Portugal
Portugal
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Country reports and publications 
Portugal
Overview of the education system (EAG 2025)
| Education at a Glance 2025 | Country note | Annexes from Education at a Glance 2025 | OECD Handbook for Internationally Comparative Education Statistics 2018 | OECD Education Policy Outlook: Portugal | Governo de Portugal (Portuguese Government) | Direção-Geral de Estatísticas da Educação e Ciência (Directorate General for Education and Science Statistics, Ministry of Education and Science, in Portuguese) | Instituto Nacional de Estatística (Statistics Portugal) |
Select first some countries to compare, choose the charts you wish to display and customise them.
The following list displays indicators for which your selected country shows the highest and lowest values among countries.
The list can be sorted by level of education or by age group. All rankings are calculated including available data from OECD
and partner countries.
Find out more about the methodology here.
Show indicators for which your country ranks among the top or bottom:
Sort by:
Attainment
Portugal has one of the lowest percentages of 25-64 year-olds whose highest education level is a short-cycle tertiary education degree. (0.3 %, rank 28/32 , 2024) Download Indicator
The level of upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education attainment among 55-64 year-olds is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (19.8 %, rank 35/38 , 2024) Download Indicator
The level of short-cycle tertiary attainment among 55-64 year-olds is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.1 %, rank 30/32 , 2024) Download Indicator
Attainment by gender
The proportion of 55-64 year-old men who have attained tertiary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (16 %, rank 36/40 , 2024) Download Indicator
Portugal has one of the smallest shares of 25-64 year-old women whose highest education level is a short-cycle tertiary education degree. (0.2 %, rank 29/32 , 2024) Download Indicator
The share of 55-64 year-old men who attained upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education in Portugal is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (19.1 %, rank 35/38 , 2024) Download Indicator
The share of 55-64 year-old women who attained upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education in Portugal is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (20.4 %, rank 35/38 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the proportion of 25-34 year-old women who have attained a short cycle tertiary degree is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data (0.5 %, rank 22/26 , 2024) Download Indicator
Attainment by field of education
The percentage of 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education who studied in the field of information and communication technologies is one of the lowest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (2.6 %, rank 27/28 , 2024) Download Indicator
Entrance by field of education and gender
The share of female students entering master's or equivalent programmes in education in Portugal is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (66.1 %, rank 35/38 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of female students entering short cycle tertiary programmes in information and communication technologies in Portugal is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (10.7 %, rank 26/30 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of male students entering short cycle tertiary programmes in natural sciences, mathematics and statistics in Portugal is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (32.8 %, rank 22/24 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of male students entering short-cycle tertiary programmes in education in Portugal is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (5.9 %, rank 20/23 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of female in short-cycle tertiary programmes in the field of arts and humanities is one of the lowest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (39.7 %, rank 27/30 , 2023) Download Indicator
Participation in education
The percentage of students in government-dependent private tertiary educational institutions is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0 %, rank 22/24 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the share of upper secondary students enrolled in programmes giving partial completion or insufficient for completion is relatively low compared to the other countries. (0.1 %, rank 17/17 , 2023) Download Indicator
Students enrolled in programmes providing full completion and access to tertiary education among all students enrolled in post-secondary non-tertiary vocational programmes are proportionally more in Portugal than in the other countries. (100 %, rank 1/22 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of five-year-olds in ECEC in Portugal is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (99.8 %, rank 4/42 , 2023) Download Indicator
Graduation
The average age of graduates from general programmes at the upper secondary level in Portugal is comparatively high. (21.1 Years, rank 2/40 , 2023) Download Indicator
The average age of short-cycle tertiary graduates in Portugal is among the youngest. (23.7 Years, rank 22/25 , 2023) Download Indicator
The average age of master's or equivalent graduates in Portugal is among the youngest. (24.9 Years, rank 21/22 , 2023) Download Indicator
Graduation by gender
The share of female graduates among post-secondary non-tertiary graduates from vocational programmes in Portugal is relatively low. (38.9 %, rank 25/27 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the share of female first-time graduates in short-cycle tertiary programmes is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (38.5 %, rank 25/27 , 2023) Download Indicator
Graduation by field of education
The percentage of tertiary graduates in the field of education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (4.4 %, rank 43/44 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of tertiary graduates in the field of information and communication technologies is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (2.9 %, rank 41/42 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of tertiary graduates in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (18.5 %, rank 5/44 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the proportion of upper secondary vocational graduates in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (15.8 %, rank 31/34 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the percentage of post-secondary non-tertiary vocational graduates in the field of health and welfare is relatively low. (0 %, rank 23/25 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the proportion of upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary vocational graduates in the field of services is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (3 %, rank 1/36 , 2022) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the proportion of bachelor's, master's and doctoral or equivalent graduates in the field of STEM is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (3 %, rank 2/44 , 2022) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the proportion of bachelor's, master's and doctoral or equivalent graduates in the field of health and welfare is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (2 %, rank 2/45 , 2022) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the proportion of bachelor's, master's and doctoral or equivalent graduates in the field of services is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1 %, rank 1/44 , 2022) Download Indicator
