2023 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, and 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

note: includes Azores and Madeira Islands

total

92,090 sq km

water

620 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Virginia

Climate

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

Coastline

1,793 km

Elevation

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

mean elevation

372 m

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; they are two of the four North Atlantic archipelagos that make up Macaronesia; the others are the Canary Islands (Spain) and Cabo Verde

Irrigated land

5,662 sq km (2019)

Land boundaries

border countries

Spain 1,224 km

total

1,224 km

Land use

agricultural land

39.7% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 11.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 7.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 20% (2018 est.)

forest

37.8% (2018 est.)

other

22.5% (2018 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 earthquakesvolcanism: limited volcanic activity in the Azores Islands; Fayal or Faial (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

Population distribution

concentrations are primarily along or near the Atlantic coast; both Lisbon and the second largest city, Porto, are coastal cities

Terrain

the west-flowing Tagus River divides the country: the north is mountainous toward the interior, while the south is characterized by rolling plains

Age structure

0-14 years

12.85% (male 672,673/female 641,409)

15-64 years

65.18% (male 3,274,201/female 3,389,374)

65 years and over

21.96% (2023 est.) (male 895,576/female 1,349,917)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

2.62 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.37 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

1.34 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

10.37 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

6.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

8 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

0.4% (2015/16)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

73.9% (2014)

Current health expenditure

10.6% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

52.6% (2023 est.)

Death rate

10.9 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

35.2

potential support ratio

2.8 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

56

youth dependency ratio

20.8

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 99.7% of population

improved: total

total: 99.9% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0.3% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0.1% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

Education expenditures

5% of GDP (2020 est.)

Ethnic groups

Portuguese 95%; citizens from Portugal’s former colonies in Africa, Asia (Han Chinese), and South America (Brazilian) and other foreign born 5%

Gross reproduction rate

0.7 (2023 est.)

Hospital bed density

3.5 beds/1,000 population (2018)

Infant mortality rate

female

2.1 deaths/1,000 live births

male

2.8 deaths/1,000 live births

total

2.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

85 years

male

78.6 years

total population

81.7 years (2023 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

95.9% (2021)

male

97.8%

total population

95.9%

Major urban areas - population

3.001 million LISBON (capital), 1.325 million Porto (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

12 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

47.9 years

male

44 years

total

46 years (2023 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

29.9 years (2020 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Portuguese

noun

Portuguese (singular and plural)

Net migration rate

1.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

20.8% (2016)

Physicians density

5.48 physicians/1,000 population (2019)

Population

10,223,150 (2023 est.)

Population distribution

concentrations are primarily along or near the Atlantic coast; both Lisbon and the second largest city, Porto, are coastal cities

Population growth rate

-0.17% (2023 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 79.7%, Protestant 2.2%, other Christian 2.5%, other non-Christian, 1.1%, none 14.5% (2021 est.)

note

note: data represent population 15 years of age and older

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population

improved: total

total: 99.9% of population

improved: urban

urban: 99.9% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0.1% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.1% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

17 years (2020)

male

17 years

total

17 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.66 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.9 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Tobacco use

female

20.2% (2020 est.)

male

30.5% (2020 est.)

total

25.4% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.44 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.44% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

67.9% of total population (2023)

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

etymology

Lisbon is one of Europe's oldest cities (the second oldest capital city after Athens) and the origin of the name is lost in time; it may have been founded as an ancient Celtic settlement that subsequently maintained close commercial relations with the Phoenicians (beginning about 1200 B.C.); the name of the settlement may have been derived from the pre-Roman appellation for the Tagus River that runs through the city, Lisso or Lucio; the Romans named the city "Olisippo" when they took it from the Carthaginians in 205 B.C.; under the Visigoths the city name became "Ulixbona," under the Arabs it was "al-Ushbuna"; the medieval version of "Lissabona" became today's Lisboa

geographic coordinates

38 43 N, 9 08 W

name

Lisbon

time difference

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

time zone note

Portugal has two time zones, including the Azores (UTC-1)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Portugal

