Percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female in Portugal
Portugal: Percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female was 47.5% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female in Portugal, 1971–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female in Portugal stood at 47.5%. That is the highest value across all 39 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.7% on the previous year and up 7.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female in Portugal peaked at 47.5% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 19.4%, in 1971.
Portugal ranks 69th of 172 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 39 years of available data.
Percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female in Portugal, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 19.4% | — |
| 1972 | 21.2% | +9.1% |
| 1973 | 25.1% | +18.4% |
| 1974 | 27.8% | +10.8% |
| 1975 | 29.4% | +5.8% |
| 1976 | 32.0% | +8.9% |
| 1977 | 30.1% | -6.1% |
| 1978 | 28.8% | -4.2% |
| 1979 | 33.0% | +14.5% |
| 1980 | 33.8% | +2.3% |
| 1981 | 31.5% | -6.8% |
| 1982 | 28.3% | -10.0% |
| 1983 | 32.4% | +14.4% |
| 1984 | 33.1% | +2.4% |
| 1985 | 34.5% | +4.1% |
| 1986 | 36.8% | +6.5% |
| 1987 | 35.5% | -3.4% |
| 2002 | 40.8% | +14.9% |
| 2003 | 41.2% | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 41.9% | +1.6% |
| 2005 | 42.0% | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 43.0% | +2.4% |
| 2007 | 43.2% | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 43.2% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 43.4% | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 43.5% | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 43.7% | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 43.8% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 44.0% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 44.0% | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 44.4% | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 44.5% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 44.3% | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 44.8% | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 45.1% | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 45.8% | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 45.8% | -0.0% |
| 2022 | 46.2% | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 47.5% | +2.7% |
Portugal compared with similar countries
- Portugal's 47.5% is below the median for high income countries, which is 47.8%, 99% of the median. (68 countries reporting)
- Portugal's 47.5% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 49.7%, 96% of the median. (51 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 27.4% | 19.4% | 33.0% | 9 |
| 1980s | 33.2% | 28.3% | 36.8% | 8 |
| 2000s | 42.3% | 40.8% | 43.4% | 8 |
| 2010s | 44.2% | 43.5% | 45.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 46.3% | 45.8% | 47.5% | 4 |
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 percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female in Portugal?
- Percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female in Portugal was 47.5% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female recorded in Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 47.5% in 2023.
- What is the lowest percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.4% in 1971.
- How does Portugal rank for percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female?
- Portugal ranks 69th out of 172 countries with data for 2023.
- Is percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female rising or falling in Portugal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.8%. 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 teachers in tertiary education who are female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release