Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Portugal

Portugal: Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education was 27.3% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
27.3%
Change on year
up 1.5%
World rank
46th
of 101 countries
All-time high
27.3%
in 2023
All-time low
10.2%
in 1993
Years of data
32
1992–2023

Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Portugal, 1992–2023

01020301992200720231992: 10.4 %1993: 10.2 %1994: 10.6 %1995: 11.2 %1996: 10.8 %1997: 10.6 %1998: 10.6 %1999: 10.9 %2000: 10.8 %2001: 11.6 %2002: 11.6 %2003: 13.5 %2004: 15.2 %2005: 15.6 %2006: 16.4 %2007: 16.4 %2008: 16.5 %2009: 16.9 %2010: 18 %2011: 19.3 %2012: 21.3 %2013: 21.8 %2014: 23.6 %2015: 24.2 %2016: 23.7 %2017: 20.9 %2018: 19.9 %2019: 22.5 %2020: 24.3 %2021: 25.7 %2022: 26.8 %2023: 27.3 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Portugal is 27.3%, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 32 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.5% on the previous year and up 24.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Portugal peaked at 27.3% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 10.2%, in 1993.

Portugal ranks 46th of 101 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 32 years of available data.

Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Portugal, year by year

Annual values for Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education or higher, population 25+ years, urban, both sexes (%) in Portugal, 1992 to 2023.
Year % Change
1992 10.4%
1993 10.2% -2.3%
1994 10.6% +4.3%
1995 11.2% +5.1%
1996 10.8% -3.6%
1997 10.6% -1.5%
1998 10.6% -0.8%
1999 10.9% +2.9%
2000 10.8% -0.6%
2001 11.6% +7.4%
2002 11.6% -0.2%
2003 13.5% +17.1%
2004 15.2% +11.9%
2005 15.6% +3.2%
2006 16.4% +4.9%
2007 16.4% -0.2%
2008 16.5% +0.7%
2009 16.9% +2.6%
2010 18.0% +6.6%
2011 19.3% +6.9%
2012 21.3% +10.4%
2013 21.8% +2.6%
2014 23.6% +8.0%
2015 24.2% +2.8%
2016 23.7% -2.3%
2017 20.9% -11.8%
2018 19.9% -4.6%
2019 22.5% +12.7%
2020 24.3% +8.1%
2021 25.7% +6.0%
2022 26.8% +4.4%
2023 27.3% +1.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 10.7% 10.2% 11.2% 8
2000s 14.4% 10.8% 16.9% 10
2010s 21.5% 18.0% 24.2% 10
2020s 26.0% 24.3% 27.3% 4

Countries ranked near Portugal

  1. 43 Palestine, State of 30.0% compare
  2. 44 Malta 29.6% compare
  3. 45 Tonga 28.0% compare
  4. 47 Iran, Islamic Republic of 27.0% compare
  5. 48 Czechia 26.9% compare
  6. 49 Austria 26.4% compare

See the full ranking of 101 places →

More education data for Portugal

All data for Portugal →

Frequently asked questions

What is educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Portugal?
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Portugal was 27.3% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education recorded in Portugal?
The highest recorded value was 27.3% in 2023.
What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education recorded in Portugal?
The lowest recorded value was 10.2% in 1993.
How does Portugal rank for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education?
Portugal ranks 46th out of 101 countries with data for 2023.
Is educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education rising or falling in Portugal?
Over the last ten years it is up 24.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Portugal data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education or higher, population 25+ years, urban, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Portugal. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 25 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/educational-attainment-rate-completed-short-cycle-tertiary-education-or-higher-population-5/portugal/

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About this data

Indicator
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education or higher, population 25+ years, urban, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
101 places, 1,599 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release