Population by labor force status in Portugal
Portugal: Population by labor force status was 1.32 million people in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
1.32 million people
Change on year
down 0.8%
World rank
114th
of 186 countries
All-time high
1.97 million people
in 1991
All-time low
1.32 million people
in 2025
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Population by labor force status in Portugal, 1991–2025
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
Portugal recorded 1.32 million people for population by labor force status in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 10.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population by labor force status in Portugal peaked at 1.97 million people in 1991 and was at its lowest, 1.32 million people, in 2025.
That places Portugal 114th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Population by labor force status in Portugal, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1.97 million people | — |
| 1992 | 1.90 million people | -3.4% |
| 1993 | 1.85 million people | -2.4% |
| 1994 | 1.82 million people | -2.0% |
| 1995 | 1.78 million people | -2.0% |
| 1996 | 1.75 million people | -1.7% |
| 1997 | 1.73 million people | -1.4% |
| 1998 | 1.71 million people | -1.1% |
| 1999 | 1.70 million people | -0.7% |
| 2000 | 1.69 million people | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 1.68 million people | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 1.68 million people | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 1.68 million people | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 1.68 million people | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 1.67 million people | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 1.66 million people | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 1.65 million people | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 1.64 million people | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 1.62 million people | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 1.61 million people | -1.1% |
| 2011 | 1.59 million people | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 1.57 million people | -1.1% |
| 2013 | 1.55 million people | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 1.51 million people | -2.0% |
| 2015 | 1.48 million people | -2.1% |
| 2016 | 1.46 million people | -1.7% |
| 2017 | 1.44 million people | -1.4% |
| 2018 | 1.42 million people | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 1.40 million people | -1.2% |
| 2020 | 1.38 million people | -1.2% |
| 2021 | 1.37 million people | -1.2% |
| 2022 | 1.35 million people | -0.8% |
| 2023 | 1.34 million people | -0.7% |
| 2024 | 1.33 million people | -0.8% |
| 2025 | 1.32 million people | -0.8% |
Portugal compared with similar countries
- Portugal's 1.32 million people is above the median for high income countries, which is 941,170 people, 1.4× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Portugal's 1.32 million people is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.31 million people, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.80 million people | 1.70 million people | 1.97 million people | 9 |
| 2000s | 1.67 million people | 1.62 million people | 1.69 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.50 million people | 1.40 million people | 1.61 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.35 million people | 1.32 million people | 1.38 million people | 6 |
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 population by labor force status in Portugal?
- Population by labor force status in Portugal was 1.32 million people in 2025, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest population by labor force status recorded in Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 1.97 million people in 1991.
- What is the lowest population by labor force status recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.32 million people in 2025.
- How does Portugal rank for population by labor force status?
- Portugal ranks 114th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population by labor force status rising or falling in Portugal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Portugal data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Population by labor force status. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Population below working age (under 15 years old).