Portugal (Portuguese Republic)

Portugal Portuguese Republic
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	23rd best
Capital	Lisbon
Land Area	91 470km21
Location	Europe
Population	10.3m2
Life Expectancy	81.04yrs (2017)3
GNI	$33 155 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	PT, PRT, 6205
Internet Domain	.pt6
Currency	Euro (EUR)7
Telephone	+3518

1. Overview
2. Portugal National and Social Development
3. Portugal's Demographics and Migration
4. Portugal's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
5. Portugal's Health
6. Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. Portugal's Modernity and Learning
8. Portugal's Culture, Peace and Inequality
9. Religion and Beliefs
10. Links

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1. Overview

#eu #human_rights #portugal

“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 its wealthiest colony of Brazil 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.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Medieval castles, cobblestone villages, captivating cities and golden beaches: the Portugal experience can be many things. History, great food and idyllic scenery are just the beginning… Celts, Romans, Visigoths, Moors and Christians all left their mark on the Iberian peninsula nation. Here, you can gaze upon 20,000-year-old stone carvings in the Vila Nova de Foz Côa, watch the sunset over mysterious megaliths outside évora or lose yourself in the elaborate corridors of Unesco World Heritage sites in Tomar, Belém, Alcobaça or Batalha. You can pack an itinerary visiting palaces set above mist-covered woodlands, craggy clifftop castles and stunningly preserved medieval town centres.

Outside the cities, Portugal´s beauty unfolds in all its startling variety. You can go hiking amid the granite peaks of Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês or take in the pristine scenery and historic villages of the little-explored Beiras. More than 800km of coast offers a multitude of places to soak up the splendour. Gaze out over dramatic end-of-the-world cliffs, surf stellar breaks off dune-covered beaches or laze peacefully on sandy islands fronting calm blue seas.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

The EU has acted on behalf of its member states on many occasions to support, foster, fund and encourage human rights protections in every region of the world, with agreement of its member states through the European Parliament. The protections of workers' rights and their harmonisations (which stops companies moving staff to countries with the weakest laws) has had great effect in stopping workforce abuse₁₁. According to Human Rights Watch's comprehensive review for the year 2017, in addition to vocal and public pronouncements on poor human rights records of many countries, the EU has also acted through economic sanctions, political pressure and used other means to incentivize the adoption of human rights protections, even if these measures harm EU trading₁₂. It is to Portugal's credit that it supports the EU in these actions.

2. Portugal National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)13
Pos.		Higher is better Value13
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
35=	Saudi Arabia	0.875
35=	Bahrain	0.875
35=	Lithuania	0.875
38	Portugal	0.866
39	Latvia	0.863
40=	Andorra	0.858
40=	Croatia	0.858
42=	Chile	0.855
	Europe Avg	0.87
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)13
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $13
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
38	Cyprus	$38 188
39	Estonia	$38 048
40	Lithuania	$37 931
41	Portugal	$33 155
42	Poland	$33 034
43	Latvia	$32 803
44	Hungary	$32 789
45	Turkey	$31 033
	Europe Avg	$40 512
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index14
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank14
1	Denmark	27.3
2	Norway	30.5
3	Switzerland	32.2
	...
20	Liechtenstein	45.1
21	Spain	45.5
22	Italy	46.4
23	Portugal	48.5
24	S. Korea	50.0
25	Monaco	50.4
26	Czechia	53.5
27	Taiwan	53.9
	Europe Avg	55.7
	World Avg	88.8
q=199.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Portugal's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population Datasets:

Portugal's population is predicted to rise to 10.31 million by 2030. This rise is despite a low fertility rate, meaning, that this country is helping to alleviate problems with growing population in neighbouring countries by accepting immigrants, very likely as a requirement of maintaining an active workforce. This country has a fertility rate of 1.43. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₅

Population2
Pos.		2018 Population2
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
84	Czechia	10.7m
85	Dominican Rep.	10.6m
86	Greece	10.5m
87	Portugal	10.3m
88	Sweden	10.0m
89	Jordan	10.0m
90	Azerbaijan	9.9m
91	Hungary	9.7m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better13
Pos.		2021 Years13
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
24	Austria	81.6
25	Denmark	81.4
26	Cyprus	81.2
27	Portugal	81.0
28	San Marino	80.9
29	UK	80.7
30	Slovenia	80.7
31	Germany	80.6
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best16
Pos.		202216
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
98	UAE	1.44
99	Oman	2.57
100=	Greece	1.43
100=	Portugal	1.43
102	Bolivia	2.58
103	Russia	1.42
104=	Austria	1.41
104=	Norway	1.41
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better17
Pos.		2016 Per 10017
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
178	Netherlands	41.9
179	Slovenia	42.7
180	Finland	43.3
181	Hong Kong	43.7
182	Portugal	44.7
183	Germany	47.7
184	Italy	48.6
185	Japan	53.1
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

