Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Portugal
Portugal: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government was 10.4% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Latest (2022)
10.4%
Change on year
up 2.9%
World rank
143rd
of 197 countries
All-time high
12.6%
in 1996
All-time low
0.0%
in 1981
Years of data
39
1981–2022
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Portugal, 1981–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in UIS calculation.
Analysis
Portugal recorded 10.4% for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in 2022.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.9% on the previous year and up 2.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Portugal peaked at 12.6% in 1996 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1981.
That places Portugal 143rd out of 197 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 39 years of available data.
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Portugal, year by year
| Year | UIS calculation | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 0.0% | — |
| 1982 | 0.0% | — |
| 1983 | 0.0% | — |
| 1984 | 0.0% | — |
| 1985 | 0.0% | — |
| 1986 | 0.0% | — |
| 1987 | 7.2% | — |
| 1988 | 9.0% | +24.8% |
| 1989 | 9.9% | +9.6% |
| 1990 | 10.3% | +4.0% |
| 1991 | 11.0% | +7.3% |
| 1992 | 10.6% | -3.9% |
| 1993 | 10.5% | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 10.9% | +3.7% |
| 1995 | 11.7% | +6.8% |
| 1996 | 12.6% | +8.1% |
| 1999 | 11.9% | -5.8% |
| 2000 | 12.1% | +1.6% |
| 2001 | 12.1% | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 11.9% | -1.6% |
| 2003 | 11.6% | -2.2% |
| 2004 | 11.0% | -5.9% |
| 2005 | 10.9% | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 10.9% | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 11.0% | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 10.3% | -6.5% |
| 2009 | 11.1% | +7.2% |
| 2010 | 10.4% | -5.9% |
| 2011 | 10.2% | -1.8% |
| 2012 | 10.1% | -1.1% |
| 2013 | 10.5% | +4.1% |
| 2014 | 9.9% | -6.0% |
| 2015 | 10.2% | +2.4% |
| 2017 | 11.1% | +8.9% |
| 2018 | 10.8% | -2.2% |
| 2019 | 10.9% | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 9.9% | -9.1% |
| 2021 | 10.1% | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 10.4% | +2.9% |
Portugal compared with similar countries
- Portugal's 10.4% is below the median for high income countries, which is 11.8%, 88% of the median. (70 countries reporting)
- Portugal's 10.4% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 11.9%, 87% of the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2.9% | 0.0% | 9.9% | 9 |
| 1990s | 11.2% | 10.3% | 12.6% | 8 |
| 2000s | 11.3% | 10.3% | 12.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.5% | 9.9% | 11.1% | 9 |
| 2020s | 10.1% | 9.9% | 10.4% | 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 10.4% 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 12.6% in 1996.
- What is the lowest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1981.
- How does Portugal rank for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government?
- Portugal ranks 143rd out of 197 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 up 2.5%. 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 Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government expenditure (%) (UIS calculation). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release