarkable ability to retain its professionals. Almost a third of respondents (30.5%) have been in direct selling for more than 10 years, and 22.1% have been in the sector for 3 to 5 years. Altogether, 69.3% of professionals have been in the business for more than 3 years, suggesting high levels of retention in the sector.
Time in direct selling
1.5. Geographical Distribution
Direct selling takes place throughout the country, with representation in every district of mainland Portugal and in the autonomous regions. The districts with the highest concentration of professionals are Lisbon (24.6%), Porto (14.6%), Setúbal (11.4%) and Aveiro (9.4%).
| District | N | % |
|---|---|---|
| Lisbon | 146 | 24.6% |
| Porto | 87 | 14.6% |
| Setúbal | 68 | 11.4% |
| Aveiro | 56 | 9.4% |
| Braga | 45 | 7.6% |
| Faro | 38 | 6.4% |
| Leiria | 36 | 6.1% |
| Santarém | 29 | 4.9% |
| Coimbra | 22 | 3.7% |
| Other districts | 67 | 11.3% |
2. Motivations for Direct Selling
When asked about their main motivations for working in direct selling, respondents give a diverse set of reasons that go far beyond the financial aspect. Earning extra income is the most frequently cited motivation (84.5%), but liking the product or service sold comes in at practically the same level (83.0%), showing that identifying with the brand and what it offers is a decisive factor in engagement.
Personal and skills development (76.4%) and autonomy and flexible working hours (76.1%) are equally prominent, confirming that direct selling is valued not only for the financial return, but also for the opportunities for personal growth and the freedom to manage one’s own time. The chance to become an entrepreneur with low risk motivates 60.1% of professionals, and a sense of community and belonging is mentioned by more than half of respondents (50.7%).
The analysis by gender reveals significant differences: low-risk entrepreneurship motivates 68.3% of men compared with 57.5% of women, while liking the product is a stronger factor for women (84.8%) than for men (77.9%). Men approach direct selling from a more economic standpoint; women from a stronger identification with what they sell.
Hierarchy of Motivations (analysis by order of priority)
In addition to analysing how often each motivation was selected, we also analysed how respondents ranked their motivations by importance (1 = most important and 7 = least important). This analysis reveals a clear hierarchy that distinguishes between factors of attraction, retention and loyalty.
Extra income is not only the most frequently selected motivation, but also the highest priority: 53.5% of respondents rank it first. Autonomy and flexible working hours is the second strongest motivation, with the highest concentration of responses in position 2 (26.6%), confirming its role as the sector’s second major attraction.
Liking the product/service, although selected by 83% of professionals, is spread evenly across positions 1 to 6, suggesting that it acts more as a reason to stay than as a reason to join the sector. Similarly, personal and skills development is evenly distributed across positions 2, 3 and 4, emerging as a benefit that is discovered and valued over time. Community and belonging is concentrated in positions 4, 5 and 6.
| Motivation | Rank 1 | Rank 2 | Rank 3 | Ranks 4 to 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Extra income | 53.5% | 14.8% | 7.9% | 8.2% |
| Autonomy/flexible working hours | 17.3% | 26.6% | 14.8% | 17.3% |
| Liking the product/service | 12.6% | 19.7% | 19.0% | 31.6% |
| Personal and skills development | 7.4% | 19.2% | 19.4% | 30.5% |
| Low-risk entrepreneurship | 6.6% | 11.6% | 16.0% | 25.9% |
| Community/belonging | 1.3% | 2.2% | 6.1% | 41.1% |
3. Financial Autonomy and Career Progression
3.1. Impact on Financial Autonomy
Direct selling has a positive impact on the financial autonomy of its professionals. On a scale of 1 to 5, the average level of agreement with the statement “Direct selling has increased my financial autonomy” is 3.76. More than half of respondents (57.9%) agree or strongly agree with this statement.
Cross-analysis shows that the perceived financial impact is significantly higher among full-time professionals (mean of 4.16) and among those with more than 10 years’ experience in the sector (mean of 4.10). These data suggest that investing time and dedication in the business translates into progressively greater financial results.
- 1 (Strongly disagree)
- 2 (Disagree)
- 3 (Neither agree nor disagree)
- 4 (Agree)
- 5 (Strongly agree)
3.2. Opportunities for Progression and Leadership
The perception of opportunities for progression and leadership in direct selling is markedly positive. With a mean of 4.28 and a Top 2 Box (4+5) of 79.6%, the vast majority of professionals recognise that the sector offers real paths for professional growth. More than half of respondents (56.4%) strongly agree with this statement.
