Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) in Portugal
Portugal: Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) was 2,576 thousands in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
2,576 thousands
Change on year
up 1.5%
World rank
44th
of 233 countries
All-time high
2,576 thousands
in 2025
All-time low
814.56 thousands
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Population aged 65 years or older in Portugal, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in thousands.
Analysis
In 2025, population aged 65 years or older in Portugal stood at 2,576 thousands. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.5% on the previous year and up 21.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population aged 65 years or older in Portugal peaked at 2,576 thousands in 2025 and was at its lowest, 814.56 thousands, in 1970.
Portugal ranks 44th of 233 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) in Portugal, year by year
| Year | thousands | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 814.56 thousands | — |
| 1971 | 836.55 thousands | +2.7% |
| 1972 | 856.62 thousands | +2.4% |
| 1973 | 882.9 thousands | +3.1% |
| 1974 | 907.36 thousands | +2.8% |
| 1975 | 926.16 thousands | +2.1% |
| 1976 | 968.17 thousands | +4.5% |
| 1977 | 992.05 thousands | +2.5% |
| 1978 | 1,023 thousands | +3.1% |
| 1979 | 1,052 thousands | +2.8% |
| 1980 | 1,084 thousands | +3.1% |
| 1981 | 1,115 thousands | +2.9% |
| 1982 | 1,137 thousands | +2.0% |
| 1983 | 1,155 thousands | +1.6% |
| 1984 | 1,166 thousands | +0.9% |
| 1985 | 1,181 thousands | +1.3% |
| 1986 | 1,209 thousands | +2.4% |
| 1987 | 1,239 thousands | +2.4% |
| 1988 | 1,268 thousands | +2.4% |
| 1989 | 1,298 thousands | +2.4% |
| 1990 | 1,333 thousands | +2.7% |
| 1991 | 1,364 thousands | +2.3% |
| 1992 | 1,396 thousands | +2.4% |
| 1993 | 1,425 thousands | +2.1% |
| 1994 | 1,454 thousands | +2.0% |
| 1995 | 1,485 thousands | +2.1% |
| 1996 | 1,518 thousands | +2.2% |
| 1997 | 1,548 thousands | +2.0% |
| 1998 | 1,581 thousands | +2.2% |
| 1999 | 1,611 thousands | +1.9% |
| 2000 | 1,639 thousands | +1.7% |
| 2001 | 1,679 thousands | +2.4% |
| 2002 | 1,715 thousands | +2.1% |
| 2003 | 1,744 thousands | +1.7% |
| 2004 | 1,770 thousands | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 1,802 thousands | +1.8% |
| 2006 | 1,825 thousands | +1.3% |
| 2007 | 1,851 thousands | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 1,875 thousands | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 1,905 thousands | +1.6% |
| 2010 | 1,939 thousands | +1.8% |
| 2011 | 1,978 thousands | +2.0% |
| 2012 | 2,005 thousands | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 2,032 thousands | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 2,073 thousands | +2.0% |
| 2015 | 2,113 thousands | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 2,154 thousands | +1.9% |
| 2017 | 2,197 thousands | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 2,243 thousands | +2.1% |
| 2019 | 2,286 thousands | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 2,345 thousands | +2.6% |
| 2021 | 2,396 thousands | +2.2% |
| 2022 | 2,444 thousands | +2.0% |
| 2023 | 2,491 thousands | +1.9% |
| 2024 | 2,539 thousands | +1.9% |
| 2025 | 2,576 thousands | +1.5% |
Portugal compared with similar countries
- Portugal's 2,576 thousands is above the median for high income countries, which is 291.46 thousands, 8.8× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Portugal's 2,576 thousands is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 974.42 thousands, 2.6× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 925.89 thousands | 814.56 thousands | 1,052 thousands | 10 |
| 1980s | 1,185 thousands | 1,084 thousands | 1,298 thousands | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,472 thousands | 1,333 thousands | 1,611 thousands | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,780 thousands | 1,639 thousands | 1,905 thousands | 10 |
| 2010s | 2,102 thousands | 1,939 thousands | 2,286 thousands | 10 |
| 2020s | 2,465 thousands | 2,345 thousands | 2,576 thousands | 6 |
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)
- World population growth -0.0% (2100)
- Population density 95.56 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 396,215 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population aged 65 years or older in Portugal?
- Population aged 65 years or older in Portugal was 2,576 thousands in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population aged 65 years or older recorded in Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 2,576 thousands in 2025.
- What is the lowest population aged 65 years or older recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 814.56 thousands in 1970.
- How does Portugal rank for population aged 65 years or older?
- Portugal ranks 44th out of 233 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population aged 65 years or older rising or falling in Portugal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.9%. 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 Population aged 65 years or older (thousands). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release