Portugal (Portuguese Republic)

Portugal Portuguese Republic
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	22nd 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
   1. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets
   2. Gender Equality Datasets
   3. Prejudice Datasets
5. Portugal's Health
   1. Health Datasets
   2. Children's Health Datasets
6. Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. Portugal's Modernity and Learning
   1. Modernity Datasets
   2. Education Datasets
   3. Technology and Information Datasets
8. Portugal's Culture, Peace and Inequality
   1. National Culture Datasets
   2. Peace Versus Instability Datasets
   3. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets
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	26.9
2	Norway	29.1
3	Sweden	29.9
	...
19	Australia	43.5
20	Italy	43.7
21	Slovenia	44.3
22	Portugal	45.6
23	Ireland	46.2
24	Czechia	48.8
25	S. Korea	48.9
26	Taiwan	50.0
	Europe Avg	55.7
	World Avg	89.0
q=200.

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, once you take mortality into account₁₅. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₆

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. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best17
Pos.		202217
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. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better18
Pos.		2016 Per 10018
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:

Immigrants19
Pos.		2017 %19
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.

Emigrants20
Pos.		2010 %20
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)21
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank21
1	Sweden	7.8
2	Netherlands	8.7
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
15	Spain	29.0
16	Italy	29.9
17	Slovenia	30.9
18	Portugal	35.8
19	Malta	38.0
20	Czechia	38.0
21	Estonia	40.2
22	Slovakia	46.3
23	Poland	46.8
	Europe Avg	47.37
q=49.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)21
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank21
1	Sweden	7.8
2	Netherlands	8.7
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
20	Slovenia	30.9
21	Uruguay	31.2
22	Japan	31.6
23	Portugal	35.8
24	Malta	38.0
25	Czechia	38.0
26	Costa Rica	38.8
27	Estonia	40.2
	World Avg	89.80
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, The Netherlands and Denmark₂₂. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia₂₂.

31 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 Europe₂₂, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia₂₂.

For more, see:

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

4.1. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets

#freedom #human_rights #international_law #mass_media #politics #portugal #slavery #UK

Press Freedom Higher is better23
Pos.		202523
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. Also scored for 2000s-2010s.

Slavery in the 2020s Lower is better24
Pos.		Total Per 100024
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. Also scored for 2010s-2020s.

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)₂₅.

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom Lower is better26
Pos.		2014 Rank26
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. Also scored for 1970s-2010s.

Human Rights Watch Comments Higher is better27
Pos.		2017 Score27
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 better28
Pos.		2009 Treaties28
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 better29
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty29
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)₃₀

4.2. Gender Equality Datasets

#gender #gender_equality #human_rights #misogyny #politics #women

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 better31
Pos.		202231
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. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

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.

4.3. Prejudice Datasets

#antisemitism #freethought #homosexuality #religious_tolerance

Anti-Semite Opinions Lower is better32
Pos.		2014 %32
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 in the 2020s Higher is better33
Pos.		Total Score33
1=	Germany	4.88
1=	Spain	4.88
3	Portugal	4.81
4	Brazil	4.80
5	France	4.76
6	Norway	4.73
7=	Netherlands	4.72
7=	Argentina	4.72
9	USA	4.68
10=	UK	4.66
10=	Luxembourg	4.66
12	Mexico	4.35
	Europe Avg	1.77
	World Avg	-1.21
q=215. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

During the period of the Christian Inquisition (16th-18th centuries), male homosexuality was punishable by death. Queen Maria II decriminalized it in 1852, but King Luis I reversed this in 1886. LGBT folk were fully persecuted as a result of dictator Estado Novo's personal prejudices. And in general though all this, female homosexuality was rarely prosecuted. As Christian morality became less fierce, the legality of homosexuality was restored in 1982 and the age of consent equalized at 16 in 2007. Civil partnerships granted some rights from 2001 until full same-sex marriage became legal in 2010 (the 8th country to do so). Equal adoption rights came in 2016. LGBT folk can serve openly in the military. Portugal today has some of the strongest constitutional protections against discrimination in Europe; ILGA researchers in 2017 found that Portugal had constitutional and legal protections against anti-LGBT employment discrimination, hate crime and incitement.

