Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Portugal
Portugal: Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates was 111.0% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Portugal, 2001–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Portugal recorded 111.0% for primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in 2023.
The figure is up 2.7% on the previous year and up 1.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Portugal peaked at 119.5% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 104.2%, in 2017.
That places Portugal 38th out of 217 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.
Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Portugal, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 119.5% | — |
| 2002 | 115.0% | -3.7% |
| 2003 | 115.2% | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 114.7% | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 114.4% | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 114.0% | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 113.1% | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 112.7% | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 111.0% | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 109.8% | -1.1% |
| 2011 | 109.7% | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 108.4% | -1.1% |
| 2013 | 109.4% | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 107.8% | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 106.2% | -1.5% |
| 2016 | 105.0% | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 104.2% | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 104.4% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 104.9% | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 105.8% | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 105.7% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 108.1% | +2.3% |
| 2023 | 111.0% | +2.7% |
Portugal compared with similar countries
- Portugal's 111.0% is above the median for high income countries, which is 99.8%, 1.1× the median. (78 countries reporting)
- Portugal's 111.0% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 101.2%, 1.1× the median. (53 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 114.4% | 111.0% | 119.5% | 9 |
| 2010s | 107.0% | 104.2% | 109.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 107.6% | 105.7% | 111.0% | 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 primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Portugal?
- Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Portugal was 111.0% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates recorded in Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 119.5% in 2001.
- What is the lowest primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 104.2% in 2017.
- How does Portugal rank for primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates?
- Portugal ranks 38th out of 217 countries with data for 2023.
- Is primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates rising or falling in Portugal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Portugal data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of children of any age group who are enrolled in primary education, expressed as a percentage of the total population of the official primary school age.