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

10 years; 6 years if from a Portuguese-speaking country

Constitution

amendments

proposed by the Assembly of the Republic; adoption requires two-thirds majority vote of Assembly members; amended several times, last in 2005

history

several previous; latest adopted 2 April 1976, effective 25 April 1976

Country name

conventional long form

Portuguese Republic

conventional short form

Portugal

etymology

name derives from the Roman designation "Portus Cale" meaning "Port of Cale"; Cale was an ancient Celtic town and port in present-day northern Portugal

local long form

Republica Portuguesa

local short form

Portugal

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Randi Charno LEVINE (since 22 April 2022)

consulate(s)

Ponta Delgada (Azores)

email address and website

conslisbon@state.govhttps://pt.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Avenida das Forcas Armadas, 1600-081 Lisboa

FAX

[351] (21) 726-9109

mailing address

5320 Lisbon Place, Washington DC  20521-5320

telephone

[351] (21) 727-3300

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2012 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

chief of mission

Ambassador Francisco Antonio DUARTE LOPES (since 7 June 2022)

consulate(s)

New Bedford (MA), Providence (RI)

consulate(s) general

Boston, Newark (NJ), New York, San Francisco

email address and website

info.washington@mne.pthttps://washingtondc.embaixadaportugal.mne.gov.pt/en/

FAX

[1] (202) 462-3726

telephone

[1] (202) 350-5400

Executive branch

cabinet

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

chief of state

President Marcelo REBELO DE SOUSA (since 9 March 2016)

election results

2021: Marcelo REBELO DE SOUSA reelected president in the first round; percent of vote - Marcelo REBELO DE SOUSA (PSD) 60.7%, Ana GOMES (ran as an independent but is a member of PS) 13%, Andre VENTURA (CH) 11.9%, João FERREIRA (PCP-PEV) 4.3%, other 10.1%2016: Marcelo REBELO DE SOUSA elected president; percent of vote - Marcelo REBELO DE SOUSA (PSD) 52%, António SAMPAIO DA NOVOA (independent) 22.9%, Marisa MATIAS (BE) 10.1%, Maria DE BELEM ROSEIRA (PS) 4.2%, other 10.8%  

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 24 January 2021 (next to be held on 10 March 2024); following legislative elections the leader of the majority party or majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the president

head of government

Prime Minister Antonio Luis Santos da COSTA (since 24 November 2015; resigned on 7 November 2023 but remains in caretaker status until new elections on 10 March 2024)

note

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

semi-presidential republic

Independence

1143 (Kingdom of Portugal recognized); 1 December 1640 (independence reestablished following 60 years of Spanish rule); 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, 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, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, 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 can serve for life; Constitutional Court judges - 10 elected by the Assembly and 3 elected by the other Constitutional Court judges; judges elected for 6-year nonrenewable 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 closed-list 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 - PS 42.5%, PSD 28.4%, Enough 7.4%, IL 5%, BE 4.5%, PCP-PEV 4.4%, other 7.8%; seats by party - PS 120, PSD 72, Enough 12, IL 8, PCP-PEV 6, BE 5, other 3; composition - men 145, women 85, percent of women 37%

elections

last held on 30 January 2022 (next to be held in January 2026); note - early elections were called after parliament was dissolved on 3 November 2021 because of the 27 October 2021 rejection of the government's budget

National anthem

lyrics/music

Henrique LOPES DE MENDOCA/Alfredo KEIL

name

"A Portugesa" (The Song of the Portuguese)

note

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 heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Historic Évora (c); Central Zone of the Town of Angra do Heroismo in the Azores (c); Cultural Landscape of Sintra (c); Laurisilva of Madeira (n); Historic Guimarães (c); Monastery of the Hieronymites and Tower of Belém in Lisbon (c); Convent of Christ in Tomar (c); Prehistoric Rock Art Sites in the Côa Valley and Siega Verde (c); University of Coimbra – Alta and Sofia (c); Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte in Braga (c)

total World Heritage Sites

17 (16 cultural, 1 natural)