Actions taken at the United Nations:

•  ⇡  Supported a 2003 resolution at the UN Commission tabled by Brazil, on prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and supported it in 2004 (it was defeated both times by the Vatican and a collection of Islamic countries).
•  ⇡  Supported the 2006 Norway Joint Statement on sexual orientation and gender identity at the UN.
•  ⇡  Supported the 2008 Declaration at the UN General Assemly affirming LGBTQ rights, tabled by Argentina.
•  ⇡  In 2025, signed the UN Human Rights Council Joint statement on ending acts of violence and human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
•  ⇡  In 2022, voted to renew the UN Human Rights Council Independent Expert on discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
•  ⇡  In 2025, voted to renew the UN Human Rights Council Independent Expert on discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Freedom of Thought Lower is better34
Pos.		202134
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)35
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank35
1	Monaco	10.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Sweden	42.3
	...
13	Belgium	51.1
14	Italy	56.9
15	Slovenia	58.6
16	Portugal	60.4
17	Spain	61.6
18	Andorra	63.1
19	UK	63.2
20	Czechia	64.6
21	Austria	65.8
	Europe Avg	86.87
q=48.

Health (2025)35
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank35
1	Monaco	10.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Japan	37.3
	...
20	Slovenia	58.6
21	Malaysia	60.1
22	Australia	60.4
23	Portugal	60.4
24	Hong Kong	61.0
25	Spain	61.6
26	Canada	62.0
27	Cuba	62.5
	World Avg	97.57
q=207.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and Japan₃₆. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₃₆.

42 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, delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations, delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 and childhood mortality. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₃₆, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia₃₆.

For more, see:

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

5.1. Health Datasets

#alcohol #birth_control #children's_health #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #obesity #overpopulation #portugal #smoking #suicide #vaccines

Portugal does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Portugal performs the best in delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations in the 2020s₃₇. It comes in the best 20 in terms of childhood mortality in the 2020s₃₈. It does better than average when it comes to its average life expectancy₁₃, its adolescent birth rate₃₉, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₄₀, delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015₄₁ and in its fertility rate₁₇ (but bad for Europe). But, things still need to improve in Portugal. Portugal does worse than average for its suicide rate₄₂ (still good for Europe), the prevalence of overweight adults₄₃ (yet still amongst the best in Europe) and in its smoking rate₄₄. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 in terms of its alcohol consumption rate₄₅. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% during 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. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better45
Pos.		2016 Per Capita45
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 best17
Pos.		202217
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. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Smoking in the 2020s Lower is better44
Pos.		Total %44
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. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

Suicide Rate42
Pos.		2013 Per 100k42
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 better40
Pos.		2017 Rank40
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 better43
Pos.		1976 %43
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 better46
Pos.		2022 %46
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. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

5.2. Children's Health Datasets

#children's_health #health #parenting #population #vaccines

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better39
Pos.		2022 Per 100039
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. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s) Higher is better37
Pos.		Total Avg %37
1=	Luxembourg	99.0
1=	Oman	99.0
1=	Niue	99.0
1=	French Polynesia	99.0
1=	Monaco	99.0
1=	Portugal	99.0
1=	Nicaragua	99.0
1=	Brunei	99.0
1=	Tonga	99.0
1=	Cuba	99.0
1=	Hungary	99.0
12	N. Korea	98.7
	Europe Avg	93.2
	World Avg	88.5
q=211. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.

7x Infant Immunizations (2011-2015) Higher is better41
Pos.		2015 Avg %41
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 better38
Pos.		Total Per 100038
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. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

6. Responsibility Towards The Environment

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

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)47
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank47
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 is positioned 22nd in the world when it comes to its responsibility towards the environment. This is computed from 21 data sets. Portugal comes in the best 20 for its score on the Green Future Index₄₈ (but low for Europe). It does better than average in its environmental performance₄₉, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₅₀, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, energy to GDP efficiency₅₁ and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₅₂. Portugal does not succeed in everything, however. Portugal falls into the worst 20 in reducing annual meat consumption per person₅₃ (amongst 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 #metric #modernity #portugal #religion #religiosity #research #science #secularisation #technology #the_internet

Compared to Europe (2025)54
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank54
1	Vatican City	1.0
2	Finland	4.8
3	Belgium	8.5
	...
18	Liechtenstein	20.9
19	Luxembourg	21.8
20	Poland	22.0
21	Portugal	22.1
22	Italy	23.0
23	Slovenia	24.1
24	Slovakia	27.5
25	Latvia	29.0
26	Lithuania	29.6
	Europe Avg	31.28
q=49.

