Portugal's evolution since 1981

Summary table

Year

Export data

PDF

Excel

		1981	1991	2001	2011	2021	2024	2025
Resident population (7) thousands	Resident population (7) thousands	9,884	9,950	10,395	10,559	┴10,599	11,387	11,424
Registred voters	Registred voters	-	8,530,026	8,902,001	9,721,406	10,871,313	10,967,369	11,081,421
Young people (7) aged under 15	Young people (7) aged under 15	2,493,763	1,959,671	1,679,191	1,588,663	┴1,378,520	1,434,966	1,424,742
Young people (%) (7) aged under 15	Young people (%) (7) aged under 15	25.3	19.7	16.2	15.0	┴13.1	12.7	12.5
Working-age population (7) 15 to 64 years	Working-age population (7) 15 to 64 years	6,224,924	6,628,021	6,978,257	6,976,693	┴6,678,964	7,264,328	7,336,533
Working-age population (%) (7) 15 to 64 years	Working-age population (%) (7) 15 to 64 years	63.2	66.5	67.3	66.0	┴63.6	64.3	64.3
Elderly people (7) 65 years and older	Elderly people (7) 65 years and older	1,132,638	1,372,543	1,705,274	2,000,480	┴2,439,224	2,596,491	2,644,353
Elderly people (%) (7) 65 years and older	Elderly people (%) (7) 65 years and older	11.5	13.8	16.5	18.9	┴23.2	23.0	23.2
Working-age people per elderly person (7)	Working-age people per elderly person (7)	5.5	4.8	4.1	3.4	┴2.7	2.8	2.8
Households	Households	-	-	3,575,544	┴4,008,871	┴3,939,898	4,473,326	4,562,089
Single-person households (%)	Single-person households (%)	-	-	15.3	┴19.3	┴18.8	25.5	25.9
Average number of persons per household	Average number of persons per household	-	3	3	┴3	┴3	2	2
Non-Catholic marriages (%) (5)	Non-Catholic marriages (%) (5)	26.0	27.9	37.5	60.5	71.6	80.1	81.4
Births	Births	152,071	116,299	112,774	96,856	79,582	84,642	87,764
Births out of wedlock (%)	Births out of wedlock (%)	9.5	15.6	23.8	42.8	60.0	59.2	59.2
Mean age of the mother at birth of 1st child (7)	Mean age of the mother at birth of 1st child (7)	23.6	24.9	26.8	29.2	┴30.4	30.3	30.4
Total fertility rate (7) average number of children per woman of childbearing age	Total fertility rate (7) average number of children per woman of childbearing age	2.13	1.56	1.45	1.35	┴1.30	1.27	1.30
Deaths	Deaths	95,728	103,882	105,092	102,848	124,841	118,396	121,817
Infant mortality rate (‰) (7) deaths of children under 1 year of age per 1000 live births	Infant mortality rate (‰) (7) deaths of children under 1 year of age per 1000 live births	21.8	10.8	5.0	3.1	┴2.4	3.0	2.8
Natural increase (thousands) (7) difference between total births and total deaths	Natural increase (thousands) (7) difference between total births and total deaths	56.3	12.4	7.7	-6.0	┴-45.3	-33.8	-34.1
New dwellings for family housing	New dwellings for family housing	-	-	115,154	26,382	Pre19,754	Pre25,311	-
Education 1st cycle establishments (1)	Education 1st cycle establishments (1)	10,575	10,405	9,416	5,221	4,057	4,005	3,985
Compulsory education students (1)	Compulsory education students (1)	1,574,568	1,484,256	1,223,151	1,206,716	926,042	954,792	959,793
Upper-secondary education students (1)	Upper-secondary education students (1)	176,084	347,911	413,748	440,895	393,689	389,537	386,533
Higher education students (1)	Higher education students (1)	83,754	186,780	387,703	396,268	411,995	448,235	456,032
Non-higher education teaching staff (1)	Non-higher education teaching staff (1)	113,555	146,149	176,707	174,953	150,127	149,124	149,442
Higher education teaching staff (3)	Higher education teaching staff (3)	9,097	-	35,740	37,078	38,667	42,395	-
Museums, zoos, botanical gardens and aquariums	Museums, zoos, botanical gardens and aquariums	121	┴320	┴234	┴397	453	511	-
Museums, zoos, botanical gardens and aquariums visitors thousands	Museums, zoos, botanical gardens and aquariums visitors thousands	2,980	┴6,578	┴8,556	┴13,495	10,119	24,590	-