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 Alliance (2022 electoral alliance in the Azores, includes PSD, CDS-PP, PPM)Democratic and Social Center/People's Party (Partido do Centro Democratico Social-Partido Popular) or CDS-PP [Nuno MELO]Ecologist Party "The Greens" or "Os Verdes" (Partido Ecologista-Os Verdes) or PEV [Heloisa APOLONIA]Enough (Chega) [Andre VENTURA]Liberal Initiative (Iniciativa Liberal) or IL [Joao COTRIM DE FIGUEIREDO]Madeira First (2022 electoral alliance in Madeira, includes PSD, CDS-PP)People-Animals-Nature Party (Pessoas-Animais-Natureza) or PAN [Ines SOUSA REAL]People's Monarchist Party or PPM [Gonçalo DA CAMARA PEREIRA]Portuguese Communist Party (Partido Comunista Portugues) or PCP [Jeronimo DE SOUSA]Social Democratic Party (Partido Social Democrata) or PSD [Luis MONTENEGRO] (formerly the Partido Popular Democratico or PPD)Socialist Party (Partido Socialista) or PS [Paulo RAIMUNDO]The Left Bloc (Bloco de Esquerda) or BE or O Bloco [Catarina MARTINS]Unitary Democratic Coalition (Coligacao Democratica Unitaria) or CDU [Jeronimo DE SOUSA] (includes PCP and PEV)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

milk, tomatoes, olives, grapes, maize, potatoes, pork, apples, oranges, poultry

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

3.2% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

on food

16.6% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$101.854 billion (2019 est.)

revenues

$102.052 billion (2019 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

BBB (2007)

Moody's rating

Baa3 (2018)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

BBB (2019)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2019

$1.013 billion (2019 est.)

Current account balance 2020

-$2.292 billion (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

-$2.987 billion (2021 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2018

$483.206 billion (2018 est.)

Debt - external 2019

$462.431 billion (2019 est.)

Economic overview

fast-growing, high-income European economy; EU and NATO member; heavy Chinese infrastructure ownership; key tourism, banking, and telecommunications sectors; declining populations; major energy exporter

Exchange rates

Currency

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2017

0.885 (2017 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

0.847 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

0.893 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

0.876 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

0.845 (2021 est.)

Exports

Exports 2019

$104.846 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports 2020

$85.128 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports 2021

$105.648 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - commodities

cars and vehicle parts, refined petroleum, leather footwear, tires, paper (2021)

Exports - partners

Spain 26%, France 12%, Germany 12%, United States 6%, United Kingdom 5% (2021)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

43.1% (2017 est.)

government consumption

17.6% (2017 est.)

household consumption

65.1% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-42.1% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

16.2% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

0.1% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

2.2% (2017 est.)

industry

22.1% (2017 est.)

services

75.7% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$237.698 billion (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2019

32.8 (2019 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

25.9% (2015 est.)

lowest 10%

2.6%

Imports

Imports 2019

$103.009 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2020

$89.515 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2021

$112.413 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - commodities

crude petroleum, cars and vehicle parts, refined petroleum, packaged medicines, natural gas (2021)

Imports - partners

Spain 31%, Germany 12%, France 6%, Italy 5%, Netherlands 5% (2021)

Industrial production growth rate

5.63% (2021 est.)

Industries

textiles, clothing, footwear, wood and cork, paper and pulp, chemicals, fuels and 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)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

0.34% (2019 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

-0.01% (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

1.27% (2021 est.)

Labor force

5.174 million (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

17.2% (2018 est.)

Public debt

note

note: data cover general government debt and include 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 intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental 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

Public debt 2016

129.9% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

125.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$359.46 billion (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$329.623 billion (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$347.694 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2019

2.68% (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-8.3% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

5.48% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2019

$34,900 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$32,000 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$33,700 (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2019

$25.003 billion (31 December 2019 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2020

$29.46 billion (31 December 2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2021

$32.535 billion (31 December 2021 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

22.04% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2019

6.46% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate 2020

6.79% (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate 2021

6.65% (2021 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

26.2%

male

20.6%

total

23.1% (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

4.882 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

12.059 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

33.429 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

50.37 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

957,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

1,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

238,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

production

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

36 million metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

48.409 billion kWh (2020 est.)

exports

6.097 billion kWh (2020 est.)

imports

7.553 billion kWh (2020 est.)

installed generating capacity

22.364 million kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

5.269 billion kWh (2020 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2021)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

7.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

39% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

26.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

3.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

23.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

101.734 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

5.94 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

exports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports

6.09 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

production

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

proven reserves

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil and lease condensate exports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports

