Government expenditure on education, total in Portugal
Portugal: Government expenditure on education, total was 10.4% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Government expenditure on education, total in Portugal, 1981–2022
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of government expenditure.
Analysis
In 2022, government expenditure on education, total in Portugal stood at 10.4%.
The figure is up 2.9% on the previous year and up 2.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government expenditure on education, total in Portugal peaked at 12.6% in 1996 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1981.
That places Portugal 143rd out of 193 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.
Government expenditure on education, total in Portugal, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure | 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 government expenditure on education, total in Portugal?
- Government expenditure on education, total in Portugal was 10.4% in 2022, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 12.6% in 1996.
- What is the lowest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1981.
- How does Portugal rank for government expenditure on education, total?
- Portugal ranks 143rd out of 193 countries with data for 2022.
- Is government expenditure on education, total 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 Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure). 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
General government expenditure on education (current, capital, and transfers) is expressed as a percentage of total general government expenditure on all sectors (including health, education, social services, etc.). It includes expenditure funded by transfers from international sources to government. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.