Enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Portugal
Portugal: Enrolment in primary education, both sexes was 598,661 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
598,661
Change on year
up 1.9%
World rank
100th
of 218 countries
All-time high
1.27 million
in 1985
All-time low
583,173
in 2021
Years of data
51
1971–2023
Enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Portugal, 1971–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
Portugal recorded 598,661 for enrolment in primary education, both sexes in 2023.
That represents a change of up 1.9% on the previous year and down 13.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Portugal peaked at 1.27 million in 1985 and was at its lowest, 583,173, in 2021.
Portugal ranks 100th of 218 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 51 years of available data.
Enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Portugal, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 1.15 million | — |
| 1972 | 1.16 million | +1.3% |
| 1973 | 1.17 million | +0.9% |
| 1974 | 1.19 million | +1.3% |
| 1975 | 1.18 million | -0.7% |
| 1976 | 1.20 million | +2.2% |
| 1977 | 1.21 million | +0.3% |
| 1978 | 1.22 million | +1.0% |
| 1979 | 1.22 million | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 1.23 million | +1.0% |
| 1981 | 1.24 million | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 1.22 million | -1.4% |
| 1983 | 1.22 million | -0.1% |
| 1984 | 1.20 million | -1.5% |
| 1985 | 1.27 million | +6.0% |
| 1986 | 1.24 million | -3.1% |
| 1987 | 1.23 million | -0.1% |
| 1988 | 1.19 million | -3.4% |
| 1990 | 1.08 million | -9.5% |
| 1991 | 1.02 million | -5.4% |
| 1992 | 1.00 million | -1.5% |
| 1993 | 952,941 | -5.2% |
| 1994 | 929,471 | -2.5% |
| 1995 | 896,681 | -3.5% |
| 1996 | 867,253 | -3.3% |
| 1998 | 832,696 | -4.0% |
| 1999 | 815,231 | -2.1% |
| 2000 | 810,996 | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 801,545 | -1.2% |
| 2002 | 769,910 | -3.9% |
| 2003 | 767,872 | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 758,476 | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 752,739 | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 750,493 | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 753,646 | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 754,142 | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 743,662 | -1.4% |
| 2010 | 733,515 | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 720,740 | -1.7% |
| 2012 | 703,525 | -2.4% |
| 2013 | 693,045 | -1.5% |
| 2014 | 674,038 | -2.7% |
| 2015 | 656,727 | -2.6% |
| 2016 | 638,883 | -2.7% |
| 2017 | 629,804 | -1.4% |
| 2018 | 621,660 | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 612,700 | -1.4% |
| 2020 | 601,972 | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 583,173 | -3.1% |
| 2022 | 587,534 | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 598,661 | +1.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.19 million | 1.15 million | 1.22 million | 9 |
| 1980s | 1.23 million | 1.19 million | 1.27 million | 9 |
| 1990s | 933,048 | 815,231 | 1.08 million | 9 |
| 2000s | 766,348 | 743,662 | 810,996 | 10 |
| 2010s | 668,464 | 612,700 | 733,515 | 10 |
| 2020s | 592,835 | 583,173 | 601,972 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Portugal
- 97 Turkmenistan 631,199 compare
- 98 Kyrgyzstan 630,435 compare
- 99 Azerbaijan 603,966 compare
- 101 El Salvador 594,860 compare
- 102 Namibia 590,029 compare
- 103 United Arab Emirates 586,477 compare
More education data for Portugal
- 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)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Portugal?
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Portugal was 598,661 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in primary education, both sexes recorded in Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 1.27 million in 1985.
- What is the lowest enrolment in primary education, both sexes recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 583,173 in 2021.
- How does Portugal rank for enrolment in primary education, both sexes?
- Portugal ranks 100th out of 218 countries with data for 2023.
- Is enrolment in primary education, both sexes rising or falling in Portugal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.6%. 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 Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release