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
Life expectancy at birth, total in Portugal, 1970–2023
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
| 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
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | 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
More population data for Portugal
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.0538 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -4.39 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.0538 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.4941 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 9,261 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population -0.2816 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate 0.0558 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.049 (2100)
- Population density 95.56 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 396,215 (2100)
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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release