Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Portugal
Portugal: Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from was 11.5% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Portugal, 2000–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Portugal is 11.5%, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 0.4% on the previous year and up 0.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Portugal peaked at 11.8% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 8.6%, in 2004.
That places Portugal 29th out of 124 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.
Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Portugal, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 10.5% | — |
| 2002 | 9.3% | -11.6% |
| 2003 | 9.2% | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 8.6% | -7.0% |
| 2005 | 9.1% | +6.1% |
| 2006 | 10.0% | +9.3% |
| 2007 | 10.3% | +3.7% |
| 2008 | 10.1% | -2.2% |
| 2009 | 11.1% | +9.7% |
| 2010 | 11.3% | +2.2% |
| 2011 | 11.4% | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 11.8% | +3.8% |
| 2013 | 11.4% | -3.5% |
| 2014 | 11.1% | -2.3% |
| 2015 | 11.3% | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 11.3% | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 10.9% | -3.1% |
| 2019 | 11.0% | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 11.4% | +3.7% |
| 2021 | 11.3% | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 11.5% | +1.8% |
| 2023 | 11.5% | -0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 9.8% | 8.6% | 11.1% | 9 |
| 2010s | 11.3% | 10.9% | 11.8% | 9 |
| 2020s | 11.4% | 11.3% | 11.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Portugal
- 26 Macau, China 11.9% compare
- 27 Malta 11.7% compare
- 28 North Macedonia 11.5% compare
- 30 Argentina 11.2% compare
- 31 Philippines 11.1% compare
- 32 Belgium 11.1% compare
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 percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Portugal?
- Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Portugal was 11.5% in 2023, 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 11.8% in 2012.
- What is the lowest percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.6% in 2004.
- How does Portugal rank for percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from?
- Portugal ranks 29th out of 124 countries with data for 2023.
- Is percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from rising or falling in Portugal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.8%. 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 Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from Social Sciences, Journalism and Information programmes, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release