2015 Edition

Background

Following its heyday as a global maritime power during the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal lost much of its wealth and status with the destruction of Lisbon in a 1755 earthquake, occupation during the Napoleonic Wars, and the independence of Brazil, its wealthiest colony, in 1822. A 1910 revolution deposed the monarchy; for most of the next six decades, repressive governments ran the country. In 1974, a left-wing military coup installed broad democratic reforms. The following year, Portugal granted independence to all of its African colonies. Portugal is a founding member of NATO and entered the EC (now the EU) in 1986.

Area

land

91,470 sq km

note

includes Azores and Madeira Islands

total

92,090 sq km

water

620 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Indiana

Climate

maritime temperate; cool and rainy in north, warmer and drier in south

Coastline

1,793 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Ponta do Pico (Pico or Pico Alto) on Ilha do Pico in the Azores 2,351 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Environment - current issues

soil erosion; air pollution caused by industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution, especially in coastal areas

Environment - international agreements

party to

Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Environmental Modification

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

812 cu m/yr (2005)

total

8.46 cu km/yr (12%/18%/69%)

Geographic coordinates

39 30 N, 8 00 W

Geography - note

Azores and Madeira Islands occupy strategic locations along western sea approaches to Strait of Gibraltar

Irrigated land

5,837 sq km (2007)

Land boundaries

border countries (1)

Spain 1,224 km

total

1,224 km

Land use

arable land 11.9%; permanent crops 7.8%; permanent pasture 20%

agricultural land

39.7%

forest

37.8%

other

22.5% (2011 est.)

Location

Southwestern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Spain

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

Azores subject to severe earthquakes

volcanism

limited volcanic activity in the Azores Islands; Fayal or Faial (elev. 1,043 m) last erupted in 1958; most volcanoes have not erupted in centuries; historically active volcanoes include Agua de Pau, Furnas, Pico, Picos Volcanic System, San Jorge, Sete Cidades, and Terceira

Natural resources

fish, forests (cork), iron ore, copper, zinc, tin, tungsten, silver, gold, uranium, marble, clay, gypsum, salt, arable land, hydropower

Terrain

mountainous north of the Tagus River, rolling plains in south

Total renewable water resources

68.7 cu km (2011)

Age structure

0-14 years

15.68% (male 884,389/female 812,685)

15-24 years

11.41% (male 655,259/female 580,020)

25-54 years

42.05% (male 2,303,473/female 2,248,914)

55-64 years

11.97% (male 604,549/female 691,216)

65 years and over

18.89% (male 836,679/female 1,208,125) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

9.27 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Child labor - children ages 5-14

note

data represents children ages 6-14 (2001 est.)

percentage

3%

total number

36,569

Contraceptive prevalence rate

86.8% (2005/06)

Death rate

11.02 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

31.9%

potential support ratio

3.1% (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

53.5%

youth dependency ratio

21.6%

Drinking water source

urban: 100% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 100% of population

urban: 0% of population

rural: 0% of population

total: 0% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

5.3% of GDP (2011)

Ethnic groups

homogeneous Mediterranean stock; citizens of black African descent who immigrated to mainland during decolonization number less than 100,000; since 1990 East Europeans have entered Portugal

Health expenditures

9.7% of GDP (2013)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Hospital bed density

3.4 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Infant mortality rate

female

3.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

4.86 deaths/1,000 live births

total

4.43 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Portuguese (official), Mirandese (official, but locally used)

Life expectancy at birth

female

82.62 years (2015 est.)

male

75.92 years

total population

79.16 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

94.4% (2015 est.)

male

97.1%

total population

95.7%

Major urban areas - population

LISBON (capital) 2.884 million; Porto 1.299 million (2015)

Median age

female

43.6 years (2015 est.)

male

39.4 years

total

41.5 years

Nationality

adjective

Portuguese

noun

Portuguese (singular and plural)

Net migration rate

2.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

22.1% (2014)

Physicians density

4.1 physicians/1,000 population (2012)

Population

10,825,309 (July 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

0.09% (2015 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 81%, other Christian 3.3%, other (includes Jewish, Muslim, other) 0.6%, none 6.8%, unspecified 8.3%

notes

represents population 15 years of age and older (2011 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 99.6% of population

rural: 99.8% of population

total: 99.7% of population

urban: 0.4% of population

rural: 0.2% of population

total: 0.3% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

17 years (2012)

male

16 years

total

16 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.09 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.13 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.02 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.88 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.69 male(s)/female

at birth

1.07 male(s)/female

total population

0.95 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.52 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

39.1% (2012 est.)

male

36.4%

total

37.6%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.97% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

63.5% of total population (2015)