• The Population of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants18
Pos.		2017 %18
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
62	Serbia	9.1%
63	Ivory Coast	9.0%
64	Malaysia	8.5%
65	Portugal	8.5%
66	Suriname	8.5%
67	Costa Rica	8.4%
68	Russia	8.1%
69	Congo, (Brazzaville)	7.6%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants19
Pos.		2010 %19
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
25	Sao Tome & Principe	21.9%
26	Moldova	21.5%
27	Fiji	21.3%
28	Portugal	20.8%
29	Lesotho	20.5%
30	El Salvador	20.5%
31	Micronesia	19.7%
32	Belarus	18.4%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Portugal's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#antisemitism #equality #freedom #freethought #gender #gender_equality #homosexuality #human_rights #international_law #mass_media #misogyny #morals #politics #portugal #prejudice #religious_tolerance #slavery #tolerance #UK #women

Compared to Europe (2025)20
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank20
1	Sweden	5.9
2	Norway	8.0
3	Denmark	8.1
	...
14	Spain	25.4
15	France	26.3
16	Slovenia	29.6
17	Portugal	31.0
18	Italy	32.6
19	Estonia	35.0
20	Malta	38.7
21	Czechia	41.7
22	Cyprus	43.8
	Europe Avg	47.37
q=48.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)20
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank20
1	Sweden	5.9
2	Norway	8.0
3	Denmark	8.1
	...
18	France	26.3
19	Slovenia	29.6
20	Costa Rica	30.8
21	Portugal	31.0
22	Italy	32.6
23	Uruguay	34.3
24	Japan	34.7
25	Estonia	35.0
	World Avg	86.35
q=198.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Norway and Denmark₂₁. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are N. Korea, Somalia and Eritrea₂₁.

25 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, combatting modern slavery, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₂₁, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia₂₁.

For more, see:

• " Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets:

Press Freedom Higher is better22
Pos.		202522
1	Norway	92.31
2	Estonia	89.46
3	Netherlands	88.64
4	Sweden	88.13
5	Finland	87.18
6	Denmark	86.93
7	Ireland	86.92
8	Portugal	84.26
9	Switzerland	83.98
10	Czechia	83.96
11	Germany	83.85
12	Liechtenstein	83.42
	Europe Avg	70.63
	World Avg	54.65
q=179.

Slavery in the 2020s Lower is better23
Pos.		Total Per 100023
1=	Switzerland	0.50
1=	Norway	0.50
3=	Germany	0.60
	...
44	S. Korea	3.50
45	Swaziland	3.60
46	Burkina Faso	3.70
47=	Portugal	3.80
47=	Israel	3.80
49=	Guinea	4.00
49=	Sudan	4.00
49=	China	4.00
	Europe Avg	5.64
	World Avg	7.15
q=160.

The Walk Free Foundation in 2023 lists Portugal as the country whose government has done the 2nd most in recent years to curb modern slavery (after the UK)₂₄.

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom Lower is better25
Pos.		2014 Rank25
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
	...
16	Malta	16
17	Belgium	17
18	Czechia	18
19	Portugal	19
20	Lithuania	20
21=	Estonia	21
21=	Poland	21
23	USA	23
	Europe Avg	33.9
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
7=	Cyprus	1.0
7=	Denmark	1.0
7=	Dominica	1.0
7=	Portugal	1.0
7=	Slovenia	1.0
7=	Palau	1.0
7=	Czechia	1.0
7=	Finland	1.0
	Europe Avg	2.2
	World Avg	3.7
q=205.

Human Rights Watch Comments Higher is better26
Pos.		2017 Score26
1=	UK	9
1=	France	9
1=	Germany	9
	...
14=	Denmark	5
14=	Romania	5
14=	Estonia	5
14=	Portugal	5
14=	Bulgaria	5
14=	Spain	5
14=	Malta	5
14=	Italy	5
	Europe Avg	3.5
	World Avg	-1.9
q=123.