4. Value Proposition and Customer Relationship
Direct selling professionals identify the quality of products and services (84.2%), personalised service and advice (81.6%) and trust and a personal relationship with the agent (75.8%) as the three factors most valued by their customers. These results underline that direct selling stands out for its closeness, personalisation and excellence of service.
5. Communication and Sales Channels
Face-to-face contact remains the dominant channel in direct selling, used by 81.8% of professionals. However, WhatsApp has established itself as the second most used channel (64.0%), reflecting the growing importance of direct digital communication. Phone calls and SMS are used by 39.2% of agents, while Instagram (36.9%) and Facebook (22.7%) play a relevant complementary role.
The use of digital channels does, however, vary markedly by age group. Instagram is used by 63.6% of the youngest professionals (aged 18 to 24), but this figure falls steadily to 10.0% among professionals aged 65 or over. The opposite is true of phone calls and SMS: practically absent among young people (18.2%), they become the second most used channel among professionals aged 55 to 64 (50.0%).
These data point to a hybrid model of working, in which direct human contact is complemented by digital communication tools. Only 2.4% of professionals say they do not use any digital channel, demonstrating the high level of technological adoption in the sector.
6. Digital Confidence
Direct selling professionals’ level of confidence in using digital tools is positive overall. With a mean of 3.86 on a scale of 1 to 5, and 64.8% of respondents rating their confidence as high or very high, the sector shows that it has adapted well to the digital environment.
- 1 (Very low)
- 2 (Low)
- 3 (Medium)
- 4 (High)
- 5 (Very high)
Digital confidence by age group
The analysis by age group reveals the expected differences: the youngest professionals (aged 18 to 24) have the highest mean (4.36), followed by the 35 to 44 age group (4.10). Professionals aged 55 to 64 have the lowest mean (3.61), although it is still above the midpoint of the scale.
| Age group | Mean digital confidence |
|---|---|
| 18 to 24 | 4.36 |
| 25 to 34 | 3.91 |
| 35 to 44 | 4.10 |
| 45 to 54 | 3.74 |
| 55 to 64 | 3.61 |
| 65 or over | 3.72 |
7. Sustainability and Innovation
The sustainability and innovation of the products sold are increasingly relevant factors in customers’ purchasing decisions. A significant majority of 80.1% of professionals consider these aspects important or very important (mean of 4.18). Only 4.6% of respondents consider sustainability not at all or only slightly important to their customers.
Among full-time professionals, the Top 2 Box (Important (4) + Very important (5)) rises to 86.2%, practically the same as among retired people (84.8%) and clearly above students (62.5%). Sustainability appears to be a value that grows with investment in, and maturity within, the business.
8. Inclusion in the Sector
When asked about the most important factors for ensuring a more inclusive sector, professionals highlight accessible training (51.3%) and flexible working hours (47.6%) as the two fundamental priorities. Clear progression models are mentioned by 32.0% of respondents, while income equality is cited by 24.1%.
Accessible training is unequivocally the top priority, chosen as the most important factor by 36.2% of respondents, almost twice the second option, flexible working hours (20.7%).
| Inclusion factor | % of respondents | 1st choice | 2nd choice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accessible training | 51.3% | 36.2% | 15.2% |
| Flexible working hours | 47.6% | 20.7% | 26.9% |
| Clear progression models | 32.0% | 12.3% | 19.7% |
| Income equality | 24.1% | 10.9% | 13.1% |
| Age diversity | 14.0% | 4.2% | 9.8% |
| Support for parenting and work-life balance | 11.6% | 5.1% | 6.6% |
| Female representation in leadership roles | 11.4% | 4.9% | 6.6% |
| Don't know / never thought about it | 7.9% | 5.7% | 2.2% |
9. Work-Life Balance
Direct selling is viewed very favourably when it comes to balancing professional and personal life. With a mean of 4.41 and a Top 2 Box (4+5) of 86.0%, the overwhelming majority of professionals consider that this model of work allows a better balance than other forms of employment. Only 2.0% of respondents consider direct selling worse or much worse in this respect.
