Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) in Portugal

Portugal: Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) was 82.28 years in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
82.28 years
Change on year
up 0.8%
World rank
31st
of 215 countries
All-time high
82.28 years
in 2023
All-time low
66.77 years
in 1971
Years of data
54
1970–2023

Life expectancy at birth, total in Portugal, 1970–2023

020406080197019962023

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.

Analysis

Portugal recorded 82.28 years for life expectancy at birth, total in 2023. That is the highest value across all 54 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 1.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth, total in Portugal peaked at 82.28 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 66.77 years, in 1971.

That places Portugal 31st out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 54 years of available data.

Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) in Portugal, year by year

Annual values for Life expectancy at birth, total (years) in Portugal, 1970 to 2023.
Year years Change
1970 67.07 years —
1971 66.77 years -0.5%
1972 68.32 years +2.3%
1973 67.52 years -1.2%
1974 68.02 years +0.7%
1975 68.31 years +0.4%
1976 68.86 years +0.8%
1977 70.01 years +1.7%
1978 70.32 years +0.4%
1979 71.17 years +1.2%
1980 71.21 years +0.1%
1981 71.61 years +0.6%
1982 72.41 years +1.1%
1983 72.27 years -0.2%
1984 72.51 years +0.3%
1985 72.81 years +0.4%
1986 73.27 years +0.6%
1987 73.67 years +0.5%
1988 73.71 years +0.1%
1989 74.27 years +0.7%
1990 73.97 years -0.4%
1991 74.01 years +0.1%
1992 74.31 years +0.4%
1993 74.51 years +0.3%
1994 74.91 years +0.5%
1995 75.31 years +0.5%
1996 75.26 years -0.1%
1997 75.41 years +0.2%
1998 75.71 years +0.4%
1999 75.96 years +0.3%
2000 76.31 years +0.5%
2001 76.81 years +0.7%
2002 77.07 years +0.3%
2003 77.22 years +0.2%
2004 77.67 years +0.6%
2005 78.07 years +0.5%
2006 78.42 years +0.4%
2007 78.32 years -0.1%
2008 78.52 years +0.3%
2009 78.73 years +0.3%
2010 79.03 years +0.4%
2011 80.47 years +1.8%
2012 80.37 years -0.1%
2013 80.72 years +0.4%
2014 81.12 years +0.5%
2015 81.12 years +0.0%
2016 81.12 years +0.0%
2017 81.42 years +0.4%
2018 81.32 years -0.1%
2019 81.68 years +0.4%
2020 81.33 years -0.4%
2021 81.38 years +0.1%
2022 81.63 years +0.3%
2023 82.28 years +0.8%

Portugal compared with similar countries

  • Portugal's 82.28 years is above the median for high income countries, which is 81.17 years, 1.0× the median. (85 countries reporting)
  • Portugal's 82.28 years is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 79.74 years, 1.0× the median. (56 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 68.64 years 66.77 years 71.17 years 10
1980s 72.78 years 71.21 years 74.27 years 10
1990s 74.94 years 73.97 years 75.96 years 10
2000s 77.71 years 76.31 years 78.73 years 10
2010s 80.84 years 79.03 years 81.68 years 10
2020s 81.65 years 81.33 years 82.28 years 4

Countries ranked near Portugal

  1. 28 Belgium 82.4 years compare
  2. 29 Qatar 82.37 years compare
  3. 30 Bermuda 82.31 years compare
  4. 32 Slovenia 81.98 years compare
  5. 33 Netherlands 81.91 years compare
  6. 34 Denmark 81.85 years compare

See the full ranking of 215 places →

More population data for Portugal

All data for Portugal →

Frequently asked questions

What is life expectancy at birth, total in Portugal?
Life expectancy at birth, total in Portugal was 82.28 years in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Portugal?
The highest recorded value was 82.28 years in 2023.
What is the lowest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Portugal?
The lowest recorded value was 66.77 years in 1971.
How does Portugal rank for life expectancy at birth, total?
Portugal ranks 31st out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
Is life expectancy at birth, total rising or falling in Portugal?
Over the last ten years it is up 1.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Portugal data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Life expectancy at birth, total (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Life expectancy at birth, total in Portugal. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 11 November 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/life-expectancy-at-birth-total-years-2/portugal/

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About this data

Indicator
Life expectancy at birth, total (years)
Unit
years
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
215 places, 11,590 data points, 1970–2023
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release