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better27
Pos.		2009 Treaties27
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
43=	Bulgaria	20
43=	Burkina Faso	20
43=	Norway	20
43=	Portugal	20
43=	Poland	20
43=	S. Korea	20
43=	Panama	20
43=	New Zealand	20
	Europe Avg	19.5
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better28
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty28
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
37	Italy	6.56
38	Russia	6.58
39	UK	6.62
40	Portugal	6.69
41	Bolivia	6.70
42	El Salvador	6.80
43	Rwanda	6.83
44	Sri Lanka	6.91
	Europe Avg	9.09
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

Amnesty International's 2023-23 summary on human rights in Portugal stated:

“Concerns about police brutality and accountability for police misconduct persisted. The safeguards against gender based violence remained inadequate. Thousands of people continued to live in inadequate housing conditions. Migrant workers in the agricultural sector suffered from exploitative conditions of employment.”

"The State of the World's Human Rights 2022/23" by Amnesty International (2023)₂₉

Gender Equality Datasets:

Portugal is notable for its equality between the sexes, even though women were prevented equal voting and standing rights until quite late.

See:

• "Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

Gender Inequality Lower is better30
Pos.		202230
1	Denmark	0.01
2	Norway	0.01
3	Switzerland	0.02
	...
18=	Ireland	0.07
18=	Canada	0.07
20	Germany	0.07
21	Portugal	0.08
22	Japan	0.08
23	France	0.08
24	New Zealand	0.09
25	Israel	0.09
	Europe Avg	0.12
	World Avg	0.34
q=166.

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Total Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
167=	Cape Verde	1975
167=	Angola	1975
167=	Mozambique	1975
170	Portugal	1976
171	Guinea-Bissau	1977
172	Zimbabwe	1978
173=	Marshall Islands	1979
173=	Palau	1979
	Europe Avg	1895
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Prejudice Datasets:

Anti-Semite Opinions Lower is better31
Pos.		2014 %31
1	Laos	0
2	Philippines	3
3	Sweden	4
	...
25=	Ireland	20
25=	Italy	20
25=	China	20
28	Portugal	21
29=	Ivory Coast	22
29=	Estonia	22
31	Japan	23
32=	Trinidad & Tobago	24
	Europe Avg	29.9
	World Avg	36.8
q=101.

LGBT Equality Higher is better32
Pos.		2017 Score32
1	Netherlands	103
2	Belgium	90
3	Sweden	86
	...
16=	Malta	63
16=	Andorra	63
16=	New Zealand	63
16=	Portugal	63
20	Canada	62
21	Colombia	58
22	Finland	57
23	Austria	56
	Europe Avg	46.9
	World Avg	12.6
q=196.

Freedom of Thought Lower is better33
Pos.		202133
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
71=	Peru	2.8
71=	Ireland	2.8
71=	Haiti	2.8
71=	Portugal	2.8
71=	Georgia	2.8
71=	Nepal	2.8
71=	Latvia	2.8
71=	Monaco	2.8
	Europe Avg	2.6
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

5. Portugal's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #portugal #smoking #suicide #vaccines

Compared to Europe (2025)34
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank34
1	Monaco	12.4
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	San Marino	30.6
	...
18	Austria	58.8
19	Spain	62.6
20	Germany	64.3
21	Portugal	65.0
22	Montenegro	66.6
23	Andorra	67.6
24	Cyprus	68.2
25	Czechia	68.2
26	Malta	69.8
	Europe Avg	86.87
q=48.

Health (2025)34
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank34
1	Monaco	12.4
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	San Marino	30.6
	...
31	N. Korea	63.0
32	Germany	64.3
33	China	64.8
34	Portugal	65.0
35	Montenegro	66.6
36	St Martin	66.7
37	Cuba	67.0
38	Israel	67.0
	World Avg	96.86
q=204.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and San Marino₃₅. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₃₅.

