Share of the population with at least some formal education in Portugal
Portugal: Share of the population with at least some formal education was 97.6% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2020)
97.6%
World rank
48th
of 111 countries
All-time high
97.6%
in 2020
All-time low
9.6%
in 1870
Years of data
31
1870–2020
Share of the population with at least some formal education in Portugal, 1870–2020
Source: Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Portugal recorded 97.6% for share of the population with at least some formal education in 2020. That is the highest value across all 31 years on record.
The figure is up 1.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population with at least some formal education in Portugal peaked at 97.6% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 9.6%, in 1870.
That places Portugal 48th out of 111 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of the population with at least some formal education in Portugal, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 9.6% | — |
| 1875 | 12.1% | +26.0% |
| 1880 | 15.1% | +24.8% |
| 1885 | 18.7% | +23.8% |
| 1890 | 22.7% | +21.4% |
| 1895 | 27.1% | +19.4% |
| 1900 | 30.4% | +12.2% |
| 1905 | 32.2% | +5.9% |
| 1910 | 33.9% | +5.3% |
| 1915 | 35.6% | +5.0% |
| 1920 | 39.8% | +11.8% |
| 1925 | 41.9% | +5.3% |
| 1930 | 43.5% | +3.8% |
| 1935 | 45.7% | +5.1% |
| 1940 | 48.7% | +6.6% |
| 1945 | 52.3% | +7.4% |
| 1950 | 55.9% | +6.9% |
| 1955 | 60.2% | +7.7% |
| 1960 | 65.1% | +8.1% |
| 1965 | 63.3% | -2.8% |
| 1970 | 66.6% | +5.2% |
| 1975 | 75.0% | +12.6% |
| 1980 | 85.3% | +13.7% |
| 1985 | 88.7% | +4.0% |
| 1990 | 92.9% | +4.7% |
| 1995 | 94.6% | +1.8% |
| 2000 | 96.8% | +2.3% |
| 2005 | 95.5% | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 96.5% | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 97.0% | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 97.6% | +0.6% |
Portugal compared with similar countries
- Portugal's 97.6% is below the median for high income countries, which is 99.0%, 99% of the median. (41 countries reporting)
- Portugal's 97.6% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 99.0%, 99% of the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 10.8% | 9.6% | 12.1% | 2 |
| 1880s | 16.9% | 15.1% | 18.7% | 2 |
| 1890s | 24.9% | 22.7% | 27.1% | 2 |
| 1900s | 31.3% | 30.4% | 32.2% | 2 |
| 1910s | 34.8% | 33.9% | 35.6% | 2 |
| 1920s | 40.8% | 39.8% | 41.9% | 2 |
| 1930s | 44.6% | 43.5% | 45.7% | 2 |
| 1940s | 50.5% | 48.7% | 52.3% | 2 |
| 1950s | 58.0% | 55.9% | 60.2% | 2 |
| 1960s | 64.2% | 63.3% | 65.1% | 2 |
| 1970s | 70.8% | 66.6% | 75.0% | 2 |
| 1980s | 87.0% | 85.3% | 88.7% | 2 |
| 1990s | 93.8% | 92.9% | 94.6% | 2 |
| 2000s | 96.2% | 95.5% | 96.8% | 2 |
| 2010s | 96.8% | 96.5% | 97.0% | 2 |
| 2020s | 97.6% | 97.6% | 97.6% | 1 |
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 share of the population with at least some formal education in Portugal?
- Share of the population with at least some formal education in Portugal was 97.6% in 2020, according to Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of the population with at least some formal education recorded in Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 97.6% in 2020.
- What is the lowest share of the population with at least some formal education recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.6% in 1870.
- How does Portugal rank for share of the population with at least some formal education?
- Portugal ranks 48th out of 111 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of the population with at least some formal education rising or falling in Portugal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Portugal data come from?
- The figures come from Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the population with at least some formal education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 31 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Based on the population aged 15 years and older.