Portugal Demographics

What is the population of Portugal?

Population 10,302,674
Population Growth Rate 0.15%
Urban Population 61.1%
Population in Major Urban Areas LISBON (capital) 2.843 million; Porto 1.367 million
Nationality Noun Portuguese (singular and plural)
Nationality Adjective Portuguese
Ethnic Groups homogeneous Mediterranean stock; citizens of black African descent who immigrated to mainland during decolonization number less than 100,000; since 1990 East Europeans have entered Portugal
Languages Spoken Portuguese (official), Mirandese (official - but locally used)

Portugal Health Information

What are the health conditions in Portugal?

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate - female 15-49 86.8%
Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population 10.91
Drinking Water Source - percent of rural population improved 99.9%
Drinking Water Source - percent of total population unimproved 0.2%
Drinking Water Source - percent of urban population improved 99.8%
Health Expenditures - percent of GDP 10.4%
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate 0.6%
HIV/Aids Deaths 450
Hospital Bed Density - beds/1,000 population 3.4
Infant Mortality Rate - female deaths/1,000 live births 4.07
Infant Mortality Rate - male deaths/1,000 live births 4.98
Infant Mortality Rate - total deaths/1,000 live births 4.54
Maternal Mortality Rate - deaths/100,000 live births 8
Mean Age for Mother's First Birth 27.4
Obesity - adult prevalence rate 24%
People Living with HIV/AIDS 42,000
Physicians Density - physicians/1,000 population 3.76
Sanitation Facility Access - percent of urban population improved 100%
Sanitation Facility Access - percent of rural population improved 100%
Total Fertility Rate - children born/woman 1.51

Portugal Life Expectancy

How long do people live in Portugal?

Life Expectancy at Birth 78 Years
Life Expectancy at Birth - female 82 Years
Life Expectancy at Birth - male 75 Years
Median Age 40 Years
Median Age - female 42 Years
Median Age - male 38 Years

Portugal Infant Mortality - per 1,000 live births

Portugal median age, birth rate and death rates

Birth Rate - births/1,000 population 10
Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population 10.91
Median Age 40 Years
Median Age - female 42 Years
Median Age - male 38 Years
Net Migration Rate - migrant(s)/1,000 population 2.82
Population Growth Rate 0.15%
Sex Ratio 0-14 Years - male/female 1.09
Sex Ratio 15-24 Years - male/female 1.13
Sex Ratio 25-54 Years - male/female 1.02
Sex Ratio 55-64 Years - male/female .95
Sex Ratio at Birth - male/female 1.07
Sex Ratio of Total Population - male/female .95
Sex Ratio Over 64 Years - male/female .69

Portugal Medical Information

What are the health conditions in Portugal?

Medical Facilities and Health Information

Good medical care is available, but facilities may be limited outside urban areas. Public hospitals offer services at costs lower than private hospitals, but sometimes do not maintain the same comforts as hospitals in the United States. You should obtain insurance that covers medical services from a private Portuguese hospital or clinic. Private hospitals will ask for a credit card or other form of payment upon admission. In a life-threatening emergency, you can ask for a public ambulance by calling the national emergency response telephone number, 112. On the other hand, private ambulances should only be used for transport, not life-threatening emergencies, and usually require on-the-spot payment. Note that the responsiveness of emergency services is not up to U.S. standards.

Prescription Medicines: Travelers sometimes request that relatives or friends in the United States mail prescription medicines to them in Portugal, but doing so violates Portuguese law and usually results in the shipment of medications being impounded by the Portuguese customs office. When this occurs, your medications may not be released. If you use prescription medicine, you must bring a sufficient supply with you to cover your anticipated stay in Portugal, along with a copy of your physician's prescription. Should an unforeseen need for prescription refills or new medications arise, Portuguese pharmacies generally carry equivalent medications to those found in the United States; however, they may be sold under a different brand, may not be available in the same dosage, and may require a prescription from a local doctor.

Portugal Education

What is school like in Portugal?

Education Expenditures - percent of GDP 5.6%
Literacy - female 91.3%
Literacy - male 95.5%
Literacy - total population 93.3%
Literacy Definition age 15 and over can read and write
School Life Expectancy - female 17 Years
School Life Expectancy - male 16 Years
Total School Life Expectancy - (primary to tertiary) 16 Years

Portugal Literacy

Can people in Portugal read?

