Gross attendance ratio for tertiary education, urban, both sexes in Portugal

Portugal: Gross attendance ratio for tertiary education, urban, both sexes was 56.0% in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
56.0%
Change on year
up 16.8%
World rank
17th
of 42 countries
All-time high
56.0%
in 2021
All-time low
27.4%
in 2006
Years of data
16
2006–2021

Gross attendance ratio for tertiary education, urban, both sexes in Portugal, 2006–2021

02040602006201320212006: 27.4 %2007: 28.6 %2008: 29.4 %2009: 29.2 %2010: 30.9 %2011: 34.2 %2012: 34.4 %2013: 33.8 %2014: 39.1 %2015: 39.6 %2016: 40.2 %2017: 41.2 %2018: 42.9 %2019: 44.6 %2020: 48 %2021: 56 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2021, gross attendance ratio for tertiary education, urban, both sexes in Portugal stood at 56.0%. That is the highest value across all 16 years on record.

That represents a change of up 16.8% on the previous year and up 63.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, gross attendance ratio for tertiary education, urban, both sexes in Portugal peaked at 56.0% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 27.4%, in 2006.

That places Portugal 17th out of 42 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 16 years of available data.

Gross attendance ratio for tertiary education, urban, both sexes in Portugal, year by year

Annual values for Gross attendance ratio for tertiary education, urban, both sexes (%) in Portugal, 2006 to 2021.
Year % Change
2006 27.4%
2007 28.6% +4.6%
2008 29.4% +2.7%
2009 29.2% -0.6%
2010 30.9% +5.8%
2011 34.2% +10.7%
2012 34.4% +0.6%
2013 33.8% -1.7%
2014 39.1% +15.5%
2015 39.6% +1.4%
2016 40.2% +1.5%
2017 41.2% +2.5%
2018 42.9% +4.0%
2019 44.6% +4.0%
2020 48.0% +7.5%
2021 56.0% +16.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 28.7% 27.4% 29.4% 4
2010s 38.1% 30.9% 44.6% 10
2020s 52.0% 48.0% 56.0% 2

Countries ranked near Portugal

  1. 14 Mexico 61.9% compare
  2. 15 El Salvador 60.3% compare
  3. 16 Bulgaria 58.0% compare
  4. 18 Belgium 51.3% compare
  5. 19 Honduras 50.3% compare
  6. 20 Romania 48.9% compare

See the full ranking of 42 places →

More education data for Portugal

All data for Portugal →

Frequently asked questions

What is gross attendance ratio for tertiary education, urban, both sexes in Portugal?
Gross attendance ratio for tertiary education, urban, both sexes in Portugal was 56.0% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest gross attendance ratio for tertiary education, urban, both sexes recorded in Portugal?
The highest recorded value was 56.0% in 2021.
What is the lowest gross attendance ratio for tertiary education, urban, both sexes recorded in Portugal?
The lowest recorded value was 27.4% in 2006.
How does Portugal rank for gross attendance ratio for tertiary education, urban, both sexes?
Portugal ranks 17th out of 42 countries with data for 2021.
Is gross attendance ratio for tertiary education, urban, both sexes rising or falling in Portugal?
Over the last ten years it is up 63.7%. 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 Gross attendance ratio for tertiary education, urban, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 16 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Gross attendance ratio for tertiary education, urban, both sexes in Portugal. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 12 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/gross-attendance-ratio-for-tertiary-education-urban-both-sexes-percent-2/portugal/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://education.statizoid.com/stat/gross-attendance-ratio-for-tertiary-education-urban-both-sexes-percent-2/portugal/">Gross attendance ratio for tertiary education, urban, both sexes in Portugal</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Gross attendance ratio for tertiary education, urban, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
42 places, 699 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release