Modernity & Learning (2025)54
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank54
1	Vatican City	1.0
2	Finland	4.8
3	Belgium	8.5
	...
19	Liechtenstein	20.9
20	Luxembourg	21.8
21	Poland	22.0
22	Portugal	22.1
23	Italy	23.0
24	Slovenia	24.1
25	Taiwan	25.4
26	S. Korea	25.5
	World Avg	80.33
q=194.

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 The Vatican City, Finland and Belgium₅₅. The worst countries are S. Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia₅₅. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₅₆.

“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)₅₇

23 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Intellectual Endeavours, metric system adoption rate, Religiosity, IQ, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Maths, Science & Reading, 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 Europe₅₅, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₅₅.

For more, see:

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

7.1. Modernity Datasets

#intelligence #metric #religion #religiosity #research #science #secularisation

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.2958
2	Israel	4.1158
3	Japan	3.5858
	...
24	Estonia	1.4358
25	Hungary	1.3758
26	Italy	1.2958
27	Portugal	1.2858
28	Luxembourg	1.2658
29	Spain	1.2258
30	Russia	1.1958
31	New Zealand	1.1759
	Europe Avg	1.32
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better40
Pos.		2017 Rank40
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.

Metric System Adoption Rate Higher is better60
Pos.		2025 %60
1=	Slovakia	100
1=	Poland	100
1=	Portugal	100
1=	Romania	100
1=	Finland	100
1=	San Marino	100
1=	Iceland	100
1=	Belgium	100
1=	Liechtenstein	100
1=	Austria	100
1=	France	100
1=	Australia	100
	Europe Avg	97
	World Avg	92
q=187. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

Portugal officially adopted metric in 1872₆₁. Progression:

• 1960 (100%): Fully metric in law/commerce; traditional usage limited.
• 1970 (100%).
• 1980 (100%).
• 2000 (100%).
• 2025 (100%).

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.

7.2. Education Datasets

#education #english #maths #portugal #science

In the 1990s, Portugal was one of only ten countries to increase its expected duration of education by over 3 years. ₆₄

Secondary Education Higher is better65
Pos.		201865
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 better66
Pos.		2021 Years66
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. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Maths, Science & Reading Higher is better67
Pos.		2015 Score67
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.

7.3. Technology and Information Datasets

#modernity #technology #the_internet

Internet Users Higher is better68
Pos.		201668
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 better69
Pos.		2017 Ratio69
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 better70
Pos.		202470
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 #charity #corruption #economics #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #internationalism #life_expectancy #morals #peace #politics #poverty #religious_violence #social_development #terrorism

8.1. National Culture Datasets

#charity #corruption #happiness #internationalism #morals #politics

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

World Giving Index Higher is better71
Pos.		2022 %71
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. Also scored for 2010s.

Corruption Higher is better72
Pos.		2022 Points72
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. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Happiness Higher is better73
Pos.		2024 Score73
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. Also scored for 2010s.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better40
Pos.		2017 Rank40
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 better74
Pos.		Total Q74
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. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better40
Pos.		2017 Rank40
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.

8.2. Peace Versus Instability Datasets

#extremism #human_development #peace #politics #religious_violence #terrorism

Global Peace Index Lower is better75
Pos.		2023 Score75
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. Also scored for 2010s.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better40
Pos.		2017 Rank40
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 better40
Pos.		2017 Rank40
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 better76
Pos.		2019 Score76
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.

8.3. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets

#capitalism #economics #health #inequality #life_expectancy #poverty #social_development

Poverty (2020s) Lower is better77
Pos.		Total %77
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. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better78
Pos.		201978
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 better79
Pos.		2023 %79
1	Slovakia	24.1%80
2	Slovenia	24.3%80
3	Belarus	24.4%81
	...
76=	Montenegro	34.3%80
76=	Latvia	34.3%80
78	Benin	34.4%80
79	Portugal	34.6%80
80=	Iran	34.8%82
80=	Italy	34.8%80
82	Thailand	34.9%80
83	Ethiopia	35.0%83
	Europe Avg	30.7%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167. Also scored for 1980s-2010s.

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)84
Pos.		Higher is better %84
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:₈₅:

	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)₈₆.

Links:

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