Administrative divisions

18 districts (distritos, singular - distrito) and 2 autonomous regions* (regioes autonomas, singular - regiao autonoma); Aveiro, Acores (Azores)*, Beja, Braga, Braganca, Castelo Branco, Coimbra, Evora, Faro, Guarda, Leiria, Lisboa (Lisbon), Madeira*, Portalegre, Porto, Santarem, Setubal, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, Viseu

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

geographic coordinates

38 43 N, 9 08 W

name

Lisbon

time difference

UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Constitution

several previous; latest adopted 2 April 1976, effective 25 April 1976; amended several times, last in 2005 (2013)

Country name

conventional long form

Portuguese Republic

conventional short form

Portugal

local long form

Republica Portuguesa

local short form

Portugal

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Robert A. SHERMAN (since 30 May 2014)

consulate(s)

Ponta Delgada (Azores)

embassy

Avenida das Forcas Armadas, 1600-081 Lisbon

FAX

[351] (21) 726-9109

mailing address

Apartado 43033, 1601-301 Lisboa; PSC 83, APO AE 09726

telephone

[351] (21) 727-3300

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2012 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

chief of mission

Ambassador Nuno Filipe Alves Salvador e BRITO (since 10 February 2011)

consulate(s)

New Bedford (MA), Newark (NJ), Providence (RI)

consulate(s) general

Boston, New York, San Francisco

FAX

[1] (202) 462-3726

telephone

[1] (202) 328-8610

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister

chief of state

President Anibal CAVACO SILVA (since 9 March 2006)

election results

Anibal CAVACO SILVA reelected president; percent of vote - Anibal CAVACO SILVA (PPD/PSD) 53%, Manuel ALEGRE (PS) 19.8%, Fernando NOBRE (independent) 14.1%, Francisco LOPES (independent) 7.1%, Manuel COELHO 4.5%, other 1.5%

elections/appointments

president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 23 January 2011 (next to be held in January 2016); following legislative elections which must be held by October 2015, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the president

head of government

Prime Minister Pedro Manuel PASSOS COELHO Mamede (since 21 June 2011)

note

there is also a Council of State that acts as a consultative body to the president

Flag description

two vertical bands of green (hoist side, two-fifths) and red (three-fifths) with the national coat of arms (armillary sphere and Portuguese shield) centered on the dividing line; explanations for the color meanings are ambiguous, but a popular interpretation has green symbolizing hope and red the blood of those defending the nation

Government type

republic; parliamentary democracy

Independence

1143 (Kingdom of Portugal recognized); 5 October 1910 (republic proclaimed)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Australia Group, BIS, CD, CE, CERN, CPLP, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINUSMA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club (associate), PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal de Justica (consists of 12 justices); Constitutional Court or Tribunal Constitucional (consists of 13 judges)

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court justices nominated by the president and appointed by the Assembly of the Republic; judges appointed for life; Constitutional Court judges - 10 elected by the Assembly and 3 elected by the other Constitutional Court judges; judges elected for 6-year non-renewable terms

subordinate courts

Supreme Administrative Court (Supremo Tribunal Administrativo); Audit Court (Tribunal de Contas); appellate, district, and municipal courts

Legal system

civil law system; Constitutional Court review of legislative acts

Legislative branch

description

unicameral Assembly of the Republic or Assembleia da Republica (230 seats; 226 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 4 members - 2 each in 2 constituencies representing Portuguese living abroad - directly elected by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - PPD/PSD 38%, PS 28%, CDS/PP 11%, PCP/PEV (see CDU) 7%, BE 5%, other 11%; seats by party - PPD/PSD 108, PS 74, CDS/PP 24, PCP/PEV (see CDU) 16, BE 8

elections

last held on 5 June 2011 (next to be held by October 2015)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Henrique LOPES DE MENDOCA/Alfredo KEIL

name

"A Portugesa" (The Song of the Portuguese)

note

adopted 1910; "A Portuguesa" was originally written to protest the Portuguese monarchy's acquiescence to the 1890 British ultimatum forcing Portugal to give up areas of Africa; the lyrics refer to the "insult" that resulted from the event

National holiday

Portugal Day (Dia de Portugal), 10 June (1580); note - also called Camoes Day, the day that revered national poet Luis de Camoes (1524-80) died

National symbol(s)

armillary sphere (a spherical astrolabe modeling objects in the sky and representing the Republic); national colors: red, green

Political parties and leaders

Democratic and Social Center/Popular Party or CDS/PP [Paulo PORTAS]

Social Democratic Party or PPD/PSD [Pedro PASSOS COELHO]

Socialist Party or PS [Antonio COSTA]

The Left Bloc or BE [Catarina Soares MARTINS]

Unitarian Democratic Coalition or CDU [Jeronimo DE SOUSA] (includes Portuguese Communist Party or PCP and Ecologist Party ("The Greens") or PEV)

Political pressure groups and leaders

Armed Forces Officers' Association or AOFA [Colonel Pereira CRACEL]

the Desperate Generation (youth movement protesting against low wages, precarious labor conditions, and unemployment)

General Workers Union or General Confederation of Portuguese Workers or UGT [Carlos SILVA]

Portuguese National Workers' Conference or CGTP [Armenio CARLOS]

TugaLeaks (a website that has become a mouthpiece for publicizing diverse protest action)

other

the media; labor unions

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

grain, potatoes, tomatoes, olives, grapes; sheep, cattle, goats, pigs, poultry, dairy products; fish

Budget

expenditures

$110.7 billion (2014 est.)

revenues

$99.6 billion

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-4.8% of GDP (2014 est.)

