Educational attainment, at least completed short-cycle tertiary in Portugal

Portugal: Educational attainment, at least completed short-cycle tertiary was 28.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
28.1%
Change on year
up 6.8%
World rank
49th
of 128 countries
All-time high
28.1%
in 2024
All-time low
0.9%
in 1970
Years of data
36
1970–2024

Educational attainment, at least completed short-cycle tertiary in Portugal, 1970–2024

01020301970199720241970: 0.946 cumulative1981: 2.2 cumulative1991: 7.2 cumulative1992: 9.2 cumulative1993: 9 cumulative1994: 9.5 cumulative1995: 10 cumulative1996: 9.6 cumulative1997: 9.5 cumulative1998: 7.5 cumulative1999: 7.6 cumulative2000: 7.9 cumulative2001: 8.4 cumulative2002: 8.9 cumulative2003: 10.1 cumulative2004: 11.4 cumulative2005: 11.6 cumulative2006: 12.3 cumulative2007: 12.7 cumulative2008: 13.2 cumulative2009: 13.5 cumulative2010: 14.4 cumulative2011: 15.6 cumulative2012: 16.9 cumulative2013: 18.1 cumulative2014: 19.9 cumulative2015: 20.6 cumulative2016: 21.5 cumulative2017: 21.9 cumulative2018: 21.5 cumulative2019: 23.3 cumulative2020: 25.4 cumulative2021: 23.3 cumulative2022: 26.3 cumulative2023: 26.3 cumulative2024: 28.1 cumulative

Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in cumulative.

Analysis

Portugal recorded 28.1% for educational attainment, at least completed short-cycle tertiary in 2024. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.8% on the previous year and up 41.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, educational attainment, at least completed short-cycle tertiary in Portugal peaked at 28.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.9%, in 1970.

Portugal ranks 49th of 128 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.

Educational attainment, at least completed short-cycle tertiary in Portugal, year by year

Annual values for Educational attainment, at least completed short-cycle tertiary, population 25+, female (%) (cumulative) in Portugal, 1970 to 2024.
Year cumulative Change
1970 0.9%
1981 2.2% +135.0%
1991 7.2% +224.1%
1992 9.2% +27.6%
1993 9.0% -1.7%
1994 9.5% +5.2%
1995 10.0% +5.5%
1996 9.6% -4.1%
1997 9.5% -1.0%
1998 7.5% -21.6%
1999 7.6% +1.1%
2000 7.9% +4.2%
2001 8.4% +6.7%
2002 8.9% +6.0%
2003 10.1% +13.9%
2004 11.4% +12.7%
2005 11.6% +1.7%
2006 12.3% +5.6%
2007 12.7% +3.3%
2008 13.2% +3.8%
2009 13.5% +2.7%
2010 14.4% +6.9%
2011 15.6% +8.1%
2012 16.9% +7.9%
2013 18.1% +7.1%
2014 19.9% +10.2%
2015 20.6% +3.5%
2016 21.5% +4.2%
2017 21.9% +2.2%
2018 21.5% -2.1%
2019 23.3% +8.4%
2020 25.4% +9.4%
2021 23.3% -8.5%
2022 26.3% +12.9%
2023 26.3% +0.1%
2024 28.1% +6.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 0.9% 0.9% 0.9% 1
1980s 2.2% 2.2% 2.2% 1
1990s 8.8% 7.2% 10.0% 9
2000s 11.0% 7.9% 13.5% 10
2010s 19.4% 14.4% 23.3% 10
2020s 25.9% 23.3% 28.1% 5

Countries ranked near Portugal

  1. 46 Hungary 29.8% compare
  2. 47 Greece 29.8% compare
  3. 48 Colombia 28.7% compare
  4. 50 Botswana 28.1% compare
  5. 51 Philippines 27.8% compare
  6. 52 Slovakia 27.5% compare

See the full ranking of 128 places →

More education data for Portugal

All data for Portugal →

Frequently asked questions

What is educational attainment, at least completed short-cycle tertiary in Portugal?
Educational attainment, at least completed short-cycle tertiary in Portugal was 28.1% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest educational attainment, at least completed short-cycle tertiary recorded in Portugal?
The highest recorded value was 28.1% in 2024.
What is the lowest educational attainment, at least completed short-cycle tertiary recorded in Portugal?
The lowest recorded value was 0.9% in 1970.
How does Portugal rank for educational attainment, at least completed short-cycle tertiary?
Portugal ranks 49th out of 128 countries with data for 2024.
Is educational attainment, at least completed short-cycle tertiary rising or falling in Portugal?
Over the last ten years it is up 41.2%. 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 Educational attainment, at least completed short-cycle tertiary, population 25+, female (%) (cumulative). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Educational attainment, at least completed short-cycle tertiary in Portugal. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/educational-attainment-at-least-completed-short-cycle-tertiary-population-25-female/portugal/

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About this data

Indicator
Educational attainment, at least completed short-cycle tertiary, population 25+, female (%) (cumulative)
Unit
cumulative
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
128 places, 2,110 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

The percentage of population ages 25 and over that attained or completed short-cycle tertiary education.