36 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate, its immunizations take-up and childhood mortality in the 2020s (so far). The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₃₅, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Melanesia₃₅.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Health Datasets:

Portugal does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Portugal comes in the best 20 for childhood mortality in the 2020s (so far)₃₆. It does better than average in its average life expectancy₁₃, its adolescent birth rate₃₇, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₈, its immunizations take-up₃₉ and in its fertility rate₁₆ (but high for Europe). Portugal doesn't do so well in other areas. Portugal does worse than average in terms of its suicide rate₄₀ (still good for Europe), the prevalence of overweight adults₄₁ (yet still amongst the best in Europe) and in its smoking rate₄₂. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 when it comes to its alcohol consumption rate₄₃. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the past 40 years. Life expectancy in Portugal improved by +7.4yrs in the 30 years from 1990, on par with the global average improvement of +7.9yrs. Portugal's peak fertility rate was 3.23 in 1962.

Life Expectancy Higher is better13
Pos.		2021 Years13
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
24	Austria	81.6
25	Denmark	81.4
26	Cyprus	81.2
27	Portugal	81.0
28	San Marino	80.9
29	UK	80.7
30	Slovenia	80.7
31	Germany	80.6
	Europe Avg	78.36
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better43
Pos.		2016 Per Capita43
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
174	Russia	11.7
175	Seychelles	12.0
176	Belgium	12.1
177	Portugal	12.3
178=	Slovenia	12.6
178=	France	12.6
180=	Romania	12.7
180=	Bulgaria	12.7
	Europe Avg	10.3
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best16
Pos.		202216
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
98	UAE	1.44
99	Oman	2.57
100=	Greece	1.43
100=	Portugal	1.43
102	Bolivia	2.58
103	Russia	1.42
104=	Austria	1.41
104=	Norway	1.41
	Europe Avg	1.53
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking in the 2020s Lower is better42
Pos.		Total %42
1	Nigeria	3.3%
2	Ghana	3.4%
3	Panama	5.2%
	...
117	Ukraine	25.0%
118	Armenia	25.0%
119	Switzerland	25.6%
120	Portugal	25.7%
121	Maldives	26.4%
122	Belgium	26.8%
123	Madagascar	26.9%
124	Cook Islands	27.0%
	Europe Avg	27.0%
	World Avg	20.0%
q=165.

Suicide Rate40
Pos.		2013 Per 100k40
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
	...
46	Kyrgyzstan	17.7
47	Netherlands	18.6
48	Luxembourg	19.3
49	Portugal	19.6
50	Singapore	20.6
51	India	20.8
52	Trinidad & Tobago	21.7
53	USA	22.2
	Europe Avg	26.99
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better38
Pos.		2017 Rank38
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
36	Fiji	36
37	Thailand	37
38	Pakistan	38
39	Portugal	39
40	Brazil	40
41	Iceland	41
42	El Salvador	42
43	Russia	43
	Europe Avg	47.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better41
Pos.		1976 %41
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
106=	Iran	31.1
107	Panama	31.2
108	Georgia	31.4
109	Portugal	31.5
110	Kazakhstan	31.9
111=	Montenegro	32.1
111=	Cuba	32.1
113=	Azerbaijan	32.2
	Europe Avg	38.2
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better44
Pos.		2022 %44
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
110	Albania	26.6%
111	Estonia	26.7%
112	Ecuador	27.0%
113	Portugal	27.1%
114	Peru	27.2%
115	Swaziland	27.3%
116	Canada	27.3%
117	Azerbaijan	27.5%
	Europe Avg	25.9%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199.

Children's Health Datasets:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better37
Pos.		2022 Per 100037
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
29	Qatar	6.9
30	Monaco	6.9
31	Libya	7.0
32	Portugal	7.1
33	Germany	7.2
34	Israel	7.4
35	Australia	7.7
36	Estonia	8.1
	Europe Avg	11.4
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better39
Pos.		2015 Avg %39
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
52	Nicaragua	95.9
53	Tunisia	95.7
54	Japan	95.7
55	Portugal	95.7
56=	Qatar	95.6
56=	Armenia	95.6
58	Uruguay	95.6
59	Bhutan	95.6
	Europe Avg	92.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better36
Pos.		Total Per 100036
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
	...
14=	Monaco	3.55
14=	Italy	3.55
16	S. Korea	3.57
17	Portugal	3.62
18	Andorra	3.69
19	Ireland	3.76
20	Austria	3.81
21	Germany	3.94
	Europe Avg	6.30
	World Avg	32.19
q=195.

