Compulsory education, duration in Portugal
Portugal: Compulsory education, duration was 12 years in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
12 years
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
33rd
of 197 countries
All-time high
12 years
in 2009
All-time low
9 years
in 1998
Years of data
28
1998–2025
Compulsory education, duration in Portugal, 1998–2025
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for compulsory education, duration in Portugal is 12 years, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 28 years on record.
The figure is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, compulsory education, duration in Portugal peaked at 12 years in 2009 and was at its lowest, 9 years, in 1998.
That places Portugal 33rd out of 197 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 28 years of available data.
Compulsory education, duration in Portugal, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 9 years | — |
| 1999 | 9 years | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 9 years | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 9 years | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 9 years | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 9 years | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 9 years | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 9 years | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 9 years | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 9 years | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 9 years | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 12 years | +33.3% |
| 2010 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 12 years | +0.0% |
Portugal compared with similar countries
- Portugal's 12 years is above the median for high income countries, which is 11 years, 1.1× the median. (77 countries reporting)
- Portugal's 12 years is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 10 years, 1.2× the median. (53 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 9 years | 9 years | 9 years | 2 |
| 2000s | 9.3 years | 9 years | 12 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 12 years | 12 years | 12 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 12 years | 12 years | 12 years | 6 |
Countries ranked near Portugal
- 33 Armenia 12 years compare
- 33 Bahamas 12 years compare
- 33 British Virgin Islands 12 years compare
- 33 Bulgaria 12 years compare
- 33 Cayman Islands 12 years compare
- 33 Chile 12 years compare
- 33 Colombia 12 years compare
- 33 Dominica 12 years compare
- 33 Egypt 12 years compare
- 33 Finland 12 years compare
- 33 Grenada 12 years compare
- 33 Honduras 12 years compare
- 33 Italy 12 years compare
- 33 Kenya 12 years compare
- 33 North Korea 12 years compare
- 33 Luxembourg 12 years compare
- 33 Maldives 12 years compare
- 33 Mauritius 12 years compare
- 33 Mongolia 12 years compare
- 33 Pakistan 12 years compare
- 33 Palau 12 years compare
- 33 Qatar 12 years compare
- 33 Saint Kitts and Nevis 12 years compare
- 33 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 12 years compare
- 33 Turkey 12 years compare
- 33 Turkmenistan 12 years compare
- 33 United Arab Emirates 12 years compare
- 33 United States 12 years compare
More education data for Portugal
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 82,664 (2018)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 11,380 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 136,282 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 128,743 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 741,752 (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 598,661 (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.89 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0566 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is compulsory education, duration in Portugal?
- Compulsory education, duration in Portugal was 12 years in 2025, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest compulsory education, duration recorded in Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 12 years in 2009.
- What is the lowest compulsory education, duration recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 9 years in 1998.
- How does Portugal rank for compulsory education, duration?
- Portugal ranks 33rd out of 197 countries with data for 2025.
- Is compulsory education, duration rising or falling in Portugal?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Portugal data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Compulsory education, duration (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Duration of compulsory education is the number of years that children are legally obliged to attend school.