Mean years of schooling (ISCED 1 or higher), population 25+ years in Portugal
Portugal: Mean years of schooling (ISCED 1 or higher), population 25+ years was 9.32 in 2021. ▲ Rising
Mean years of schooling (ISCED 1 or higher), population 25+ years in Portugal, 1970–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2021, mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years in Portugal stood at 9.32.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.3% on the previous year and up 12.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years in Portugal peaked at 9.54 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 4.03, in 1970.
Portugal ranks 87th of 121 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Mean years of schooling (ISCED 1 or higher), population 25+ years in Portugal, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 4.03 | — |
| 1981 | 5.17 | +28.2% |
| 1991 | 5.82 | +12.5% |
| 1998 | 6.88 | +18.3% |
| 1999 | 6.93 | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 7 | +0.9% |
| 2001 | 7.07 | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 7.11 | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 7.28 | +2.3% |
| 2004 | 7.51 | +3.2% |
| 2005 | 7.61 | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 7.72 | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 7.73 | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 7.83 | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 7.97 | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 8.05 | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 8.29 | +3.0% |
| 2012 | 8.5 | +2.5% |
| 2013 | 8.63 | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 8.83 | +2.3% |
| 2015 | 8.95 | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 9.07 | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 9.15 | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 9.05 | -1.1% |
| 2019 | 9.28 | +2.6% |
| 2020 | 9.54 | +2.7% |
| 2021 | 9.32 | -2.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4.03 | 4.03 | 4.03 | 1 |
| 1980s | 5.17 | 5.17 | 5.17 | 1 |
| 1990s | 6.54 | 5.82 | 6.93 | 3 |
| 2000s | 7.48 | 7 | 7.97 | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.78 | 8.05 | 9.28 | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.43 | 9.32 | 9.54 | 2 |
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 mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years in Portugal?
- Mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years in Portugal was 9.32 in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years recorded in Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 9.54 in 2020.
- What is the lowest mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.03 in 1970.
- How does Portugal rank for mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years?
- Portugal ranks 87th out of 121 countries with data for 2021.
- Is mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years rising or falling in Portugal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.4%. 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 Mean years of schooling (ISCED 1 or higher), population 25+ years, male. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release