Central bank discount rate

0.05% (31 December 2014)

0.25% (31 December 2013)

note

this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area

Commercial bank prime lending rate

5.08% (31 December 2014 est.)

5.69% (31 December 2013 est.)

Current account balance

$1.388 billion (2014 est.)

$2.404 billion (2013 est.)

Debt - external

$508.3 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$482.2 billion (31 December 2011)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

34.2 (2013 est.)

34.2 (2012 est.)

Economy - overview

Portugal has become a diversified and increasingly service-based economy since joining the European Community - the EU's predecessor - in 1986. Over the following two decades, successive governments privatized many state-controlled firms and liberalized key areas of the economy, including the financial and telecommunications sectors. The country joined the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) in 1999 and began circulating the euro on 1 January 2002 along with 11 other EU members. The economy grew by more than the EU average for much of the 1990s, but the rate of growth slowed in 2001-08. The economy contracted in 2009, and fell again from 2011 to 2014, as the government implemented spending cuts and tax increases to comply with conditions of an EU-IMF financial rescue package, signed in May 2011. A modest recovery began in 2013 and gathered steam in in 2014 due to strong export performance and a rebound in private consumption. Although austerity measures were instituted to reduce the large budget deficit, they contributed to record unemployment and a wave of emigration not seen since the 1960s. A continued reduction in private- and public-sector debt could weigh on consumption and investment in 2015, holding back a stronger recovery. The government of Pedro PASSOS COELHO has passed legislation aimed at reducing labor market rigidity, and, this, along with sustained fiscal discipline, could make Portugal more attractive to foreign direct investment. The government reduced the budget deficit from 11.2% of GDP in 2010 to 4.8% in 2014, a figure that is significantly higher than the EU-IMF target of 4%. The government has pledged to lower the deficit to under 3% of GDP in 2015 in order to comply with EU fiscal obligations, under the excessive deficit procedure. Legislative elections in 2015 could increase the risk of fiscal slippage and undermine investor confidence in Portugal’s economy, which has improved over the course of the EU-IMF program. EU-IMF financing expired in May 2014.

Exchange rates

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

0.7489 (2014 est.)

0.7634 (2013 est.)

0.78 (2012 est.)

0.7185 (2011 est.)

0.755 (2010 est.)

Exports

$66.3 billion (2014 est.)

$62.98 billion (2013 est.)

Exports - commodities

agricultural products, foodstuffs, wine, oil products, chemical products, plastics and rubber, hides, leather, wood and cork, wood pulp and paper, textile materials, clothing, footwear, machinery and tools, base metals

Exports - partners

Spain 23.7%, France 11.8%, Germany 11.8%, Angola 6.5%, UK 6.1%, US 4.2%, Netherlands 4% (2014)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

(2014 est.)

exports of goods and services

39.6%

government consumption

19.1%

household consumption

64.6%

imports of goods and services

-38.2%

investment in fixed capital

15%

investment in inventories

-0.1%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

2.6%

industry

22.4%

services

75% (2014 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$27,000 (2014 est.)

$26,700 (2013 est.)

$27,200 (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

0.9% (2014 est.)

-1.6% (2013 est.)

-4% (2012 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$230 billion (2014 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$280.4 billion (2014 est.)

$277.9 billion (2013 est.)

$282.4 billion (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

Gross national saving

15.5% of GDP (2014 est.)

15% of GDP (2013 est.)

14.1% of GDP (2012 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

28.4% (1995 est.)

lowest 10%

3.1%

Imports

$76.11 billion (2014 est.)

$72.63 billion (2013 est.)

Imports - commodities

agricultural products, chemical products, vehicles and other transport material, optical and precision instruments, computer accessories and parts, semiconductors and related devices, oil products, base metals, food products, textile materials

Imports - partners

Spain 32.6%, Germany 12.4%, France 7.1%, Italy 5.3%, Netherlands 5.1% (2014)

Industrial production growth rate

-1.3% (2014 est.)

Industries

textiles, clothing, footwear, wood and cork, paper and pulp, chemicals, lubricants, automobiles and auto parts, base metals, minerals, porcelain and ceramics, glassware, technology, telecommunications; dairy products, wine, other foodstuffs; ship construction and refurbishment; tourism, plastics, financial services, optics

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

-0.2% (2014 est.)