Graduation by field of education and gender
The proportion of female tertiary graduates in education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries. (6 %, rank 43/44 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the percentage of female post-secondary non-tertiary graduates in the field of business, administration and law is relatively small. (42.1 %, rank 25/26 , 2023) Download Indicator
Dropout rates
The drop out rate of female new entrants to bachelor's programmes by the end of the theoretical duration was among the lowest across countries with available data. (8.8 %, rank 28/30 , 2020) Download Indicator
For male new entrants, the drop out rate by the end of the theoretical duration of the programme placed Portugal among the lowest across countries. (13.8 %, rank 28/30 , 2020) Download Indicator
The overall drop out rate of new entrants to bachelor's programmes by the end of the theoretical duration ranked Portugal among the lowest internationally. (11 %, rank 28/30 , 2020) Download Indicator
Drop out rates of all new entrants to bachelor's programmes one year beyond the theoretical duration ranked Portugal among the lowest across countries with available data. (14.1 %, rank 27/30 , 2021) Download Indicator
Fields of education
In Portugal, the percentage of new entrants to tertiary education in the field of education is relatively low. (4.4 %, rank 33/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the percentage of new entrants to tertiary education in the field of information and communication technologies (ICTs) is relatively low. (4.3 %, rank 33/36 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Portugal, new entrants to doctoral programmes in STEM were among the smallest across countries. (31.4 %, rank 32/36 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the percentage of new entrants to doctoral programmes in the field of social sciences, journalism and information is relatively high, compared to other countries with available data. (18.7 %, rank 2/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the share of new entrants in education bachelor's programmes is comparatively smallest, compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (3 %, rank 37/39 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the proportion of new entrants in Information and communication technologies bachelor's programmes is relatively low, compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (2.7 %, rank 38/38 , 2023) Download Indicator
Student mobility
In Portugal, international or foreign students from North America are least represented among all international or foreign students, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.7 %, rank 37/41 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Portugal, international or foreign students from Oceania are least represented among all international or foreign students, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (0 %, rank 37/41 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Portugal, international or foreign students from Africa are highest represented among all international or foreign students, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (42.1 %, rank 3/41 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the proportion of international or foreign students enrolled in short-cycle tertiary programmes is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (18.1 %, rank 4/38 , 2023) Download Indicator
Expenditure in education and national wealth
In Portugal, international expenditure on educational institutions as a percentage of GDP on primary, secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education from final source of funds is relatively high. (0 %, rank 4/32 , 2022) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the private expenditure as a percentage of GDP from initial source of funds on primary to post-secondary non-tertiary level is high. (0.4 %, rank 5/30 , 2022) Download Indicator
In Portugal, international expenditure as a percentage of GDP from initial source of funds on tertiary education is relatively large. (0.1 %, rank 5/35 , 2022) Download Indicator
Who the teachers are
The percentage of secondary teachers older than 50 is especially high. (55.9 %, rank 4/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of teachers aged between 40 and 49 in secondary schools is especially small. (7.4 %, rank 37/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of primary teachers younger than 30 is especially low. (2.6 %, rank 39/39 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of lower secondary teachers younger than 30 is especially low. (2.2 %, rank 35/36 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of upper secondary teachers younger than 30 is especially low. (3.4 %, rank 37/39 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of primary to upper secondary teachers younger than 30 is especially low. (2.7 %, rank 39/39 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of lower secondary teachers aged between 30 and 49 is especially low. (37.7 %, rank 34/36 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of primary to upper secondary teachers older than 50 is especially high. (53.8 %, rank 3/39 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the share of female teachers younger than 30 in tertiary education is relatively small . (46.9 %, rank 32/36 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the share of bachelor's, master's and doctoral level female teachers younger than 30 is relatively low, compared to other countries with data available. (46.9 %, rank 31/35 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of teachers aged 50 or more in pre-primary education is especially high in Portugal (55.3 %, rank 1/34 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the percentage of teachers under 30 in pre-primary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (3.1 %, rank 34/34 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the percentage of teachers aged between 30 and 49 in pre-primary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (41.6 %, rank 33/34 , 2023) Download Indicator
Teachers' salaries
