Life expectancy in Portugal
Portugal: Life expectancy was 81.05 years in 2020. ▲ Rising
Life expectancy in Portugal, 1870–2020
Source: Leandro Prados de la Escosura (2021) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for life expectancy in Portugal is 81.05 years, measured in 2020.
That represents a change of up 1.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy in Portugal peaked at 81.21 years in 2015 and was at its lowest, 36 years, in 1870.
That places Portugal 25th out of 162 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Life expectancy in Portugal, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 36 years | — |
| 1880 | 38 years | +5.6% |
| 1890 | 43 years | +13.2% |
| 1900 | 44 years | +2.3% |
| 1913 | 44 years | +0.0% |
| 1925 | 45.45 years | +3.3% |
| 1929 | 47 years | +3.4% |
| 1933 | 49.66 years | +5.7% |
| 1938 | 50.7 years | +2.1% |
| 1950 | 58.47 years | +15.3% |
| 1955 | 61.4 years | +5.0% |
| 1960 | 64.15 years | +4.5% |
| 1965 | 66.09 years | +3.0% |
| 1970 | 67.06 years | +1.5% |
| 1975 | 68.84 years | +2.7% |
| 1980 | 71.66 years | +4.1% |
| 1985 | 73.21 years | +2.2% |
| 1990 | 74.3 years | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 75.55 years | +1.7% |
| 2000 | 76.83 years | +1.7% |
| 2005 | 78.31 years | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 80.03 years | +2.2% |
| 2015 | 81.21 years | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 81.05 years | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 36 years | 36 years | 36 years | 1 |
| 1880s | 38 years | 38 years | 38 years | 1 |
| 1890s | 43 years | 43 years | 43 years | 1 |
| 1900s | 44 years | 44 years | 44 years | 1 |
| 1910s | 44 years | 44 years | 44 years | 1 |
| 1920s | 46.23 years | 45.45 years | 47 years | 2 |
| 1930s | 50.18 years | 49.66 years | 50.7 years | 2 |
| 1950s | 59.94 years | 58.47 years | 61.4 years | 2 |
| 1960s | 65.12 years | 64.15 years | 66.09 years | 2 |
| 1970s | 67.95 years | 67.06 years | 68.84 years | 2 |
| 1980s | 72.44 years | 71.66 years | 73.21 years | 2 |
| 1990s | 74.93 years | 74.3 years | 75.55 years | 2 |
| 2000s | 77.57 years | 76.83 years | 78.31 years | 2 |
| 2010s | 80.62 years | 80.03 years | 81.21 years | 2 |
| 2020s | 81.05 years | 81.05 years | 81.05 years | 1 |
Countries ranked near Portugal
More health data for Portugal
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.56 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.1616 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,112 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 38 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 65-69, male, annual growth rate 1.78 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 65-69, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 65-69, male, per capita 0.0301 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, female, annual growth rate 2.06 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, female, per capita 0.0327 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy in Portugal?
- Life expectancy in Portugal was 81.05 years in 2020, according to Leandro Prados de la Escosura (2021) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest life expectancy recorded in Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 81.21 years in 2015.
- What is the lowest life expectancy recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 36 years in 1870.
- How does Portugal rank for life expectancy?
- Portugal ranks 25th out of 162 countries with data for 2020.
- Is life expectancy rising or falling in Portugal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Portugal data come from?
- The figures come from Leandro Prados de la Escosura (2021) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Life expectancy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Average number of years a newborn would live if age-specific mortality rates in the current year were to stay the same throughout its life.