255,400 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

0 barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

249,100 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

8,000 bbl/day (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

143,500 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

78,700 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

323,000 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

41 (2020 est.)

total

4,160,795 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

Radio e Televisao de Portugal, the publicly owned TV broadcaster, operates 4 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

Internet country code

.pt

Internet users

percent of population

82% (2021 est.)

total

8.2 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-lineis 52 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular is 121 per 100 persons (2021)

general assessment

Portugal has a medium-sized telecom market with a strong mobile sector and a growing broadband customer base; before the pandemic, the country had seen improving economic growth, following several years of austerity measures; revenue among some operators remains under pressure, though investments in network upgrades are continuing in an effort to attract customers to high-end services; Portugal’s broadband services have grown steadily in recent years, largely the result of joint efforts between the regulator and the key market operators which have invested in significant infrastructure upgrades; these operators are focused on fiber-based services, resulting in a migration of subscribers from digital subscriber line DSL infrastructure; the government has also supported open-access wholesale networks; the mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) market remains largely undeveloped, partly because network operators have their own low-cost brands; collectively, MVNOs have about 2.9% share of the market; population coverage by 3G infrastructure is universal, and most investment in the sector is being directed to LTE and 5G technologies; the MNOs have trialed 5G and are looking to launch commercial services (2021)

international

country code - 351; landing points for the Ella Link, BUGIO, EIG, SAT-3/WASC, SeaMeWe-3, Equino, MainOne, Tat TGN-Western Europe, WACS, ACE, Atlantis2 and Columbus-III submarine cables provide connectivity to Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, South America and the US; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NA Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to Azores (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

52 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

5,318,750 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

121 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

12,476,165 (2021 est.)

Airports

64 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

43

note

note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

21

note

note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

CR, CS

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 103, container ship 290, general cargo 175, oil tanker 28, other 224

total

820 (2022)

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

454.21 million (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

17,367,956 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

168

number of registered air carriers

10 (2020)

Pipelines

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

Ports and terminals

container port(s) (TEUs)

Sines (1,420,000) (2019)

LNG terminal(s) (import)

Sines

major seaport(s)

Leixoes, Lisbon, Setubal, Sines

Railways

total

2,526 km (2020) 1,696 km electrified

Roadways

paved

71,294 km (2008) (includes 2,613 km of expressways)

total

82,900 km (2008)

unpaved

11,606 km (2008)

Waterways

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

Military - note

the Portuguese military is an all-volunteer and professional force with the primary responsibilities of external defense, humanitarian operations, and fulfilling Portugal’s commitments to European and international security; Portugal was one of the original signers of the North Atlantic Treaty (also known as the Washington Treaty) in 1949 establishing NATO, and the Alliance forms a key pillar of Portugal’s defense policy; Portugal is also a signatory of the EU’s Common Security and Defense Policy, and it regularly participates in a variety of EU, NATO, and UN deployments around the world; the military’s largest commitments include air, ground, and naval forces under NATO-led missions and standing task forces in the Baltics, Eastern Europe, and the Mediterranean Sea; the military also participates regularly in exercises with NATO partners Portugal has had a standing army since the 1570s; the modern-day Army’s primary combat forces are a heavy mechanized brigade, a light mechanized “intervention” brigade, and a rapid reaction brigade comprised of commandos, paratroopers, and special forces; there are also garrison units in the Azores and Madeira Portugal’s Navy is one of the oldest in the world, having been permanently established in in the 1300s, and maritime security has long been a key component of the military’s portfolio; the current Navy has a wide variety of missions in addition to war fighting, such as combating piracy, evacuating national citizens from conflict zones, fishery inspections, maritime interdiction, search and rescue,  providing support to other domestic security agencies, and assisting with scientific research; its principal warships are 11 frigates, corvettes, and offshore patrol ships, and two attack-type submarines; the Navy also has a small marine force, which constitutes the Navy’s commando and special operations component the Air Force was formed in 1952 although the first flying unit was created in 1911; the current Air Force has about 20 US-made fighter aircraft, as well as reconnaissance and surveillance, maritime patrol, transport, search and rescue, and firefighting fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft (2023)