The ratio of lower secondary female teachers' salaries to earnings of full-time, full-year women workers with tertiary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.49 Ratio, rank 3/26 , 2023) Download Indicator
The ratio of lower secondary male teachers' salaries to earnings of full-time, full-year men workers with tertiary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.05 Ratio, rank 3/26 , 2023) Download Indicator
The salaries of 25-34 year-old general lower-secondary teachers relative to earnings for full-time, full-year similarly educated workers with tertiary education is high in Portugal. (1.13 Ratio, rank 3/27 , 2023) Download Indicator
The salaries of 55-64 year-old general lower-secondary teachers relative to earnings for full-time, full-year similarly educated workers with tertiary education is high in Portugal. (1.02 Ratio, rank 4/27 , 2023) Download Indicator
Portugal had some of the highest actual salaries for junior academic staff in bachelor's, master's and doctoral or equivalent programmes, in public institutions. (80414 USD Equivalent, rank 2/17 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the actual salaries of intermediate academic staff in public tertiary programmes were among the highest. (97834 USD Equivalent, rank 1/16 , 2023) Download Indicator
Teachers' salaries progression
The salary progression from the start to the top of the salary scale for a lower secondary school teacher is among the most rewarding among OECD and partner countries with available data. (2.11 Ratio, rank 2/42 , 2023) Download Indicator
In lower secondary education, the salary ratio of teachers with maximum qualifications at the top of the salary scale to those with minimum training and starting salaries is comparatively high. (2.11 Ratio, rank 2/42 , 2023) Download Indicator
Ratio of student to teaching staff
The ratio of students to teaching staff at the upper secondary level is especially low. (8.8 Ratio, rank 40/41 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the number of students per teacher in public lower secondary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (8.9 Ratio, rank 34/38 , 2023) Download Indicator
The ratio of students to teaching staff at the lower secondary level in private institutions is especially high in Portugal. (16.6 Ratio, rank 5/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the number of students per teacher in public upper secondary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (8.8 Ratio, rank 40/42 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the number of students per teacher in all public secondary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (8.9 Ratio, rank 35/39 , 2023) Download Indicator
Organisation of the education system
In Portugal, the total intended instruction time for primary students (in hours per year) is one of the longest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (6108 Hours, rank 5/34 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the intended instruction time for primary students, in hours per year, is one of the longest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1018 Hours, rank 4/34 , 2024) Download Indicator
The number of instruction days per year for lower secondary students is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (164 Days, rank 42/44 , 2023) Download Indicator
The number of instruction days per year for primary students is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (173 Days, rank 40/44 , 2023) Download Indicator
In independent private institutions at lower secondary level, classes are one of the largest in Portugal among OECD and partner countries with available data. (23 Students, rank 4/20 , 2023) Download Indicator
Employment and educational attainment
The employment rate among 25-34 year-olds with below upper secondary education is compartively high in Portugal. (74.2 %, rank 2/39 , 2024) Download Indicator
The employment rate among 55-64 year-olds with tertiary education is compartively high in Portugal. (85 %, rank 5/40 , 2024) Download Indicator
The employment rate among 25-34 year-olds with a general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively high compared to other OECD and partner countries. (82.1 %, rank 5/36 , 2024) Download Indicator
Employment by gender and educational attainment
The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds without upper secondary education is comparatively high. (71 %, rank 2/39 , 2024) Download Indicator
The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively high. (85.6 %, rank 3/38 , 2024) Download Indicator
The employment rate among 25-64 year-old men without upper secondary education is comparatively high. (77.9 %, rank 5/39 , 2024) Download Indicator
The employment rate among 25-64 year-old women without upper secondary education is comparatively high. (63.1 %, rank 3/39 , 2024) Download Indicator
The employment rate among 25-34 year-old women with below upper secondary education is compartively high in Portugal. (66.5 %, rank 1/37 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the employment rate among 25-34 year-old women with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively high (85.9 %, rank 3/34 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the share of employed 25-64 year-old women with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively high, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (82.4 %, rank 2/37 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the share of employed 25-64 year-old women with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively high, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (83.3 %, rank 3/35 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the share of employed 25-64 year-old men with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively high, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (91.1 %, rank 3/35 , 2024) Download Indicator
Compared to other countries with available data, the employment rate of 25-34 year-old women with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively high in Portugal compared to other countries with available data. (79.6 %, rank 4/35 , 2024) Download Indicator
Employment by field of education
The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education who studied in the field of humanities (except languages), social sciences, journalism and information is high compared to other OECD and partner countries. (90.7 %, rank 4/28 , 2024) Download Indicator
Unemployment and educational attainment
Compared to other countries with available data, the unemployment rate of 25-34 year-old with a short cycle tertiary education degree is relatively high in Portugal. (10.3 %, rank 4/21 , 2024) Download Indicator
Inactivity and educational attainment
The inactivity rate of 25-34 years-old adults with below upper secondary education is low in Portugal. (16.2 %, rank 38/38 , 2024) Download Indicator
The inactivity rate of 25-34 years-old adults with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is low in Portugal. (7.8 %, rank 36/37 , 2024) Download Indicator