0.3% (2013 est.)

Labor force

5.226 million (2014 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

8.6%

industry

23.9%

services

67.5% (2014 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$126.8 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$57.04 billion (31 December 2013)

$65.53 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

Population below poverty line

18.7% (2012 est.)

Public debt

128.7% of GDP (2014 est.)

128% of GDP (2013 est.)

note

data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$14.92 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$17.55 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of broad money

$296.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$316.2 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$99.55 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$99.55 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$152.5 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$146.2 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$394 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$428.7 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$91.4 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$97.65 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

note

see entry for the European Union for money supply for the entire euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 18 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders

Taxes and other revenues

43.7% of GDP (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate

13.9% (2014 est.)

16.2% (2013 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

68.8 million Mt (2012 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Crude oil - imports

233,600 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

538,100 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)

Electricity - consumption

46.25 billion kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - exports

5.324 billion kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

42.4% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

28.2% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

29.4% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)

Electricity - imports

8.1 billion kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

19.62 million kW (2013 est.)

Electricity - production

51.67 billion kWh (2013 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

4.043 billion cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - imports

4.174 billion cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

240,800 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

168,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

86,720 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

239,900 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Broadcast media

Radio e Televisao de Portugal (RTP), the publicly owned TV broadcaster, operates 2 domestic channels and external service channels to Africa; overall, roughly 40 domestic TV stations; viewers have widespread access to international broadcasters with more than half of all households connected to multi-channel cable or satellite TV systems; publicly owned radio operates 3 national networks and provides regional and external services; several privately owned national radio stations and some 300 regional and local commercial radio stations (2008)

Internet country code

.pt

Internet users

percent of population

66.1% (2014 est.)

total

7.2 million

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 63, shortwave 1 (2008)

Telephone system

domestic

integrated network of coaxial cables, open-wire, microwave radio relay, and domestic satellite earth stations

general assessment

Portugal's telephone system has a state-of-the-art network with broadband, high-speed capabilities

international

country code - 351; a combination of submarine cables provide connectivity to Europe, North and East Africa, South Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and the US; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NA Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to Azores (2010)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

42 (2014 est.)

total subscriptions

4.59 million

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

110 (2014 est.)

total

11.9 million

Television broadcast stations

42 (2008)

Airports

64 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

8

2,438 to 3,047 m

7

914 to 1,523 m

15

over 3,047 m

5

total

43

under 914 m

8 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

20 (2013)

914 to 1,523 m

1

total

21

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 8, cargo 35, carrier 1, chemical tanker 21, container 7, liquefied gas 6, passenger 13, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 1, vehicle carrier 9

foreign-owned

81 (Belgium 8, Colombia 1, Denmark 4, Germany 14, Greece 2, Italy 12, Japan 9, Mexico 1, Norway 2, Spain 18, Sweden 3, Switzerland 3, US 4)

registered in other countries

15 (Cyprus 2, Malta 3, Panama 10) (2010)

total

109

Pipelines

gas 1,344 km; oil 11 km; refined products 188 km (2013)

Ports and terminals

LNG terminal (import)

Sines

major seaport(s)

Leixoes, Lisbon, Setubal, Sines

Railways

broad gauge

2,439 km 1.668-m gauge (1,633.4 km electrified)

narrow gauge

108.1 km 1.000-m gauge

other

528 km (gauge unspecified) (2014)

total

3,075.1 km

Roadways

paved

71,294 km (includes 2,613 km of expressways)

total

82,900 km

unpaved

11,606 km (2008)

Waterways

210 km (on Douro River from Porto) (2011)

Manpower available for military service

females age 16-49

2,458,297 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

2,566,264

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

2,018,004 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

2,103,080

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

54,786 (2010 est.)

male

62,208

Military branches

Portuguese Army (Exercito Portuguesa), Portuguese Navy (Marinha Portuguesa; includes Marine Corps), Portuguese Air Force (Forca Aerea Portuguesa, FAP) (2013)

Military expenditures

1.29% of GDP (2014)

1.2% of GDP (2013)

1.78% of GDP (2012)

Military service age and obligation

18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; no compulsory military service, but conscription possible if insufficient volunteers available; women serve in the armed forces, on naval ships since 1993, but are prohibited from serving in some combatant specialties; reserve obligation to age 35 (2012)

Disputes - international

Portugal does not recognize Spanish sovereignty over the territory of Olivenza based on a difference of interpretation of the 1815 Congress of Vienna and the 1801 Treaty of Badajoz

Illicit drugs

seizing record amounts of Latin American cocaine destined for Europe; a European gateway for Southwest Asian heroin; transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to Europe; consumer of Southwest Asian heroin

Refugees and internally displaced persons

stateless persons

14 (2014)