Portugal population pyramid 2026
10,395,362 people in 2026 (projected). Portugal’s pyramid is widest at ages 45–54 and narrows sharply below, shaped by mass emigration, a steep fertility fall and one of Europe’s oldest populations.
- 2026 population
- 10.4Mrank 94 of 237
- Median age
- 47.2 yearsoldest rank 11
- Fertility rate
- 1.52births per woman · below replacement
- Structure
- Older25.4% age 65+
Portugal population pyramid
2026 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex
Hover over or tap a bar to see exact values.
Download this population pyramid
Use the publication-ready SVG, create a high-resolution PNG, or download the complete age-by-sex dataset.
The UN series provides historical estimates through 2023. Figures from 2024 onward—including 2026—are medium-scenario projections, not counts or predictions guaranteed to occur.
Portugal age distribution in 2026
Children under 15 account for 12.6% of the population, while 25.4% are aged 65 or older. The remaining 62.0% are in the conventional working-age range of 15–64. On these shares, the site classifies Portugal’s age structure as older; the guide to constrictive population pyramids explains what that shape implies.
The total age dependency ratio is 61.3: about 61 people under 15 or 65+ for every 100 people aged 15–64 (20.4 children and 40.9 older people). This is an age-balance indicator, not a literal count of economic dependants per worker.
What shapes Portugal’s population pyramid
A country that exported its young adults
For much of the twentieth century Portugal was a country of emigration. The UN series records a net outflow of about 1.7 million people between 1950 and 1999, out of a population that never exceeded about 10.6 million. Much of it took place in the 1960s and early 1970s, when large numbers of workers left for France, Germany and other destinations, and when young men also faced conscription for the colonial wars in Africa. The 1975 pyramid carries the imprint: women outnumber men at every age from 20 upward, by more than ten percent in some working-age bands. The return of settlers from the former African colonies after 1974 partly offset this, but the age structure stayed unbalanced.
A milder version of the pattern is still visible. In 2026 men outnumber women up to about age 35, as expected from the sex ratio at birth, but by 50–54 there are about 91 men per 100 women and by 60–64 about 86, unusually low for those ages in a country where male life expectancy is about 80.
From a broad base to a narrow one
Fertility was above three children per woman until about 1970 and then fell fast, to about 1.6 by 1990 and about 1.4 in 2010, around the time of the economic crisis that also brought a new wave of emigration. The result is the shape now seen: the widest bands, at 45–54, were born in 1972–81, the last large cohorts before the decline, and the younger bands are all smaller, down to a base barely more than half as wide. With a median age of about 47, Portugal sits near the top of the oldest populations ranking, and its structure most closely resembles those of Greece, Italy and the Isle of Man.
Shrinking despite immigration
Deaths first exceeded births in 2009, and the population peaked in 2010 at about 10.6 million. Since 2000 net migration has been positive overall, adding about 450,000 people by 2023, enough to outweigh a natural decrease of about 270,000 over the same years but not to restore growth since the 2010 peak. In 2026 about 85,000 births are expected against roughly 119,000 deaths. The medium scenario assumes continued immigration yet still projects a fall to about 9.8 million by 2050, when a third of residents would be 65 or older; the guide to population projections explains how sensitive such figures are to migration assumptions.
What to notice across the years
Distinctive cohorts and turning points
No five-year band under age 80 is more than 10% larger or smaller than both of its neighbours, so Portugal’s 2026 pyramid has a comparatively smooth profile without sharp bulges or notches.
Deaths have exceeded births every year since 2009. People aged 65 and older came to outnumber children under 15 between 2000 and 2005.
Births, deaths, and migration
A pyramid changes in only three ways: births add to the base, deaths remove people at every age, and migration adds or removes people mainly in young adulthood. In 2026, Portugal is projected to record 85,260 births (about 233 births a day) and 118,973 deaths, a natural decrease of 33,713. Net migration adds +16,968 people, ranking #59 in the net migration rate ranking.
Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates 2,298,983 births, 2,567,591 deaths, and cumulative net migration of +454,342. Over that period migration moved the total more than the balance of births and deaths did. See how migration shapes a pyramid and birth rate versus fertility rate. The medium scenario assumes net migration of +412,175 between 2026 and 2050.
Annual values 1950–2100; dashed lines after 2023 are the UN medium projection. The trend table below lists the values by decade.