The inactivity rate of 25-34 years-old adults with tertiary education is low in Portugal. (5.7 %, rank 36/40 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-olds with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (5.1 %, rank 33/33 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-olds with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (10.6 %, rank 34/35 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-olds with a bachelor's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (6.5 %, rank 33/37 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-olds with below upper secondary education is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (23.9 %, rank 36/39 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-olds with a master's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (5.1 %, rank 32/35 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-olds with a short cycle tertiary education degree is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (4.4 %, rank 23/23 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-olds with a short cycle tertiary education degree is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (3.9 %, rank 29/30 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (5.5 %, rank 39/40 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (9.3 %, rank 37/38 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-olds with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (10.5 %, rank 36/37 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-olds with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (6.8 %, rank 35/35 , 2024) Download Indicator
The inactivity rate of 55-64 years-old adults with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is low in Portugal. (20.4 %, rank 35/38 , 2024) Download Indicator
The inactivity rate of 55-64 years-old adults with tertiary education is low in Portugal. (12.3 %, rank 36/40 , 2024) Download Indicator
Inactivity by gender and educational attainment
In Portugal, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-old women without an upper secondary education is relatively low. (21.8 %, rank 37/37 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the inactivity rate 25-64 year-old women without an upper secondary education is relatively low compared to other countries with available data. (31.2 %, rank 36/39 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-old women with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (14 %, rank 33/34 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-old women with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (12.7 %, rank 37/37 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-old men with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (8.1 %, rank 33/36 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-old women with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (6.3 %, rank 33/33 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-old women with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (9.8 %, rank 35/35 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-old men with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (4.2 %, rank 35/35 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-old women with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (10.5 %, rank 36/36 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-old women with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (11.8 %, rank 38/38 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-old men with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (6.7 %, rank 37/38 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-old women with tertiary education is relatively low. (6.2 %, rank 36/39 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-old women with tertiary education is relatively low. (6.3 %, rank 38/40 , 2024) Download Indicator
Earnings and educational attainment
The share of 25-64 year-old workers without an upper secondary education earning at or below half the overall median in Portugal is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (9 Index, rank 28/29 , 2023) Download Indicator
Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of 25-64 year-olds working full-time and full-year with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education compared to those of adults without an upper secondary education are relatively low in Portugal. (118 Index, rank 18/21 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of 25-64 year-old workers with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education earning more than twice the overall median in Portugal is one of the highest among countries with available data. (8 Index, rank 5/28 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of 25-64 year-old workers with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education earning at or below half the overall median in Portugal is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (7 Index, rank 26/29 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of 25-64 year-old workers with tertiary education earning at or below half the overall median in Portugal is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (3 Index, rank 26/29 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Portugal, the distribution of worker earning more than half the median but at or below the median among those with tertiary education is comparatively low. (15 Index, rank 26/30 , 2023) Download Indicator
Earnings, gender and educational attainment
Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (among 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education and income from employment) are one of the lowest among countries with available data. (73.5 %, rank 25/29 , 2023) Download Indicator
Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (45-54 year-olds with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education working full-time full-year) are one of the lowest among countries with available data. (74.4 %, rank 17/20 , 2023) Download Indicator
Neither in education nor employed
The share of women without an upper secondary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Portugal is relatively low (39.1 %, rank 30/32 , 2024) Download Indicator
The share of 25-29 year-olds neither in employment nor in education and training without an upper secondary in Portugal is relatively low. (31.6 %, rank 29/33 , 2024) Download Indicator
The share of women with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Portugal is relatively low (14.3 %, rank 22/25 , 2024) Download Indicator
The share of women who are inactive NEET (15-29 year-olds) in Portugal is relatively low. (5.8 %, rank 33/37 , 2024) Download Indicator
The share of women who are unemployed NEET (15-29 year-olds) in Portugal is relatively high. (7.1 %, rank 5/36 , 2024) Download Indicator
The share of women who are unemployed NEET (18-24 year-olds) in Portugal is relatively high. (8.8 %, rank 3/34 , 2024) Download Indicator
The data table will display up to six selected countries.