Literacy - female 91.3%
Literacy - male 95.5%
Literacy - total population 93.3%
Literacy Definition age 15 and over can read and write
Predominant Language Portuguese (official), Mirandese (official - but locally used)

Portugal Crime

Is Portugal a safe place to visit?

Crime Information

Portugal has a relatively low rate of violent crime; however, crime in all categories is steadily increasing. Your greatest crime risk is becoming a target of pickpockets and purse snatchers, particularly at popular tourist sites and restaurants, or on public transportation. Rental cars and vehicles with out-of-town or foreign license plates are frequent targets for break-ins, particularly when parked in popular tourist destinations and beaches. You should always remove visible luggage or personal items from cars when parking. The Embassy has learned of incidents where travelers discover a flat tire and someone immediately volunteers to assist. Capitalizing on the distraction, an accomplice meanwhile steals valuables from the vehicle. Keep your car doors locked when stopped at intersections. You should also avoid using automatic teller machines (ATMs) in isolated or poorly lighted areas. In general, visitors to Portugal should carry limited cash and credit cards on their person, and leave extra cash, credit cards, and personal documents at home or in a hotel safe. While thieves may operate anywhere, the U.S. Embassy receives most reports of theft from the following areas:

Lisbon: Pick pocketing and purse snatchings in the Lisbon area are most likely to occur in buses, hotel lobbies, restaurants, the airport, trains, train stations, and trams, especially onboard tram number 28 to the Castle of São Jorge. At restaurants, items that hang over the backs of chairs or are placed on the floor are particularly vulnerable. Unattended luggage can be stolen at the Lisbon Airport. You should take special care in the Oriente, Santa Apolonia, and Rossio train stations, the Sete Rios bus station, the Alfama, Baixa and Bairro Alto districts, and the tourist area of Belém.

Outside Lisbon: Thefts have been reported in the popular tourist destination towns of Sintra, Cascais, Mafra, Fatima, and in the Algarve. Thieves reportedly scout parking areas alongside tourist attractions and beaches watching for rented cars. You should take special care when parking at the Moorish Castle and Pena Palace in Sintra; and at the beachfront areas of Guincho, Cabo da Roca, and Boca do Inferno. We have received some reports that vacation homes have been robbed in the Algarve. When renting vacation lodging, make sure to assess the accommodation’s security systems.

Madeira: Pick pocketing, while infrequent, may occur in the Old Town and Santa Catarina Park areas of Funchal.

Trains: Public transportation is considered safe and reliable; however, during the summer months, there are occasionally reports of youth gangs accosting passengers riding trains between Lisbon, Cascais, and Sintra. The authorities have increased their patrols in response to these incidents.

Taxis: Taxis are a reliable means of transportation, though you should be alert to possible discrepancies between the meter fare and the amount requested by the driver. Always ask the taxi driver to use the meter. A tourism information kiosk in the arrivals area of the Lisbon airport sells taxi vouchers at standardized prices for many locations in the city and metro area. As part of this voucher service, a member of the tourism office will also escort you to your taxi. Some cases have been reported involving taxi drivers in the arrivals area of the airport who overcharge, threaten and/or harass passengers.

Beaches: Beaches are generally considered safe, but beachgoers should not leave their personal belongings unattended. Youth gangs have been known to congregate along the beaches between Lisbon and Cascais and occasionally accost beach-goers. The authorities have increased their patrols in response to these incidences.

Don’t buy counterfeit and pirated goods, even if they are widely available. Not only are the bootlegs illegal in the United States, if you purchase them you may also be breaking local law.

Portugal Penalties for Crime

Criminal Penalties

While you are traveling in Portugal, you are subject to its laws even if you are a U.S. citizen. Foreign laws and legal systems can be vastly different than our own..

Although it is not illegal, it is advisable not to take pictures of military and security sites in Portugal. You can be prosecuted under U.S. law if you buy bootleg or pirated goods.Engaging in sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime prosecutable in the United States. If you break local laws in Portugal, your U.S. passport won’t help you avoid arrest or prosecution. It’s very important to know what’s legal and what’s not wherever you go.

Possession and use of narcotic drugs is an administrative offense in Portugal, and users can face mandatory drug treatment. Penalties for trafficking in illegal drugs are severe, and offenders can expect long jail sentences.

Arrest notifications in host country: While some countries will automatically notify the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate if a U.S. citizen is detained or arrested in a foreign country, that might not always be the case. To ensure that the United States is aware of your circumstances, request that the police and prison officials notify the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate as soon as you are arrested or detained overseas.

Portugal Population Comparison

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