Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Portugal
Portugal: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government was 9.8% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Portugal, 2000–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in IMF calculation.
Analysis
In 2022, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Portugal stood at 9.8%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.5% on the previous year and down 10.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Portugal peaked at 15.0% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 9.6%, in 2020.
That places Portugal 90th out of 123 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Portugal, year by year
| Year | IMF calculation | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 14.8% | — |
| 2001 | 14.5% | -1.8% |
| 2002 | 15.0% | +3.4% |
| 2003 | 14.3% | -4.7% |
| 2004 | 14.3% | -0.0% |
| 2005 | 14.2% | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 14.1% | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 13.2% | -6.1% |
| 2008 | 13.2% | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 13.0% | -1.6% |
| 2010 | 13.0% | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 12.2% | -5.6% |
| 2012 | 11.0% | -10.1% |
| 2013 | 11.0% | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 10.3% | -6.4% |
| 2015 | 10.5% | +2.6% |
| 2016 | 10.6% | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 10.1% | -5.1% |
| 2018 | 10.3% | +1.6% |
| 2019 | 10.5% | +2.6% |
| 2020 | 9.6% | -8.8% |
| 2021 | 9.9% | +2.9% |
| 2022 | 9.8% | -0.5% |
Portugal compared with similar countries
- Portugal's 9.8% is below the median for high income countries, which is 11.2%, 88% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
- Portugal's 9.8% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 10.6%, 92% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 14.0% | 13.0% | 15.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.0% | 10.1% | 13.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.8% | 9.6% | 9.9% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Portugal
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 expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Portugal?
- Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Portugal was 9.8% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 15.0% in 2002.
- What is the lowest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.6% in 2020.
- How does Portugal rank for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government?
- Portugal ranks 90th out of 123 countries with data for 2022.
- Is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government rising or falling in Portugal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.7%. 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 Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government expenditure (%) (IMF calculation). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release