Capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public in Portugal

Portugal: Capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public was 4.0% in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
4.0%
Change on year
up 10.3%
World rank
93rd
of 124 countries
All-time high
10.5%
in 2012
All-time low
2.8%
in 2011
Years of data
24
1998–2022

Capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public in Portugal, 1998–2022

2468101998201020221998: 7.7 %1999: 6.9 %2000: 5.5 %2001: 5.8 %2002: 5 %2003: 3.3 %2004: 3.2 %2005: 3.6 %2006: 3.9 %2007: 3.5 %2008: 3.5 %2009: 6.2 %2010: 3.8 %2011: 2.8 %2012: 10.5 %2013: 3.6 %2014: 2.8 %2015: 4.8 %2017: 3.7 %2018: 4.1 %2019: 3.5 %2020: 3.4 %2021: 3.7 %2022: 4 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2022, capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public in Portugal stood at 4.0%.

That represents a change of up 10.3% on the previous year and down 61.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public in Portugal peaked at 10.5% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 2.8%, in 2011.

Portugal ranks 93rd of 124 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.

Capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public in Portugal, year by year

Annual values for Capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public institutions (%) in Portugal, 1998 to 2022.
Year % Change
1998 7.7%
1999 6.9% -9.9%
2000 5.5% -21.1%
2001 5.8% +5.7%
2002 5.0% -13.9%
2003 3.3% -33.9%
2004 3.2% -2.5%
2005 3.6% +12.2%
2006 3.9% +8.1%
2007 3.5% -9.5%
2008 3.5% +0.3%
2009 6.2% +76.7%
2010 3.8% -39.3%
2011 2.8% -27.3%
2012 10.5% +279.2%
2013 3.6% -65.8%
2014 2.8% -21.1%
2015 4.8% +68.6%
2017 3.7% -21.9%
2018 4.1% +9.8%
2019 3.5% -14.5%
2020 3.4% -3.5%
2021 3.7% +8.6%
2022 4.0% +10.3%

Portugal compared with similar countries

  • Portugal's 4.0% is below the median for high income countries, which is 7.9%, 51% of the median. (54 countries reporting)
  • Portugal's 4.0% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 7.6%, 53% of the median. (45 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public in Portugal changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
2012 +279.2% 2.8% 10.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 7.3% 6.9% 7.7% 2
2000s 4.4% 3.2% 6.2% 10
2010s 4.4% 2.8% 10.5% 9
2020s 3.7% 3.4% 4.0% 3

Countries ranked near Portugal

  1. 90 Belgium 4.6% compare
  2. 91 Argentina 4.1% compare
  3. 92 Timor-Leste 4.0% compare
  4. 94 Barbados 3.8% compare
  5. 95 Ukraine 3.8% compare
  6. 96 Cyprus 3.7% compare

See the full ranking of 124 places →

More education data for Portugal

All data for Portugal →

Frequently asked questions

What is capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public in Portugal?
Capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public in Portugal was 4.0% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public recorded in Portugal?
The highest recorded value was 10.5% in 2012.
What is the lowest capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public recorded in Portugal?
The lowest recorded value was 2.8% in 2011.
How does Portugal rank for capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public?
Portugal ranks 93rd out of 124 countries with data for 2022.
Is capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public rising or falling in Portugal?
Over the last ten years it is down 61.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Portugal data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public institutions (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public in Portugal. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/capital-expenditure-as-a-percentage-of-total-expenditure-in-public-institutions-percent/portugal/

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About this data

Indicator
Capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public institutions (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
124 places, 1,684 data points, 1998–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release