6. Responsibility Towards The Environment

#climate_change #energy #Portugal #portugal_and_the_environment #Portugal_environment #sustainability #the_environment

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)45
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank45
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
19	Japan	57.4
20	Uganda	57.8
21	Kenya	57.9
22	Portugal	58.0
23	Mauritius	58.1
24	Germany	58.2
	Europe Avg	86.45
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

Portugal comes 22nd in the world in terms of its responsibility towards the environment. This is computed from 21 data sets. Portugal comes in the best 20 when it comes to its score on the Green Future Index₄₆ (but low for Europe). It does better than average when it comes to its environmental performance₄₇, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₈, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, energy to GDP efficiency₄₉ and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₅₀. But, things could still be better. Portugal sits amongst the bottom 20 in reducing annual meat consumption per person₅₁ (one of the worst in Europe).

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

• Portugal's Responsibility Towards The Environment

7. Portugal's Modernity and Learning

#education #english #intelligence #maths #modernity #portugal #religion #religiosity #research #science #secularisation #technology #the_internet

Compared to Europe (2020)52
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank52
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
21	Poland	33.2
22	Luxembourg	33.9
23	Italy	34.0
24	Portugal	34.4
25	Greece	36.3
26	Slovakia	42.9
27	Malta	45.9
28	Ukraine	47.7
29	Bulgaria	47.8
	Europe Avg	39.81
q=45.

Modernity & Learning (2020)52
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank52
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
30	Luxembourg	33.9
31	Italy	34.0
32	Singapore	34.1
33	Portugal	34.4
34	Greece	36.3
35	Argentina	38.2
36	Slovakia	42.9
37	Grenada	43.4
	World Avg	86.31
q=190.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Belgium and Denmark₅₃. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone₅₃. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₅₄.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”

Bill Emmott (2017)₅₅

15 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Intellectual Endeavours, Maths, Science & Reading, Religiosity, IQ, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₅₃, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₅₃.

For more, see:

• "Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Modernity and Education Datasets:

In the 1990s, Portugal was one of only ten countries to increase its expected duration of education by over 3 years. ₅₆

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.2957
2	Israel	4.1157
3	Japan	3.5857
	...
24	Estonia	1.4357
25	Hungary	1.3757
26	Italy	1.2957
27	Portugal	1.2857
28	Luxembourg	1.2657
29	Spain	1.2257
30	Russia	1.1957
31	New Zealand	1.1758
	Europe Avg	1.32
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education Higher is better59
Pos.		201859
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
100	Dominican Rep.	56.6%
101	Uruguay	56.0%
102	Lebanon	54.9%
103	Portugal	54.2%
104	Turkey	53.1%
105	Costa Rica	52.9%
106	Colombia	52.0%
107	Ecuador	51.9%
	Europe Avg	88.3%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better60
Pos.		2021 Years60
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
17	UK	17.3
18	Hong Kong	17.3
19	Germany	17.0
20	Portugal	16.9
21	Malta	16.8
22	Uruguay	16.8
23	Chile	16.7
24	Costa Rica	16.5
	Europe Avg	16.1
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better38
Pos.		2017 Rank38
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
36	Estonia	36
37	Luxembourg	37
38	USA	38
39	Portugal	39
40	Spain	40
41	Italy	41
42	Slovakia	42
43	Marshall Islands	43
	Europe Avg	31.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Maths, Science & Reading Higher is better61
Pos.		2015 Score61
1	Singapore	1655
2	Hong Kong	1598
3	Japan	1586
	...
21=	Vietnam	1507
21=	Australia	1507
23	UK	1499
24	Portugal	1491
25=	France	1487
25=	Sweden	1487
27	Austria	1477
28	Russia	1476
	Europe Avg	1417
	World Avg	1389
q=70.

Religiosity Lower is better62
Pos.		2018 %62
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
35	Poland	30
36	Serbia	34
37=	Israel	36
37=	Portugal	36
39	Azerbaijan	38
40	Chile	41
41=	Croatia	42
41=	Moldova	42
	Europe Avg	25.8
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

IQ Higher is better63
Pos.		200663
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
36=	Uruguay	96
36=	Slovenia	96
36=	Slovakia	96
39=	Portugal	95
39=	Israel	95
41=	Kazakhstan	94
41=	Vietnam	94
41=	Armenia	94
	Europe Avg	96.6
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information Datasets:

Internet Users Higher is better64
Pos.		201664
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
60	Trinidad & Tobago	69%
61	Malaysia	69%
62	Greenland	67%
63	Portugal	67%
64	Brazil	66%
65	St Kitts & Nevis	66%
66	Dominica	66%
67	Italy	66%
	Europe Avg	76.7%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better65
Pos.		2017 Ratio65
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
4	USA	35.0
5	Greece	33.5
6	Luxembourg	32.4
7	India	26.8
8	Portugal	26.6
9	Ireland	26.1
10	UK	24.7
11	Japan	22.1
12	France	18.8
	Europe Avg	8.11
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Digital Quality of Life Higher is better66
Pos.		202466
1	Germany	77.9%
2	Finland	76.9%
3	France	73.9%
	...
26	Italy	63.3%
27	Czechia	63.2%
28	Latvia	63.2%
29	Portugal	62.8%
30	Slovenia	62.3%
31	Cyprus	61.6%
32	New Zealand	61.1%
33	Croatia	61.1%
	Europe Avg	61.0%
	World Avg	48.4%
q=121.

8. Portugal's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#capitalism #charitability #charity #corruption #culture #economics #equality #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #internationalism #life_expectancy #morals #peace #politics #poverty #religious_violence #social_development #terrorism

Compared to Europe (2020)67
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank67
1	Denmark	11.3
2	Netherlands	13.7
3	Finland	13.7
	...
19	Poland	38.4
20	Spain	39.3
21	Cyprus	40.1
22	Portugal	41.7
23	Estonia	41.8
24	Italy	42.2
25	Slovakia	43.9
26	Croatia	50.0
27	Latvia	54.0
	Europe Avg	48.48
q=44.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2020)67
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank67
1	Denmark	11.3
2	Netherlands	13.7
3	Finland	13.7
	...
25	Japan	40.0
26	Hong Kong	40.1
27	Cyprus	40.1
28	Portugal	41.7
29	Estonia	41.8
30	S. Korea	42.1
31	Italy	42.2
32	Slovakia	43.9
	World Avg	80.34
q=186.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 32 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, passport utility in the 2020s (so far), Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, poverty in the 2020s (so far), Inequality in Life Expectancy, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

• "Which are the Countries for International Contributions, Creativity, Peace and Inequality?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

National Culture Datasets:

Portugal has a good long-term record on keeping corruption low.

World Giving Index Higher is better68
Pos.		2022 %68
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
	...
115=	Armenia	29.0
116	Tunisia	28.0
117	Laos	27.0
118	Portugal	26.0
119	Lebanon	24.0
120	Egypt	23.0
121	S. Korea	22.0
122=	Afghanistan	21.0
	Europe Avg	39.0
	World Avg	39.6
q=125.

Corruption Higher is better69
Pos.		2022 Points69
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
31=	S. Korea	63.0
31=	Israel	63.0
33=	Lithuania	62.0
33=	Portugal	62.0
35=	Cape Verde	60.0
35=	Spain	60.0
35=	St Vincent & Grenadines	60.0
35=	Botswana	60.0
	Europe Avg	57.61
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Happiness Higher is better70
Pos.		2024 Score70
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
57	Philippines	6.1
58	S. Korea	6.0
59	Bahrain	6.0
60	Portugal	6.0
61	Colombia	6.0
62	Ecuador	6.0
63	Honduras	6.0
64	Malaysia	6.0
	Europe Avg	6.37
	World Avg	5.58
q=147.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better38
Pos.		2017 Rank38
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
9	Czechia	9
10	Luxembourg	10
11	UK	11
12	Portugal	12
13	Finland	13
14	France	14
15	Germany	15
16	Slovenia	16
	Europe Avg	35.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Passport Reach (2020s) Higher is better71
Pos.		Total Q71
1	Singapore	192.2
2	Japan	192.0
3	S. Korea	190.7
	...
12=	Netherlands	188.3
12=	Sweden	188.3
14	Ireland	188.2
15	Portugal	187.7
16	Belgium	187.2
17=	Norway	186.8
17=	Switzerland	186.8
17=	UK	186.8
	Europe Avg	160.7
	World Avg	108.8
q=195.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better38
Pos.		2017 Rank38
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
18	Singapore	18
19	Malaysia	19
20	Nicaragua	20
21	Portugal	21
22	Moldova	22
23	Hungary	23
24	Jordan	24
25	Mauritius	25
	Europe Avg	42.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Peace Versus Instability Datasets:

Global Peace Index Lower is better72
Pos.		2023 Score72
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
4	New Zealand	1.31
5	Austria	1.32
6	Singapore	1.33
7	Portugal	1.33
8	Slovenia	1.33
9	Japan	1.34
10	Switzerland	1.34
11	Canada	1.35
12	Czechia	1.38
	Europe Avg	1.70
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better38
Pos.		2017 Rank38
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
130	Papua New Guinea	130
131	Syria	131
132	Belarus	132
133	Portugal	133
134	El Salvador	134
135	Macedonia	135
136	Armenia	136
137	Dominica	137
	Europe Avg	84.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better38
Pos.		2017 Rank38
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
25	S. Africa	25
26	Chile	26
27	Panama	27
28	Portugal	28
29	USA	29
30	Singapore	30
31	Greece	31
32	Bulgaria	32
	Europe Avg	37.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better73
Pos.		2019 Score73
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
4	Equatorial Guinea	0.00
5	Cambodia	0.00
6	Portugal	0.00
7	Croatia	0.00
8	Benin	0.00
9	Mauritania	0.00
10	Slovenia	0.00
11	Costa Rica	0.00
12	Romania	0.00
	Europe Avg	1.62
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets:

Poverty (2020s) Lower is better74
Pos.		Total %74
1	Malaysia	0.01%
2	Bhutan	0.01%
3	Cyprus	0.02%
	...
25	Albania	0.34%
26	Croatia	0.36%
27	Estonia	0.39%
28	Portugal	0.40%
29	Tonga	0.41%
30	Mongolia	0.44%
31	Slovakia	0.45%
32	Latvia	0.47%
	Europe Avg	1.20%
	World Avg	11.40%
q=106.

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better75
Pos.		201975
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
14	Israel	3.30
15=	Luxembourg	3.40
15=	Ireland	3.40
17=	Portugal	3.50
17=	Greece	3.50
17=	Switzerland	3.50
20=	Belgium	3.60
20=	Estonia	3.60
	Europe Avg	4.86
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better76
Pos.		2023 %76
1	Slovakia	24.1%77
2	Slovenia	24.3%77
3	Belarus	24.4%78
	...
76=	Montenegro	34.3%77
76=	Latvia	34.3%77
78	Benin	34.4%77
79	Portugal	34.6%77
80=	Iran	34.8%79
80=	Italy	34.8%77
82	Thailand	34.9%77
83	Ethiopia	35.0%80
	Europe Avg	30.7%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #christianity #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion #religiosity #secularisation

Religiosity (2018)62
Pos.		Lower is better %62
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
35	Poland	30
36	Serbia	34
37=	Israel	36
37=	Portugal	36
39	Azerbaijan	38
40	Chile	41
41=	Croatia	42
41=	Moldova	42
43	Argentina	43
44	Mexico	45
45	Kyrgyzstan	47
46	Kosovo	48
47=	Tajikistan	50
47=	Romania	50
49	Georgia	51
50=	Armenia	53
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Disbelief In God (2007)81
Pos.		Higher is better %81
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
54=	Namibia	4
54=	Iran	4
54=	Mexico	4
54=	Portugal	4
54=	Romania	4
54=	Argentina	4
54=	Georgia	4
54=	Uzbekistan	4
62=	Lebanon	3
62=	Congo, (Brazzaville)	3
62=	Poland	3
62=	Jamaica	3
62=	India	3
67=	Angola	2
67=	Chile	2
67=	Central African Rep.	2
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₈₂:

	2010	2020
Christian	91.8%	85.1%
Unaffiliated	7.23%	13.8%
Muslim	0.251%	0.409%
Other	0.356%	0.285%
Hindu	0.189%	0.219%
Buddhist	0.176%	0.199%
Jewish	<0.1%	<0.1%

It appears that when asked "What religion are you" many give pollsters the 'correct' answer despite how they actually feel, and despite what they actually believe. Although 86.2% of the populace say they belong to a religion, only 36% say that they are religious when the question is phrased as "Is religion an important part of your daily life?".

For more on this phenomenon, see:

• "Institutionalized Religions Have Their Numbers Inflated by National Polls" by Vexen Crabtree (2009)

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Roman Catholic 84.5%, other Christian 2.2%, other 0.3%, unknown 9%, none 3.9% (2001 census)₈₃.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?