General findings
- Tertiary attainment among young adults has reached 48% on average across the OECD, the highest level ever, but progress has slowed since 2021. Attainment remains unequal, with women generally outpacing men, and older generations showing lower rates.
- Employment outcomes for tertiary-educated adults remain strong overall: 87% of them are employed compared to 60% of those without upper seconday. Tertiary education offers good protection against unemployment, but women and disadvantaged groups still face labour market gaps, and inactivity persists among some adults. Moreover, adults with tertiary education earn on average 54% more than those with only upper secondary education.
- Gender pay gaps remain significant. Despite higher attainment, women with tertiary education consistently earn less than men, even when working full-time, and this gap persists across age groups (73% on average for women aged 25 to 64).
- Fields of study strongly influence labour market outcomes. Graduates in engineering and in health and welfare fare particularly well, while women’s participation in STEM remains below parity (14% of graduates at tertiary level) despite being 58% of all tertiary graduates.
- Internationalisation continues to expand in tertiary education. The share of international students has grown steadily, and OECD countries host a large proportion of the world’s mobile students, reinforcing their global role in higher education.
- Sustaining tertiary education requires adequate investment. Spending per student is already at 21 021 USD and rising, and tertiary expenditure represents a notable share of GDP (1.4% on average in OECD), making efficiency and equity crucial for long-term sustainability.
| Education policies: Attainment | Education policies: Access and Participation | Education policies: Finance and Funding | Education policies: Labour market outcomes |
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- Although many countries have near universal upper secondary attainment among 25–34 year-olds, on average across the OECD 13% of younger adults still lack an upper secondary qualification.
- NEET shares are now below pre-pandemic levels in about half of OECD and partner countries with trend data; in 8 of these 16 countries the decline exceeds 1 percentage point, while 17 countries exceed pre-pandemic benchmarks and 6 saw increases of more than 2 percentage points.
- Employment rates rise steadily with higher tertiary attainment: short-cycle 83%, bachelor’s 86%, master’s 90%, and doctoral or equivalent 93% among 25–64 year-olds.
- Earnings premiums also increase with qualification level: on average across the OECD, short-cycle graduates earn 17% more than those with upper secondary; the advantage is 39% for bachelor’s and 83% for master’s/doctoral graduates.
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- Most children aged 3 to 5 are enrolled in early childhood education, with an average participation rate of 85% across the OECD. By contrast, only 29% of children under the age of 3 are enrolled.
- Participation in early childhood education has grown over the past decade, with enrolment for children under age 3 increasing by 9 percentage points to 29%, and enrolment for ages 3 and above rising by 5 points to 85%.
- The majority of students in vocational upper secondary education follow programmes that grant full access to tertiary education, with 76% of students enrolled in such programmes on average across the OECD.
- Completion rates for bachelor’s programmes increase after the theoretical duration of programmes: on average, 44% of students graduate on time, compared to 69% three years after.
- Students from Asia form the largest regional group of internationally mobile students in tertiary education, representing 58% of all foreign or international students across the OECD in 2023.
- Only 43% of students complete a bachelor’s degree within the expected duration, though this rises to 59% with one additional year and 70% with three additional years on average across the OECD.
