Theoretical duration of secondary education (years) in Portugal
Portugal: Theoretical duration of secondary education (years) was 6 years in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
6 years
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
99th
of 221 countries
All-time high
6 years
in 1981
All-time low
5 years
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Theoretical duration of secondary education in Portugal, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2025, theoretical duration of secondary education in Portugal stood at 6 years. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, theoretical duration of secondary education in Portugal peaked at 6 years in 1981 and was at its lowest, 5 years, in 1970.
Portugal ranks 99th of 221 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Theoretical duration of secondary education (years) in Portugal, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 5 years | — |
| 1971 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 6 years | +20.0% |
| 1982 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 6 years | +0.0% |
Portugal compared with similar countries
- Portugal's 6 years is above the median for high income countries, which is 6 years, 1.0× the median. (79 countries reporting)
- Portugal's 6 years is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 7 years, 86% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5 years | 5 years | 5 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.9 years | 5 years | 6 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | 6 |
Countries ranked near Portugal
- 99 Afghanistan 6 years compare
- 99 Angola 6 years compare
- 99 Andorra 6 years compare
- 99 Argentina 6 years compare
- 99 American Samoa 6 years compare
- 99 Australia 6 years compare
- 99 Belgium 6 years compare
- 99 Bahrain 6 years compare
- 99 Bahamas 6 years compare
- 99 Belize 6 years compare
- 99 Bolivia 6 years compare
- 99 Bhutan 6 years compare
- 99 Canada 6 years compare
- 99 Chile 6 years compare
- 99 China 6 years compare
- 99 Democratic Republic of Congo 6 years compare
- 99 Colombia 6 years compare
- 99 Cape Verde 6 years compare
- 99 Cuba 6 years compare
- 99 Curacao 6 years compare
- 99 Cayman Islands 6 years compare
- 99 Cyprus 6 years compare
- 99 Denmark 6 years compare
- 99 Dominican Republic 6 years compare
- 99 Ecuador 6 years compare
- 99 Egypt 6 years compare
- 99 Western Sahara 6 years compare
- 99 Spain 6 years compare
- 99 Estonia 6 years compare
- 99 Ethiopia 6 years compare
- 99 Finland 6 years compare
- 99 Micronesia (country) 6 years compare
- 99 Georgia 6 years compare
- 99 Ghana 6 years compare
- 99 Gambia 6 years compare
- 99 Guinea-Bissau 6 years compare
- 99 Equatorial Guinea 6 years compare
- 99 Greece 6 years compare
- 99 Guatemala 6 years compare
- 99 Hong Kong 6 years compare
- 99 Indonesia 6 years compare
- 99 Iran 6 years compare
- 99 Iraq 6 years compare
- 99 Israel 6 years compare
- 99 Jordan 6 years compare
- 99 Japan 6 years compare
- 99 Kenya 6 years compare
- 99 Cambodia 6 years compare
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- 99 Liberia 6 years compare
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- 99 Latvia 6 years compare
- 99 Macao 6 years compare
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- 99 Maldives 6 years compare
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- 99 Marshall Islands 6 years compare
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- 99 Myanmar 6 years compare
- 99 Malawi 6 years compare
- 99 Malaysia 6 years compare
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- 99 Norway 6 years compare
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- 99 Panama 6 years compare
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- 99 Rwanda 6 years compare
- 99 Saudi Arabia 6 years compare
- 99 Sudan 6 years compare
- 99 Saint Helena 6 years compare
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- 99 Sweden 6 years compare
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- 99 Tanzania 6 years compare
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- 99 Uruguay 6 years compare
- 99 United States 6 years compare
- 99 British Virgin Islands 6 years compare
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- 99 Yemen 6 years compare
- 99 Zimbabwe 6 years 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 theoretical duration of secondary education in Portugal?
- Theoretical duration of secondary education in Portugal was 6 years in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest theoretical duration of secondary education recorded in Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 6 years in 1981.
- What is the lowest theoretical duration of secondary education recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 5 years in 1970.
- How does Portugal rank for theoretical duration of secondary education?
- Portugal ranks 99th out of 221 countries with data for 2025.
- Is theoretical duration of secondary education rising or falling in Portugal?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Portugal data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Theoretical duration of secondary education (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release