Live show performances	Live show performances	4,578	3,390	┴13,196	┴25,871	24,469	44,941	-
Live show spectators thousands	Live show spectators thousands	1,390	666	┴3,836	┴8,484	3,568	18,575	-
Movie screens	Movie screens	-	-	455	┴558	547	563	579
Movie spectators thousands	Movie spectators thousands	30,339	8,234	┴19,471	┴15,702	5,480	11,864	10,955
Hospitals	Hospitals	-	237	217	┴226	240	Pro242	-
Pharmacies	Pharmacies	-	2,501	2,556	2,900	2,921	2,921	2,921
Physicians	Physicians	-	28,326	33,233	42,796	58,735	63,965	-
Nurses	Nurses	-	30,094	39,529	64,478	80,238	85,499	-
Courts of justice	Courts of justice	218	308	337	327	38	38	38
Judges	Judges	688	1,028	1,440	1,748	1,735	1,715	Pro1,749
Lawyers	Lawyers	4,550	9,526	18,954	27,869	33,937	36,652	Pro36,462
Lawsuits initiated at the courts of justice	Lawsuits initiated at the courts of justice	489,658	723,263	737,000	802,626	462,603	527,938	Pro538,184
Lawsuits terminated at the courts of justice	Lawsuits terminated at the courts of justice	471,522	709,781	669,874	771,651	527,279	522,551	Pro514,710
Lawsuits pending at the courts of justice	Lawsuits pending at the courts of justice	643,465	641,354	1,284,233	1,690,162	627,713	589,315	Pro612,789
Congestion rate in courts of justice (%) lawsuits pending per 100 terminated	Congestion rate in courts of justice (%) lawsuits pending per 100 terminated	132.6	88.5	181.7	215.0	131.3	111.7	Pro114.5
Actual prison occupancy (%) (inmates / prison capacity)*100	Actual prison occupancy (%) (inmates / prison capacity)*100	75.7	108.4	114.5	105.0	91.8	98.0	Pro104.7
Convicted persons per 100 indicted persons	Convicted persons per 100 indicted persons	29.7	31.9	58.4	64.6	66.9	66.7	-
enterprises (2)	enterprises (2)	-	385,565	┴593,574	┴1,136,256	1,359,035	1,593,415	-
Personnel employed in an enterprise (2)	Personnel employed in an enterprise (2)	-	2,514,261	┴3,116,351	┴3,741,633	4,331,044	5,043,373	-
Constituted companies (4)	Constituted companies (4)	9,878	17,687	┴45,290	┴31,986	38,764	47,509	48,531
Dissolved companies (4)	Dissolved companies (4)	963	1,003	┴6,858	┴32,473	21,437	20,726	13,239
Economically active population (thousands) (8) employed population + unemployed population	Economically active population (thousands) (8) employed population + unemployed population	4,367.2	┴5,101.6	┴5,342.4	┴5,111.8	5,127.0	5,463.4	5,612.4
Employment rate (%) (8) employed population per each 100 individuals aged 16 to 89	Employment rate (%) (8) employed population per each 100 individuals aged 16 to 89	-	-	59.0	┴50.2	54.3	56.4	57.3
Employed population in the primary sector (%) (8)	Employed population in the primary sector (%) (8)	26.7	┴17.5	┴12.9	┴3.9	2.8	2.9	2.4
Employed population in the secondary sector (%) (8)	Employed population in the secondary sector (%) (8)	36.5	┴33.5	┴33.8	┴28.7	25.1	24.7	24.4
Employed population in the tertiary sector (%) (8)	Employed population in the tertiary sector (%) (8)	36.8	┴49.0	┴53.3	┴67.3	72.1	72.4	73.2
Employees (%) (8)	Employees (%) (8)	67.5	┴69.6	┴72.5	┴83.9	84.4	85.1	84.8
Unemployment rate (%) (8) unemployed population per 100 economically active population	Unemployment rate (%) (8) unemployed population per 100 economically active population	-	-	4.0	┴13.5	6.7	6.4	6.0
Social Security pensions	Social Security pensions	1,719,685	2,207,145	2,528,929	2,943,654	2,977,307	3,049,678	-
Public Administration Retirement Fund retirees and pensioners	Public Administration Retirement Fund retirees and pensioners	140,051	268,110	436,176	591,777	647,483	662,667	669,351
Social Security and Public Administration Retirement Fund pensions as % of resident population (7) aged 15 and over	Social Security and Public Administration Retirement Fund pensions as % of resident population (7) aged 15 and over	25.1	30.8	34.0	39.4	┴39.3	37.3	-
