Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in private institutions in Portugal

Portugal: Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in private institutions was 17.4% in 2018. ▼ Falling

Latest (2018)
17.4%
Change on year
up 5.4%
World rank
89th
of 138 countries
All-time high
33.1%
in 1999
All-time low
16.4%
in 2015
Years of data
20
1999–2018

Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in private institutions in Portugal, 1999–2018

01020301999200820181999: 33.1 %2000: 31.8 %2001: 29.4 %2002: 28.2 %2003: 27.5 %2004: 27 %2005: 25.9 %2006: 25 %2007: 24.9 %2008: 24.6 %2009: 24.3 %2010: 23.4 %2011: 22.3 %2012: 20.2 %2013: 18.1 %2014: 16.7 %2015: 16.4 %2016: 16.5 %2017: 16.5 %2018: 17.4 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2018, percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in private institutions in Portugal stood at 17.4%.

The figure is up 5.4% on the previous year and down 29.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in private institutions in Portugal peaked at 33.1% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 16.4%, in 2015.

Portugal ranks 89th of 138 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 20 years of available data.

Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in private institutions in Portugal, year by year

Annual values for Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in private institutions (%) in Portugal, 1999 to 2018.
Year % Change
1999 33.1%
2000 31.8% -3.9%
2001 29.4% -7.3%
2002 28.2% -4.3%
2003 27.5% -2.4%
2004 27.0% -1.8%
2005 25.9% -4.2%
2006 25.0% -3.5%
2007 24.9% -0.3%
2008 24.6% -1.5%
2009 24.3% -1.2%
2010 23.4% -3.6%
2011 22.3% -4.8%
2012 20.2% -9.5%
2013 18.1% -10.1%
2014 16.7% -7.8%
2015 16.4% -1.7%
2016 16.5% +0.2%
2017 16.5% -0.0%
2018 17.4% +5.4%

Portugal compared with similar countries

  • Portugal's 17.4% is below the median for high income countries, which is 18.9%, 92% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
  • Portugal's 17.4% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 13.6%, 1.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 33.1% 33.1% 33.1% 1
2000s 26.9% 24.3% 31.8% 10
2010s 18.6% 16.4% 23.4% 9

Countries ranked near Portugal

  1. 86 Lesotho 18.2% compare
  2. 87 Cameroon 18.2% compare
  3. 88 Hong Kong, China 17.7% compare
  4. 90 Uruguay 17.1% compare
  5. 91 Netherlands 16.2% compare
  6. 92 Switzerland 16.1% compare

See the full ranking of 138 places →

More education data for Portugal

All data for Portugal →

Frequently asked questions

What is percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in private institutions in Portugal?
Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in private institutions in Portugal was 17.4% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in private institutions recorded in Portugal?
The highest recorded value was 33.1% in 1999.
What is the lowest percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in private institutions recorded in Portugal?
The lowest recorded value was 16.4% in 2015.
How does Portugal rank for percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in private institutions?
Portugal ranks 89th out of 138 countries with data for 2018.
Is percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in private institutions rising or falling in Portugal?
Over the last ten years it is down 29.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Portugal data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in private institutions (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in private institutions in Portugal. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/percentage-of-enrolment-in-tertiary-education-in-private-institutions-percent/portugal/

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About this data

Indicator
Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in private institutions (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
138 places, 1,828 data points, 1998–2020
Last refreshed

Total number of students in tertiary education enrolled in institutions that are not operated by a public authority but controlled and managed, whether for profit or not, by a private body (e.g., non-governmental organisation, religious body, special interest group, foundation or business enterprise), expressed as a percentage of total number of students enrolled in tertiary education.