Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling in Portugal
Portugal: Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling was 1.51 live births per woman in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
1.51 live births per woman
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
167th
of 236 countries
All-time high
3.48 live births per woman
in 1948
All-time low
1.21 live births per woman
in 2013
Years of data
85
1940–2024
Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling in Portugal, 1940–2024
Source: Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in live births per woman.
Analysis
Portugal recorded 1.51 live births per woman for fertility rate vs. average years of schooling in 2024.
That represents a change of up 0.4% on the previous year and up 23.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate vs. average years of schooling in Portugal peaked at 3.48 live births per woman in 1948 and was at its lowest, 1.21 live births per woman, in 2013.
That places Portugal 167th out of 236 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 85 years of available data.
Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling in Portugal, year by year
| Year | live births per woman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | 3.2 live births per woman | — |
| 1941 | 3.11 live births per woman | -2.8% |
| 1942 | 3.14 live births per woman | +1.0% |
| 1943 | 3.29 live births per woman | +4.6% |
| 1944 | 3.32 live births per woman | +0.9% |
| 1945 | 3.41 live births per woman | +2.7% |
| 1946 | 3.32 live births per woman | -2.7% |
| 1947 | 3.19 live births per woman | -3.7% |
| 1948 | 3.48 live births per woman | +9.1% |
| 1949 | 3.31 live births per woman | -5.1% |
| 1950 | 3.16 live births per woman | -4.5% |
| 1951 | 3.18 live births per woman | +0.6% |
| 1952 | 3.2 live births per woman | +0.7% |
| 1953 | 3.04 live births per woman | -4.9% |
| 1954 | 2.96 live births per woman | -2.6% |
| 1955 | 3.13 live births per woman | +5.7% |
| 1956 | 3.03 live births per woman | -3.2% |
| 1957 | 3.14 live births per woman | +3.5% |
| 1958 | 3.15 live births per woman | +0.4% |
| 1959 | 3.14 live births per woman | -0.2% |
| 1960 | 3.16 live births per woman | +0.5% |
| 1961 | 3.21 live births per woman | +1.4% |
| 1962 | 3.23 live births per woman | +0.9% |
| 1963 | 3.13 live births per woman | -3.0% |
| 1964 | 3.21 live births per woman | +2.6% |
| 1965 | 3.16 live births per woman | -1.7% |
| 1966 | 3.16 live births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1967 | 3.16 live births per woman | -0.2% |
| 1968 | 3.12 live births per woman | -1.1% |
| 1969 | 3.11 live births per woman | -0.3% |
| 1970 | 3.01 live births per woman | -3.4% |
| 1971 | 3 live births per woman | -0.4% |
| 1972 | 2.86 live births per woman | -4.6% |
| 1973 | 2.77 live births per woman | -3.2% |
| 1974 | 2.69 live births per woman | -2.5% |
| 1975 | 2.75 live births per woman | +2.0% |
| 1976 | 2.81 live births per woman | +2.1% |
| 1977 | 2.68 live births per woman | -4.5% |
| 1978 | 2.45 live births per woman | -8.7% |
| 1979 | 2.31 live births per woman | -5.5% |
| 1980 | 2.25 live births per woman | -3.0% |
| 1981 | 2.13 live births per woman | -5.1% |
| 1982 | 2.07 live births per woman | -2.9% |
| 1983 | 1.96 live births per woman | -5.6% |
| 1984 | 1.9 live births per woman | -3.1% |
| 1985 | 1.73 live births per woman | -8.8% |
| 1986 | 1.66 live births per woman | -3.8% |
| 1987 | 1.62 live births per woman | -2.6% |
| 1988 | 1.61 live births per woman | -0.7% |
| 1989 | 1.57 live births per woman | -2.2% |
| 1990 | 1.55 live births per woman | -1.1% |
| 1991 | 1.56 live births per woman | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 1.54 live births per woman | -1.3% |
| 1993 | 1.51 live births per woman | -1.5% |
| 1994 | 1.45 live births per woman | -4.5% |
| 1995 | 1.41 live births per woman | -2.4% |
| 1996 | 1.44 live births per woman | +2.1% |
| 1997 | 1.47 live births per woman | +1.9% |
| 1998 | 1.47 live births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 1.5 live births per woman | +2.0% |
| 2000 | 1.54 live births per woman | +2.4% |
| 2001 | 1.46 live births per woman | -5.4% |
| 2002 | 1.46 live births per woman | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 1.44 live births per woman | -1.6% |
| 2004 | 1.41 live births per woman | -2.2% |
| 2005 | 1.41 live births per woman | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 1.37 live births per woman | -2.6% |
| 2007 | 1.35 live births per woman | -1.5% |
| 2008 | 1.38 live births per woman | +2.3% |
| 2009 | 1.35 live births per woman | -2.5% |
| 2010 | 1.38 live births per woman | +2.4% |
| 2011 | 1.34 live births per woman | -2.8% |
| 2012 | 1.28 live births per woman | -4.9% |
| 2013 | 1.21 live births per woman | -5.0% |
| 2014 | 1.23 live births per woman | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 1.3 live births per woman | +5.9% |
| 2016 | 1.36 live births per woman | +4.1% |
| 2017 | 1.38 live births per woman | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 1.41 live births per woman | +2.5% |
| 2019 | 1.42 live births per woman | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 1.41 live births per woman | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 1.33 live births per woman | -5.5% |
| 2022 | 1.45 live births per woman | +9.4% |
| 2023 | 1.51 live births per woman | +3.8% |
| 2024 | 1.51 live births per woman | +0.4% |
Portugal compared with similar countries
- Portugal's 1.51 live births per woman is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.51 live births per woman, 1.0× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Portugal's 1.51 live births per woman is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.5 live births per woman, 1.0× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 3.28 live births per woman | 3.11 live births per woman | 3.48 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1950s | 3.11 live births per woman | 2.96 live births per woman | 3.2 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1960s | 3.17 live births per woman | 3.11 live births per woman | 3.23 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.73 live births per woman | 2.31 live births per woman | 3.01 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.85 live births per woman | 1.57 live births per woman | 2.25 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.49 live births per woman | 1.41 live births per woman | 1.56 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.42 live births per woman | 1.35 live births per woman | 1.54 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.33 live births per woman | 1.21 live births per woman | 1.42 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.44 live births per woman | 1.33 live births per woman | 1.51 live births per woman | 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 fertility rate vs. average years of schooling in Portugal?
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling in Portugal was 1.51 live births per woman in 2024, according to Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fertility rate vs. average years of schooling recorded in Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 3.48 live births per woman in 1948.
- What is the lowest fertility rate vs. average years of schooling recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.21 live births per woman in 2013.
- How does Portugal rank for fertility rate vs. average years of schooling?
- Portugal ranks 167th out of 236 countries with data for 2024.
- Is fertility rate vs. average years of schooling rising or falling in Portugal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 23.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Portugal data come from?
- The figures come from Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Average number of live births a hypothetical cohort of women would have at the end of their reproductive period if they were subject during their whole lives to the fertility rates of a given period and if they were not subject to mortality.