Share of population living in the capital city in Portugal
Portugal: Share of population living in the capital city was 18.0% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Share of population living in the capital city in Portugal, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Portugal recorded 18.0% for share of population living in the capital city in 2020. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.
The figure is up 9.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in the capital city in Portugal peaked at 18.0% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 10.8%, in 1950.
That places Portugal 76th out of 170 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in the capital city in Portugal, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 10.8% | — |
| 1955 | 11.4% | +5.7% |
| 1960 | 11.8% | +3.3% |
| 1965 | 12.4% | +5.6% |
| 1970 | 13.1% | +5.5% |
| 1975 | 13.9% | +6.0% |
| 1980 | 15.4% | +10.5% |
| 1985 | 15.4% | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 15.5% | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 16.2% | +5.0% |
| 2000 | 16.2% | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 16.3% | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 16.5% | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 17.2% | +4.8% |
| 2020 | 18.0% | +4.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 11.1% | 10.8% | 11.4% | 2 |
| 1960s | 12.1% | 11.8% | 12.4% | 2 |
| 1970s | 13.5% | 13.1% | 13.9% | 2 |
| 1980s | 15.4% | 15.4% | 15.4% | 2 |
| 1990s | 15.9% | 15.5% | 16.2% | 2 |
| 2000s | 16.2% | 16.2% | 16.3% | 2 |
| 2010s | 16.8% | 16.5% | 17.2% | 2 |
| 2020s | 18.0% | 18.0% | 18.0% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Portugal
- 73 North Macedonia 19.1% compare
- 74 Azerbaijan 19.0% compare
- 75 Kyrgyzstan 18.8% compare
- 77 Finland 17.9% compare
- 78 Cameroon 16.9% compare
- 79 Mali 16.8% compare
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 share of population living in the capital city in Portugal?
- Share of population living in the capital city in Portugal was 18.0% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in the capital city recorded in Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 18.0% in 2020.
- What is the lowest share of population living in the capital city recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.8% in 1950.
- How does Portugal rank for share of population living in the capital city?
- Portugal ranks 76th out of 170 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in the capital city rising or falling in Portugal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Portugal data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in the capital city. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Percentage of the total population living in the country's capital city. City boundaries are defined using a consistent global approach based on satellite imagery and population data.