Primary education, pupils, gaps filled in Portugal

Portugal: Primary education, pupils, gaps filled was 598,661 in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
598,661
Change on year
up 1.9%
World rank
100th
of 206 countries
All-time high
1.27 million
in 1985
All-time low
583,173
in 2021
Years of data
53
1971–2023

Primary education, pupils, gaps filled in Portugal, 1971–2023

0500.0k1.0M1.5M197119972023

Source: Statizoid (derived).

Analysis

Portugal recorded 598,661 for primary education, pupils, gaps filled in 2023.

That represents a change of up 1.9% on the previous year and down 13.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, primary education, pupils, gaps filled in Portugal peaked at 1.27 million in 1985 and was at its lowest, 583,173, in 2021.

Portugal ranks 100th of 206 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 53 years of available data.

Primary education, pupils, gaps filled in Portugal, year by year

Annual values for Primary education, pupils, gaps filled in Portugal, 1971 to 2023.
Year Value Change
1971 1.15 million
1972 1.16 million +1.3%
1973 1.17 million +0.9%
1974 1.19 million +1.3%
1975 1.18 million -0.7%
1976 1.20 million +2.2%
1977 1.21 million +0.3%
1978 1.22 million +1.0%
1979 1.22 million +0.1%
1980 1.23 million +1.0%
1981 1.24 million +0.6%
1982 1.22 million -1.4%
1983 1.22 million -0.1%
1984 1.20 million -1.5%
1985 1.27 million +6.0%
1986 1.24 million -3.1%
1987 1.23 million -0.1%
1988 1.19 million -3.4%
1989 1.14 million -4.8%
1990 1.08 million -5.0%
1991 1.02 million -5.4%
1992 1.00 million -1.5%
1993 952,941 -5.2%
1994 929,471 -2.5%
1995 896,681 -3.5%
1996 867,253 -3.3%
1997 849,974 -2.0%
1998 832,696 -2.0%
1999 815,231 -2.1%
2000 810,996 -0.5%
2001 801,545 -1.2%
2002 769,910 -3.9%
2003 767,872 -0.3%
2004 758,476 -1.2%
2005 752,739 -0.8%
2006 750,493 -0.3%
2007 753,646 +0.4%
2008 754,142 +0.1%
2009 743,662 -1.4%
2010 733,515 -1.4%
2011 720,740 -1.7%
2012 703,525 -2.4%
2013 693,045 -1.5%
2014 674,038 -2.7%
2015 656,727 -2.6%
2016 638,883 -2.7%
2017 629,804 -1.4%
2018 621,660 -1.3%
2019 612,700 -1.4%
2020 601,972 -1.8%
2021 583,173 -3.1%
2022 587,534 +0.7%
2023 598,661 +1.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 1.19 million 1.15 million 1.22 million 9
1980s 1.22 million 1.14 million 1.27 million 10
1990s 924,741 815,231 1.08 million 10
2000s 766,348 743,662 810,996 10
2010s 668,464 612,700 733,515 10
2020s 592,835 583,173 601,972 4

Countries ranked near Portugal

  1. 97 Turkmenistan 631,199 compare
  2. 98 Kyrgyzstan 630,435 compare
  3. 99 Azerbaijan 603,966 compare
  4. 101 El Salvador 594,860 compare
  5. 102 Namibia 590,029 compare
  6. 103 United Arab Emirates 586,477 compare

See the full ranking of 251 places →

More education data for Portugal

All data for Portugal →

Frequently asked questions

What is primary education, pupils, gaps filled in Portugal?
Primary education, pupils, gaps filled in Portugal was 598,661 in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
What is the highest primary education, pupils, gaps filled recorded in Portugal?
The highest recorded value was 1.27 million in 1985.
What is the lowest primary education, pupils, gaps filled recorded in Portugal?
The lowest recorded value was 583,173 in 2021.
How does Portugal rank for primary education, pupils, gaps filled?
Portugal ranks 100th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
Is primary education, pupils, gaps filled rising or falling in Portugal?
Over the last ten years it is down 13.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Portugal data come from?
The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Primary education, pupils, gaps filled. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Primary education, pupils, gaps filled in Portugal. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/primary-education-pupils-gaps-filled/portugal/

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How this figure is calculated

Primary education, pupils with 569 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.

Computed from

Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.

About this data

Indicator
Primary education, pupils, gaps filled
Source
Statizoid (derived)
Licence
Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page
Coverage
251 places, 11,866 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

Primary education, pupils with 569 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.