Military and security forces

Portuguese Armed Forces (Forças Armadas): Portuguese Army (Exercito Portuguesa), Portuguese Navy (Marinha Portuguesa; includes Marine Corps, aka Corpo de Fuzileiros or Corps of Fusiliers), Portuguese Air Force (Forca Aerea Portuguesa, FAP)Ministry of Internal Administration: Foreigners and Borders Service, Public Security Service, National Republican Guard (Guarda Nacional Republicana, GNR) (2023)

note

note: the Foreigners and Borders Service has jurisdiction over immigration and border matters, the Public Security Police has jurisdiction in cities, and the GNR has jurisdiction in rural areas; the GNR is a national gendarmerie force comprised of military personnel with law enforcement, internal security, civil defense, disaster response, and coast guard duties; it is responsible to both the Ministry of Internal Administration and to the Ministry of National Defense; it is not part of the Armed Forces, but may be placed under the operational command of the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces in the event of a national emergency; the GNR describes itself as a hinge between the Armed Forces and the police forces and other security services

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 26,000 active-duty personnel (13,000 Army; 7,000 Navy, including about 1,000 marines; 6,000 Air Force); 24,500 National Republican Guard (military personnel) (2023)

Military deployments

225 Central African Republic (MINUSCA/EUTM); approximately 200 Lithuania (NATO); approximately 230 Romania (NATO) (2023)

note

note 1: in 2021, Portugal deployed about 80 troops to Mozambique to assist with the EU training missionnote 2: in response to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, some NATO countries, including Portugal, have sent additional troops to the battlegroups deployed in NATO territory in eastern Europenote 3: Portugal also participates in several NATO maritime and air policing operations, as well as some EU international missions

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the military's inventory includes mostly European- and US-origin weapons systems along with a smaller mix of domestically produced equipment; in recent years, leading foreign suppliers have included Germany and the US; Portugal's defense industry is primarily focused on shipbuilding (2023)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2019

1.4% of GDP (2019)

Military Expenditures 2020

1.4% of GDP (2020)

Military Expenditures 2021

1.5% of GDP (2021)

Military Expenditures 2022

1.4% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

1.5% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-30 years of age for voluntary or contract military service; no compulsory military service (abolished 2004) but conscription possible if insufficient volunteers available; women serve in the armed forces but are prohibited from serving in some combatant specialties; contract service lasts for an initial period of 2-6 years, and can be extended to a maximum of 20 years of service; initial voluntary military service lasts 12 months; reserve obligation to age 35 (2023)

note

note: as of 2020, women made up about 12% of the military's full-time personnel

Disputes - international

Portugal-Spain: 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

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

refugees (country of origin)

56,995 (Ukraine) (as of 4 June 2023)

stateless persons

55 (2022)

Space agency/agencies

Portugal Space (aka Portuguese Space Agency or Agência Espacial Portuguesa; established 2019); Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT; government agency that funds space research established in 2009) (2023)

Space launch site(s)

in 2019, announced intentions to build a commercial space port on Santa Maria Island in the Azores (2023)

Space program overview

has a national space program which is is integrated within the framework of the European Space Agency (ESA); builds and operates satellites; researches and develops a range of space-related technologies with an emphasis on small/micro/nano satellites for remote sensing (RS), navigation, science/technology, and telecommunications, as well as satellite launch services; in addition to the ESA/EU and their member states, cooperates with the space agencies and industries of a variety of countries, including those of Algeria, Brazil, China, India, Japan, Morocco, South Korea, and the US, as well as such international organizations and projects as the Europe South Observatory (ESO) and the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) Observatory project; Portugal Space acts as a business and development unit for universities, research entities and companies (2023)

note

note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in Appendix S

Terrorist group(s)

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)

note

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

48.74 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

10.93 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

7.34 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate

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

Environment - current issues

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

Environment - international agreements

party to

Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Environmental Modification, Nuclear Test Ban

Land use

agricultural land

39.7% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 11.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 7.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 20% (2018 est.)

forest

37.8% (2018 est.)

other

22.5% (2018 est.)

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0.13% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

77.4 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

3.42 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

1.83 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

880 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.44% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

67.9% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

4.71 million tons (2014 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

764,433 tons (2014 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

16.2% (2014 est.)