Portugal — Country profile

Portuguese (official), Mirandese (official, but locally used)

Catholic 68.1%, not applicable 12.9%, no religion 12.0%, no response 2.2%, Protestant 1.8%, other 1.0%; less than 1%: other Christians, Orthodox, Muslim (2021 est.)

8.03 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

10.92 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Portuguese 95%; citizens from Portugal’s former colonies in Africa, Asia (Han Chinese), and South America (Brazilian) and other foreign born 5%

5.85 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

1.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

3.5 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)

1.46 children born/woman (2025 est.)

-0.11% (2025 est.)

0.71 (2025 est.)

concentrations are primarily along or near the Atlantic coast; both Lisbon and the second largest city, Porto, are coastal cities

15 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

3.001 million LISBON (capital), 1.325 million Porto (2023)

20.8% (2016)

29.9 years (2020 est.)

50.6% (2021 est.)

0.9% (2016 est.)

description: two vertical bands of green (left side, two-fifths) and red (three-fifths), with the national coat of arms (armillary sphere and national shield) centered on the dividing line

meaning: explanations for the color meanings are ambiguous, but a popular interpretation says that green symbolizes hope and red the blood of those defending the nation

18 years of age; universal

1143 (Kingdom of Portugal recognized); 1 December 1640 (independence reestablished after 60 years of Spanish rule); 5 October 1910 (republic proclaimed)

civil law system; Constitutional Court reviews legislative acts

semi-presidential republic

Portugal Day (Dia de Portugal), 10 June (1580)

red, green

Democratic Alliance or AD (2024 electoral alliance in the Azores, includes PSD, CDS-PP, PPM)
Democratic and Social Center/People's Party (Partido do Centro Democratico Social-Partido Popular) or CDS-PP
Ecologist Party "The Greens" or "Os Verdes" (Partido Ecologista-Os Verdes) or PEV
Enough (Chega)
Liberal Initiative (Iniciativa Liberal) or IL
LIVRE or L
People-Animals-Nature Party (Pessoas-Animais-Natureza) or PAN
People's Monarchist Party or PPM
Portuguese Communist Party (Partido Comunista Portugues) or PCP
Social Democratic Party (Partido Social Democrata) or PSD (formerly the Partido Popular Democratico or PPD)
Socialist Party (Partido Socialista) or PS
The Left Bloc (Bloco de Esquerda) or BE or O Bloco
Unitary Democratic Coalition (Coligacao Democratica Unitaria) or CDU (includes PCP and PEV) (2024)

armillary sphere (a spherical astrolabe for modeling objects in the sky)

18 districts (distritos, singular - distrito) and 2 autonomous regions* (regioes autonomas, singular - regiao autonoma); Aveiro, Acores (Azores)*, Beja, Braga, Braganca, Castelo Branco, Coimbra, Evora, Faro, Guarda, Leiria, Lisboa (Lisbon), Madeira*, Portalegre, Porto, Santarem, Setubal, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, Viseu

ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Australia Group, BIS, CD, CE, CERN, CPLP, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club (associate), PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Radio e Televisao de Portugal, the publicly owned TV broadcaster, operates 4 domestic channels and external service channels to Africa;  roughly 40 domestic TV stations; widespread access to international broadcasters, with more than half of households connected to multi-channel cable or satellite TV systems; publicly owned radio operates 3 national networks and provides regional and external services; several privately owned national radio stations and about 300 regional and local commercial radio stations

.pt

128 (2025)

65 (2025)

CR, CS

maritime temperate; cool and rainy in north, warmer and drier in south

the west-flowing Tagus River divides the country: the north is mountainous toward the interior, while the south is characterized by rolling plains

Southwestern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Spain

1,793 km

5,662 sq km (2019)

Europe

Azores subject to severe earthquakes

volcanism: limited volcanic activity in the Azores Islands; Fayal or Faial (1,043 m) last erupted in 1958; most volcanoes have not erupted in centuries; historically active volcanoes include Agua de Pau, Furnas, Pico, Picos Volcanic System, San Jorge, Sete Cidades, and Terceira

