Share of population with no formal education in Portugal
Portugal: Share of population with no formal education was 2.4% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Share of population with no 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
The most recent figure for share of population with no formal education in Portugal is 2.4%, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 31 years on record.
The figure is down 31.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population with no formal education in Portugal peaked at 90.4% in 1870 and was at its lowest, 2.4%, in 2020.
That places Portugal 64th 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 population with no formal education in Portugal, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 90.4% | — |
| 1875 | 87.9% | -2.8% |
| 1880 | 84.9% | -3.4% |
| 1885 | 81.3% | -4.2% |
| 1890 | 77.3% | -4.9% |
| 1895 | 72.9% | -5.7% |
| 1900 | 69.6% | -4.5% |
| 1905 | 67.8% | -2.6% |
| 1910 | 66.1% | -2.5% |
| 1915 | 64.4% | -2.6% |
| 1920 | 60.2% | -6.5% |
| 1925 | 58.1% | -3.5% |
| 1930 | 56.5% | -2.8% |
| 1935 | 54.3% | -3.9% |
| 1940 | 51.3% | -5.5% |
| 1945 | 47.7% | -7.0% |
| 1950 | 44.1% | -7.5% |
| 1955 | 39.8% | -9.8% |
| 1960 | 34.9% | -12.3% |
| 1965 | 36.7% | +5.2% |
| 1970 | 33.4% | -9.0% |
| 1975 | 25.0% | -25.1% |
| 1980 | 14.7% | -41.2% |
| 1985 | 11.3% | -23.1% |
| 1990 | 7.1% | -37.2% |
| 1995 | 5.4% | -23.9% |
| 2000 | 3.2% | -40.7% |
| 2005 | 4.5% | +40.6% |
| 2010 | 3.5% | -22.2% |
| 2015 | 3.0% | -14.3% |
| 2020 | 2.4% | -20.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 89.2% | 87.9% | 90.4% | 2 |
| 1880s | 83.1% | 81.3% | 84.9% | 2 |
| 1890s | 75.1% | 72.9% | 77.3% | 2 |
| 1900s | 68.7% | 67.8% | 69.6% | 2 |
| 1910s | 65.2% | 64.4% | 66.1% | 2 |
| 1920s | 59.2% | 58.1% | 60.2% | 2 |
| 1930s | 55.4% | 54.3% | 56.5% | 2 |
| 1940s | 49.5% | 47.7% | 51.3% | 2 |
| 1950s | 42.0% | 39.8% | 44.1% | 2 |
| 1960s | 35.8% | 34.9% | 36.7% | 2 |
| 1970s | 29.2% | 25.0% | 33.4% | 2 |
| 1980s | 13.0% | 11.3% | 14.7% | 2 |
| 1990s | 6.2% | 5.4% | 7.1% | 2 |
| 2000s | 3.9% | 3.2% | 4.5% | 2 |
| 2010s | 3.2% | 3.0% | 3.5% | 2 |
| 2020s | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Portugal
More education data for Portugal
- 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)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population with no formal education in Portugal?
- Share of population with no formal education in Portugal was 2.4% 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 population with no formal education recorded in Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 90.4% in 1870.
- What is the lowest share of population with no formal education recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.4% in 2020.
- How does Portugal rank for share of population with no formal education?
- Portugal ranks 64th out of 111 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population with no formal education rising or falling in Portugal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 31.4%. 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 population with no formal education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The share of adults aged between 15 and 64 years old with no formal education.