Expenditure on tertiary education in Portugal
Portugal: Expenditure on tertiary education was 18.3% in 2015. ▲ Rising
Expenditure on tertiary education in Portugal, 1973–2015
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of government expenditure on education.
Analysis
The most recent figure for expenditure on tertiary education in Portugal is 18.3%, measured in 2015.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.7% on the previous year and up 1.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on tertiary education in Portugal peaked at 22.7% in 2007 and was at its lowest, 10.0%, in 1974.
That places Portugal 91st out of 160 countries with data for 2015, 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 tertiary education in Portugal, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure on education | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 11.6% | — |
| 1974 | 10.0% | -14.0% |
| 1975 | 11.3% | +13.2% |
| 1976 | 10.4% | -7.9% |
| 1978 | 12.9% | +24.2% |
| 1979 | 12.1% | -6.4% |
| 1980 | 11.7% | -3.3% |
| 1981 | 11.9% | +1.6% |
| 1982 | 12.6% | +6.3% |
| 1983 | 13.2% | +4.5% |
| 1984 | 14.2% | +7.8% |
| 1985 | 14.7% | +3.1% |
| 1986 | 16.5% | +12.5% |
| 1987 | 17.4% | +5.6% |
| 1988 | 17.6% | +1.3% |
| 1989 | 18.4% | +4.0% |
| 1990 | 18.7% | +1.9% |
| 1991 | 16.4% | -12.3% |
| 1992 | 18.2% | +11.1% |
| 1993 | 16.4% | -10.1% |
| 1994 | 16.7% | +1.6% |
| 1995 | 18.4% | +10.6% |
| 1996 | 18.1% | -1.6% |
| 1999 | 18.7% | +2.9% |
| 2000 | 18.1% | -2.9% |
| 2001 | 18.4% | +1.5% |
| 2002 | 17.2% | -6.3% |
| 2003 | 18.0% | +4.7% |
| 2004 | 16.5% | -8.6% |
| 2005 | 18.1% | +10.0% |
| 2006 | 19.0% | +5.1% |
| 2007 | 22.7% | +19.1% |
| 2008 | 19.3% | -14.7% |
| 2009 | 18.5% | -4.2% |
| 2010 | 20.2% | +8.8% |
| 2011 | 19.7% | -2.3% |
| 2013 | 17.0% | -13.8% |
| 2014 | 17.8% | +5.0% |
| 2015 | 18.3% | +2.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 11.4% | 10.0% | 12.9% | 6 |
| 1980s | 14.8% | 11.7% | 18.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 17.7% | 16.4% | 18.7% | 8 |
| 2000s | 18.6% | 16.5% | 22.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.6% | 17.0% | 20.2% | 5 |
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 tertiary education in Portugal?
- Expenditure on tertiary education in Portugal was 18.3% in 2015, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest expenditure on tertiary education recorded in Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 22.7% in 2007.
- What is the lowest expenditure on tertiary education recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.0% in 1974.
- How does Portugal rank for expenditure on tertiary education?
- Portugal ranks 91st out of 160 countries with data for 2015.
- Is expenditure on tertiary education rising or falling in Portugal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Portugal data come from?
- The figures come from Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Expenditure on tertiary education (% of government expenditure on education). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 39 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Expenditure on tertiary education is expressed as a percentage of total general government expenditure on education. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.