Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Portugal

Portugal: Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from was 4.8% in 2017. ▼ Falling

Latest (2017)
4.8%
Change on year
down 9.0%
World rank
81st
of 98 countries
All-time high
22.1%
in 2002
All-time low
4.8%
in 2017
Years of data
17
2000–2017

Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Portugal, 2000–2017

51015202000200820172000: 18.1 %2002: 22.1 %2003: 21.9 %2004: 18.4 %2005: 15.9 %2006: 12.7 %2007: 9.2 %2008: 7.3 %2009: 6.9 %2010: 8.7 %2011: 8.9 %2012: 10.4 %2013: 9 %2014: 8.3 %2015: 6.9 %2016: 5.3 %2017: 4.8 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Portugal is 4.8%, measured in 2017. That is the lowest value across all 17 years on record.

The figure is down 9.0% on the previous year and down 47.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Portugal peaked at 22.1% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 4.8%, in 2017.

Portugal ranks 81st of 98 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 17 years of available data.

Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Portugal, year by year

Annual values for Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from Education programmes, both sexes (%) in Portugal, 2000 to 2017.
Year % Change
2000 18.1%
2002 22.1% +22.0%
2003 21.9% -0.8%
2004 18.4% -15.9%
2005 15.9% -13.4%
2006 12.7% -20.0%
2007 9.2% -28.0%
2008 7.3% -20.0%
2009 6.9% -5.5%
2010 8.7% +24.8%
2011 8.9% +2.8%
2012 10.4% +16.8%
2013 9.0% -13.1%
2014 8.3% -7.9%
2015 6.9% -17.0%
2016 5.3% -23.5%
2017 4.8% -9.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 14.7% 6.9% 22.1% 9
2010s 7.8% 4.8% 10.4% 8

Countries ranked near Portugal

  1. 78 Canada 5.6% compare
  2. 79 Denmark 5.2% compare
  3. 80 Lebanon 5.0% compare
  4. 82 Bahrain 4.7% compare
  5. 83 Burkina Faso 4.5% compare
  6. 84 Oman 4.3% compare

See the full ranking of 98 places →

More education data for Portugal

All data for Portugal →

Frequently asked questions

What is percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Portugal?
Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Portugal was 4.8% in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from recorded in Portugal?
The highest recorded value was 22.1% in 2002.
What is the lowest percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from recorded in Portugal?
The lowest recorded value was 4.8% in 2017.
How does Portugal rank for percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from?
Portugal ranks 81st out of 98 countries with data for 2017.
Is percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from rising or falling in Portugal?
Over the last ten years it is down 47.6%. 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 graduates from tertiary education graduating from Education programmes, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Portugal. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/percentage-of-graduates-from-tertiary-education-graduating-from-education-programmes-both/portugal/

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About this data

Indicator
Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from Education programmes, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
98 places, 1,156 data points, 1998–2020
Last refreshed

Share of all tertiary graduates who completed education programmes in the reference year.