- 1 (Much worse)
- 2 (Worse)
- 3 (The same)
- 4 (Better)
- 5 (Much better)
The perception of a better work-life balance cuts across all employment situations, but is particularly strong among full-time professionals (mean of 4.71), followed by unemployed people who have found an alternative in direct selling (mean of 4.47).
10. Future Trends in Direct Selling
Looking ahead, professionals identify the professionalisation and ongoing training of agents as the most important trend (54.2%), followed by stronger ethics, transparency and trust in the sector (51.5%). Digitalisation of the business (36.7%), sustainability and conscious consumption (34.7%) and social commerce (29.8%) complete the five most frequently mentioned trends.
Interest in AI is particularly marked among full-time professionals (22.0%), suggesting that those who depend most on the business already recognise the potential of these tools for efficiency gains.
Summary of Key Indicators
| Indicator | Result |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 594 respondents |
| Proportion of women | 75.3% |
| Predominant age group | 35 to 54 (60.8%) |
| Part-time | 65.8% |
| Professionals with more than 3 years in the sector | 69.3% |
| Financial autonomy (Top 2 Box) | 57.9% |
| Progression opportunities (Top 2 Box) | 79.6% |
| Digital confidence (Top 2 Box) | 64.8% |
| Importance of sustainability (Top 2 Box) | 80.1% |
| Work-life balance (Top 2 Box) | 86.0% |
Conclusions
This first edition of the IPVD Barometer makes it possible, for the first time, to draw a well-founded and comprehensive picture of direct selling in Portugal, based on the responses of 594 professionals from all over the country.
A sector with its own identity and real impact
Direct selling in Portugal is neither a residual nor a temporary activity. With 69.3% of professionals having been in the sector for more than three years, and almost a third for more than a decade, this is an activity with deep roots and a stable, committed base of professionals. The financial impact is tangible: 57.9% of respondents acknowledge that direct selling has increased their financial autonomy, a figure that rises to 4.16 (out of 5) among those who work in it full-time. Direct selling generates real and growing income for those who invest in it.
A platform for female entrepreneurship
With 75.3% women, direct selling is one of the entrepreneurial ecosystems with the highest female representation in Portugal. More than a statistic, this figure reflects a model of work that meets the real needs of thousands of women: the flexibility to balance family and professional responsibilities, autonomy in managing their time, and access to leadership opportunities without the traditional barriers of the labour market. In a country where gender equality in entrepreneurship remains a challenge, direct selling presents itself as part of the solution.
Work-life balance as a differentiating factor
One of the most striking indicators in this Barometer is the perception of work-life balance: 86.0% of professionals consider direct selling better or much better than other models of work in this respect. This is the highest result in the entire study and an argument that positions direct selling as a particularly relevant alternative at a time when the balance between work and personal life is increasingly valued by society.
A hybrid model that preserves the human relationship
The data reveal a sector that has integrated digital without losing its essence. Face-to-face contact remains the dominant channel (81.8%), but 97.6% of professionals use at least one digital channel in their work. WhatsApp (64.0%), Instagram (36.9%) and phone calls (39.2%) complement direct contact, creating a hybrid model that combines the trust of a personal relationship with the convenience of digital tools. Product quality (84.2%), personalised advice (81.6%) and trust in the agent (75.8%) remain the pillars of the value proposition, confirming that, in direct selling, technology serves the relationship and not the other way round.
A sector that looks to the future with high standards
Direct selling professionals are not asking for less regulation or less scrutiny. On the contrary, the two trends most often identified for the future are professionalisation and ongoing training (54.2%) and stronger ethics, transparency and trust (51.5%). This is particularly significant because it comes from the agents themselves, demonstrating a sectoral maturity that deserves to be recognised and supported by policymakers and regulators. Sustainability (34.7%) and the adoption of new technologies, including artificial intelligence (24.2%), complete a vision of the future based on qualification and responsibility.
Opportunities and challenges
The Barometer also identifies clear areas of opportunity. Attracting younger professionals is the most obvious challenge: the 18 to 24 age group accounts for only 1.9% of the sample, despite showing the highest digital confidence (mean of 4.36). Investing in social commerce and in a presence on platforms such as Instagram and TikTok could be the key to rejuvenating the sector’s base. At the same time, accessible training, identified as the main priority for inclusion (51.3%), is a strategic lever that IPVD and its members can and should mobilise.
Study carried out by the Portuguese Institute of Direct Selling (IPVD) in technical partnership with Multidados (The Research Agency). May 2026.