Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in Portugal
Portugal: Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits was 1.3% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in Portugal, 1980–2021
Source: OECD (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Portugal recorded 1.3% for female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in 2021.
That represents a change of down 4.8% on the previous year and up 9.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in Portugal peaked at 1.4% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 0.6%, in 1989.
That places Portugal 37th out of 41 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 42 years of available data.
Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in Portugal, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 0.6% | — |
| 1981 | 0.7% | +13.8% |
| 1982 | 0.7% | -3.7% |
| 1983 | 0.7% | +0.1% |
| 1984 | 0.7% | -5.4% |
| 1985 | 0.6% | -9.4% |
| 1986 | 0.7% | +10.0% |
| 1987 | 0.7% | -0.9% |
| 1988 | 0.6% | -6.0% |
| 1989 | 0.6% | -5.9% |
| 1990 | 0.7% | +18.7% |
| 1991 | 0.7% | +7.9% |
| 1992 | 0.7% | -1.2% |
| 1993 | 0.7% | +2.0% |
| 1994 | 0.7% | -5.6% |
| 1995 | 0.7% | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 0.7% | -1.6% |
| 1997 | 0.7% | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 0.9% | +28.4% |
| 1999 | 0.9% | +4.0% |
| 2000 | 1.0% | +5.8% |
| 2001 | 1.0% | +3.6% |
| 2002 | 1.3% | +29.5% |
| 2003 | 1.4% | +7.9% |
| 2004 | 1.2% | -17.4% |
| 2005 | 1.2% | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 1.2% | -1.6% |
| 2007 | 1.2% | -0.9% |
| 2008 | 1.2% | +7.0% |
| 2009 | 1.4% | +17.2% |
| 2010 | 1.4% | -4.1% |
| 2011 | 1.2% | -13.0% |
| 2012 | 1.2% | +2.4% |
| 2013 | 1.2% | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 1.2% | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 1.2% | -2.2% |
| 2016 | 1.2% | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 1.2% | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 1.2% | -1.7% |
| 2019 | 1.2% | +1.8% |
| 2020 | 1.4% | +14.5% |
| 2021 | 1.3% | -4.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.8% | 0.7% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.2% | 1.0% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.4% | 1.3% | 1.4% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Portugal
More work & labour data for Portugal
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.0538 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.055 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.0528 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -2.28 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate -0.1795 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 7,134 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 1,861 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 4,504 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 4,250 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 8,754 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in Portugal?
- Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in Portugal was 1.3% in 2021, according to OECD (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest female employment vs. public spending on family benefits recorded in Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 1.4% in 2009.
- What is the lowest female employment vs. public spending on family benefits recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.6% in 1989.
- How does Portugal rank for female employment vs. public spending on family benefits?
- Portugal ranks 37th out of 41 countries with data for 2021.
- Is female employment vs. public spending on family benefits rising or falling in Portugal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Portugal data come from?
- The figures come from OECD (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 42 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Public social expenditure divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage. Includes both in-cash and in-kind benefits in family programs.