Azores and Madeira Islands occupy strategic locations along western sea approaches to Strait of Gibraltar; they are two of the four North Atlantic archipelagos that make up Macaronesia; the others are the Canary Islands (Spain) and Cabo Verde

fish, forests (cork), iron ore, copper, zinc, tin, tungsten, silver, gold, uranium, marble, clay, gypsum, salt, arable land, hydropower

slightly smaller than Virginia

39 30 N, 8 00 W

concentrations are primarily along or near the Atlantic coast; both Lisbon and the second largest city, Porto, are coastal cities

maritime temperate; cool and rainy in north, warmer and drier in south

soil erosion; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution, especially in urban centers and coastal areas

7.6 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

77.4 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

the Portuguese military is responsible for external defense, humanitarian operations, and fulfilling Portugal’s commitments to European and international security; maritime security has long been a key component of the military's portfolio, and Portugal has one of the world's oldest navies

Portugal was one of the original signers of the North Atlantic Treaty (also known as the Washington Treaty) in 1949 establishing NATO, and the Alliance forms a key pillar of Portugal’s defense policy; Portugal is also a signatory of the EU’s Common Security and Defense Policy, and it regularly participates in a variety of EU and NATO, as well as UN deployments around the world; the military’s largest commitments include air, ground, and naval forces under NATO-led missions and standing task forces in the Baltics, Eastern Europe, and the Mediterranean Sea; the military also participates in exercises with NATO partners (2025)

the Portuguese Armed Forces have more than 1,100 military personnel deployed around the world engaged in missions supporting the EU, NATO, the UN, and partner nations; key deployments include 225 troops in the Central African Republic under the UN and about 350 troops supporting NATO's forward presence in Lithuania and Romania; it also participates in NATO air policing and maritime patrolling operations (2025)

Portuguese Armed Forces (Forças Armadas Portuguesa): Portuguese Army (Exercito Portuguesa), Portuguese Navy (Marinha Portuguesa; includes Marine Corps, aka Corpo de Fuzileiros or Corps of Fusiliers), Portuguese Air Force (Forca Aerea Portuguesa, FAP)

Ministry of Internal Administration: Public Security Police (Polícia de Segurança Pública, PSP) , National Republican Guard (Guarda Nacional Republicana, GNR) (2025)

18-30 years of age for voluntary or contract military service for men and women (upper age limit varies by military branch, position, role); no compulsory military service (abolished 2004) but conscription possible if insufficient volunteers available; contract service lasts for an initial period of 2-6 years, and can be extended to a maximum of 20 years of service; initial voluntary military service lasts 12 months; reserve obligation to age 35 (2025)

the military's inventory includes mostly European- and US-origin weapons systems along with smaller amounts of domestically produced equipment; Portugal's defense industry is noted for its shipbuilding (2025)

approximately 25,000 active-duty military personnel (2025)

in August 2025, Portugal granted a license to a commercial consortium to build and operate a space launch center on the island of Santa Maria in the Azores; the first orbital launches are expected in 2027 (2025)

Portuguese Space Agency (Agência Espacial Portuguesa; aka Portugal Space; established 2019) (2025)

largely focuses on the acquisition and operation of satellites; researches and develops a range of space-related technologies with an emphasis on small satellites for remote sensing (RS), navigational, science/technology, and telecommunications, as well as satellite launch services; space program is integrated with the ESA and involved in a variety of ESA and EU space programs; works with the space agencies and industries of a range of countries, including Algeria, Angola, Brazil, China, India, Japan, Morocco, South Korea, and the US; also cooperates with international organizations and projects such as the Europe South Observatory and the Square Kilometer Array; one of the objectives of the country's national space strategy is to expand its commercial space sector (2025)

1993 - first technology demonstrator microsatellite (PoSat-1) launched on a European rocket

2000 - joined the ESA

2020 - launched strategic plan for space development (Portugal Space 2030), which included building a spaceport, developing a reusable rocket/satellite launch vehicle, growing the country's domestic commercial space sector, and establishing an Earth observation/remote sensing satellite constellation

2024 - first Portuguese communications satellite (PoSat-2) launched by US as part of a planned constellation of 12 ocean-monitoring/maritime communication satellites

2026 - signed US-led Artemis Accords outlining best practices for responsible space exploration