Beneficiaries of the unemployment benefit	Beneficiaries of the unemployment benefit	58,869	┴93,830	┴155,979	320,387	212,968	195,245	188,771
General Government expenditure millions €	General Government expenditure millions €	-	-	59,914.8	88,207.5	102,495.1	Pro122,805.3	Pre130,941.4
GDP millions €	GDP millions €	10,058.2	65,005.2	135,775.0	176,318.0	216,493.7	Pro289,784.3	Pre306,765.5
GDP per capita (8) €	GDP per capita (8) €	1,021	6,526	13,102	16,674	20,801	Pro27,096	Pre28,393
Public consumption as % of GDP	Public consumption as % of GDP	14.3	16.7	19.2	19.7	18.5	Pro16.8	Pre17.1
Private consumption as % of GDP	Private consumption as % of GDP	62.6	63.0	61.2	63.9	61.7	Pro59.2	-
Investment as % of GDP	Investment as % of GDP	33.1	26.7	27.4	18.5	20.5	Pro20.4	Pre20.7
Inflation rate (%)	Inflation rate (%)	19.2	11.8	4.4	3.7	1.3	2.4	2.3
Gross disposable income millions €	Gross disposable income millions €	10,651.0	68,545.7	135,941.5	174,500.6	220,494.8	Pro289,765.2	Pre306,997.5
Gross savings of individuals as % of individuals´disposable income	Gross savings of individuals as % of individuals´disposable income	24.9	18.2	13.1	8.9	10.9	Pro12.5	-
Electric energy consumption per inhabitant (kWh) (7)	Electric energy consumption per inhabitant (kWh) (7)	-	-	3,912.2	4,652.1	┴Pro4,591.0	Pro4,549.0	-
Burnt area (6) Hectare	Burnt area (6) Hectare	89,798	182,486	117,420	77,104	28,360	137,651	270,695
ATM machines	ATM machines	-	1,249	8,547	13,911	12,486	12,459	12,369
Trips within the country as % of residents’ trips domestic tourism	Trips within the country as % of residents’ trips domestic tourism	-	-	-	90.4	94.2	85.0	-
Foreign guests in hotel establishments (%)	Foreign guests in hotel establishments (%)	46.8	57.4	54.3	┴53.0	40.9	61.4	-
Travel and tourism account as % of GDP balance	Travel and tourism account as % of GDP balance	-	-	2.8	2.9	3.0	Pro7.2	Pre7.2
Passenger traffic at major airports	Passenger traffic at major airports	6,367,372	11,054,871	20,703,095	30,686,190	25,598,844	70,416,494	-
Goods transported by sea	Goods transported by sea	39,819,255	50,645,496	┴56,164,262	┴67,506,738	Pro83,079,890	85,669,179	-
Captured fish tonnes	Captured fish tonnes	264,398	305,431	146,094	164,236	140,562	122,039	119,570
Wine production hectoliters	Wine production hectoliters	-	-	7,789,427	┴5,622,363	7,358,539	6,924,132	5,956,164
Olive oil produced (6) hectoliters	Olive oil produced (6) hectoliters	251,115	668,711	349,502	831,914	2,289,549	1,959,949	-

Symbology

Export data

PDF

Excel

Sources

Sources/Entities: INE, BdP, CGA/MTSSS-MF, DGEEC/MECI, DGEG/MAE, DGRM/MIH-ME-MAE-MAP, DGPJ/MJ, DGS/MS, ICA/MC, ICNF/MAE-MAP, DGT/MCT-MAE, IGFSS/MTSSS, II/MTSSS, ISS/MTSSS, SGMAI, SIBS, S.A., PORDATA

Notes

When a methodological change occurs, a break in series is displayed.
More information about these figures is available by clicking on each indicator.

(1) - The year presented corresponds to the last year of the pair of academic years.

(2) - From 2011 onwards, the values include enterprises, individual self-employed workers and independent workers.

(3) - The year presented corresponds to the first year of the pair of academic years.

(4) - The values exclude Agriculture, Fishing and Public Administration.

(5) - The values refer to marriages between people of the opposite sex.

(6) - The figures refer to Mainland Portugal.

(7) - The figures presented between 2021 and 2024 were revised by INE as part of the revision of the Resident Population Estimates, released by the entity on June 22, 2026.

(8) - The figures presented between 2021 and 2024 were not revised by INE as part of the revision of the Resident Population Estimates, released by the entity on June 22, 2026.