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- Governments spend on average USD 12 438 per student in primary, secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education, and USD 15 102 per student in tertiary education including R&D.
- Expenditure per student has risen in absolute terms since 2015, but its share in public budgets has declined, with government spending on education at almost 15% of total government expenditure on average in 2022.
- Annual spending per student at primary and secondary levels varies widely across OECD countries, from under USD 3 000 in some systems to over USD 25 000 in the most highly funded ones.
- Tertiary education continues to expand, placing pressure on public budgets. Private sources represent a larger share of total funding at the tertiary level than at any other level of education.
- Spending per student differs markedly between public and private institutions, with expenditure in public tertiary institutions exceeding USD 33 000 in some countries, compared to less than USD 10 000 in others.
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- Students in OECD countries receive an average of 7 604 hours of compulsory instruction during primary and lower secondary education, with total hours ranging widely across education systems.
- Compulsory instruction time averages 804 hours per year for primary students and 909 hours for lower secondary students, a difference of about 105 hours annually.
- The ratio of children to teachers in pre-primary education has fallen across most OECD countries, decreasing from an average of 15 children per teacher in 2013 to 13 in 2023.
- Teachers’ statutory salaries increase with the level of education taught. On average, teachers with 15 years of experience earn USD 55 725 at pre-primary level and USD 63 925 at upper secondary level.
- Teachers’ actual salaries are 83–91% of the earnings of similarly educated tertiary-educated workers, while school heads usually earn more than tertiary-educated workers on average across OECD countries.
- The ratio of students to academic staff is lower in public than in private institutions, averaging about 14 students per staff member in public tertiary institutions compared to 18 in private ones.
- Nearly half of OECD and partner countries operate non-selective admission systems for first degrees, providing broad access to tertiary education, while entrance exams and centralised systems are also common.
- The salaries of academic staff in tertiary education vary by seniority. On average, junior staff earn about 62 000 USD, while senior staff earn about 108 000 USD.
| Education policies: Teachers | Education policies: Teachers | OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) |
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Note: These values should be interpreted with care since they are influenced by countries' specific contexts and trade-offs. In education, there is often no simple
most- or least-efficient model. For instance, the share of private expenditure in education must be read against other measures designed to mitigate inequities,
such as loans and grants; longer learning time is an opportunity to convey more and better content to students, but may hinder investments in other important
areas. If you want further information on the nature of different variables, please take the time to read the analysis and contextual information, available at the website
for each publication.
All rankings for individual variables are compiled on the basis of OECD and G20 countries for which data are available. The OECD average includes only OECD countries which are listed here: https://www.oecd.org/en/about/members-partners.html
Reference years displayed in the Education GPS correspond to the most common year of reference among countries for which data is available on each variable. Data for the latest available year is preferred and some countries may have provided data refering to a more recent or late year. To know more about possible exceptions on data please click on the "Download Indicator" link on each variable. When a year of reference corresponds to a school year encompassing two years, the reference reads as follows: 2026 for school year 2025/2026.
*TALIS averages are based on all countries participating in the TALIS survey, including partner countries and economies. This explains the difference between the OECD average and the TALIS averages. Data from the TALIS survey and Education at a Glance (EAG) may differ. See Annex E of the TALIS technical report and Annex 3 of EAG 2024 for more details about the data collections.
For additional notes, please refer to annexes in the list of links below the introductory country profile text.
All rankings for individual variables are compiled on the basis of OECD and G20 countries for which data are available. The OECD average includes only OECD countries which are listed here: https://www.oecd.org/en/about/members-partners.html
Reference years displayed in the Education GPS correspond to the most common year of reference among countries for which data is available on each variable. Data for the latest available year is preferred and some countries may have provided data refering to a more recent or late year. To know more about possible exceptions on data please click on the "Download Indicator" link on each variable. When a year of reference corresponds to a school year encompassing two years, the reference reads as follows: 2026 for school year 2025/2026.
*TALIS averages are based on all countries participating in the TALIS survey, including partner countries and economies. This explains the difference between the OECD average and the TALIS averages. Data from the TALIS survey and Education at a Glance (EAG) may differ. See Annex E of the TALIS technical report and Annex 3 of EAG 2024 for more details about the data collections.
For additional notes, please refer to annexes in the list of links below the introductory country profile text.