Primary education, pupils in Portugal
Portugal: Primary education, pupils 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
51
1971–2023
Primary education, pupils in Portugal, 1971–2023
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Analysis
Portugal recorded 598,661 for primary education, pupils in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.9% on the previous year and down 13.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary education, pupils in Portugal peaked at 1.27 million in 1985 and was at its lowest, 583,173, in 2021.
That places Portugal 100th out of 206 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 51 years of available data.
Primary education, pupils in Portugal, year by year
| 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% |
| 1990 | 1.08 million | -9.5% |
| 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% |
| 1998 | 832,696 | -4.0% |
| 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% |
Portugal compared with similar countries
- Portugal's 598,661 is above the median for high income countries, which is 236,668, 2.5× the median. (78 countries reporting)
- Portugal's 598,661 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 432,238, 1.4× the median. (53 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.19 million | 1.15 million | 1.22 million | 9 |
| 1980s | 1.23 million | 1.19 million | 1.27 million | 9 |
| 1990s | 933,048 | 815,231 | 1.08 million | 9 |
| 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
- 97 Turkmenistan 631,199 compare
- 98 Kyrgyzstan 630,435 compare
- 99 Azerbaijan 603,966 compare
- 101 El Salvador 594,860 compare
- 102 Namibia 590,029 compare
- 103 United Arab Emirates 586,477 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 primary education, pupils in Portugal?
- Primary education, pupils in Portugal was 598,661 in 2023, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest primary education, pupils recorded in Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 1.27 million in 1985.
- What is the lowest primary education, pupils recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 583,173 in 2021.
- How does Portugal rank for primary education, pupils?
- Portugal ranks 100th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is primary education, pupils 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 Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Primary education, pupils. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Primary education pupils is the total number of pupils enrolled at primary level in public and private schools.