Life expectancy and mortality
- Life expectancy, women
- 85.5 years61.0 in 1950
- Life expectancy, men
- 80.1 years55.8 in 1950
- Further years at 65
- 21.2 yearsboth sexes
- Infant mortality
- 2.1per 1,000 births · 98 in 1950
- Under-five mortality
- 2.8per 1,000 births
- Mother’s mean age at birth
- 32.1 yearssex ratio at birth 105.9
Women in Portugal are projected to live 5.4 years longer than men, which is why the female side of the pyramid widens relative to the other at older ages (see the life expectancy gap ranking). Infant mortality has fallen from 98 to 2.1 deaths per 1,000 live births since 1950, ranking #220 of 237 in the infant mortality ranking (highest first). A mean age at childbearing of 32.1 years sets the spacing between generations, and so how far apart echo cohorts sit in the pyramid.
Median age, fertility rate, and global ranks for Portugal
The median age of 47.2 years splits the population into two equal halves. A total fertility rate of 1.52 births per woman is below the replacement level of roughly 2.1, and life expectancy at birth is 82.9 years.
These ranks compare all 237 countries and areas in this dataset using the same 2026 UN medium projection. Ranks use the stored source precision, so displayed rounding can make adjacent values look identical; small differences should not be overinterpreted.
| Indicator | 2026 value | Global rank | Ranking direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,395,362 | #94 | Largest first |
| Median age | 47.2 years | #11 | Oldest first |
| Fertility rate | 1.52 | #160 | Highest first |
| Annual growth | -0.2% | #186 | Fastest first |
| Life expectancy | 82.9 years | #28 | Highest first |
| Population aged 65+ | 25.4% | #9 | Highest share first |
Largest age groups in Portugal
The five largest cohorts identify where the 2026 population is concentrated. They can reflect past birth patterns, survival, and migration; the chart alone does not establish which cause dominates.
| Rank | Age group | Population | Share of total | Male / female |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 50–54 | 800,323 | 7.7% | 381.4K / 418.9K |
| 2 | 45–49 | 757,573 | 7.3% | 363.8K / 393.7K |
| 3 | 55–59 | 743,559 | 7.2% | 350.7K / 392.8K |
| 4 | 60–64 | 732,135 | 7.0% | 338.6K / 393.5K |
| 5 | 65–69 | 689,826 | 6.6% | 316K / 373.8K |
Sex ratio and the balance by age
In the 2026 projection, Portugal has 4,950,026 males and 5,445,336 females. That is 90.9 males per 100 females, ranking #212 when the dataset is ordered from the highest male-to-female ratio to the lowest.
Males account for 47.6% of the population and females for 52.4%. There are 495,310 more females than males overall. Among people aged 65 and older, the ratio is 75.0 males per 100 females.
The overall balance can conceal large differences by age; how sex ratios change with age explains the usual pattern. The ratio reflects the male/female categories in the UN source and is not a measure of gender identity. Compare all profiles in the sex-ratio ranking.
At birth, 105.9 boys are projected to be born for every 100 girls in 2026, close to the biological norm of about 105 (compare the sex ratio at birth ranking). The ratio at birth sets the balance at the base of the pyramid; how it changes with age then depends on survival and migration.
How Portugal has changed since 1950
The population has increased from 8,418,876 in 1950 to 10,395,362 in 2026, a change of 23%. Over the same span, median age moved from 25.0 to 47.2 years.
The under-15 share changed from 29.6% to 12.6%, while the share aged 65 and older changed from 7.0% to 25.4%. These shifts show why total population growth and age-structure change need to be read separately.
How the population could change by 2050
Under the UN medium scenario, Portugal’s population is projected to decline by about 6%, reaching 9,770,270 in 2050. The median age changes from 47.2 to 48.3 years.
The 65+ share is projected to rise by 7.6 percentage points to 33.0%. At the same time, the under-15 share is projected at 13.5%. How UN projections work explains the assumptions behind these figures.
The annual UN series reaches its highest estimated population of 10,578,660 in 2010. Historical population totals are estimates rather than exact head counts. Compare timing across countries in the population peak ranking.
Population trend: 1950–2100
Mid-year population for every year. Estimates through 2023; dashed line shows the UN medium projection.
| Year | Population | Median age | Fertility | Life exp. | Births | Deaths | Net migration | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 8,418,876 | 25.0 | 3.16 | 58.5 | 205,622 | 104,210 | −36,366 | +0.8% |
| 1960 | 8,873,218 | 26.8 | 3.16 | 64.1 | 214,816 | 94,776 | −95,886 | +0.3% |
| 1970 | 8,669,524 | 28.6 | 3.01 | 67.1 | 183,199 | 92,336 | −191,862 | -1.2% |
| 1980 | 9,763,624 | 29.5 | 2.25 | 71.7 | 157,952 | 91,198 | +29,881 | +1.0% |
| 1990 | 9,989,524 | 33.2 | 1.56 | 74.3 | 116,719 | 99,984 | −34,855 | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 10,283,204 | 36.7 | 1.54 | 76.8 | 118,781 | 102,801 | +60,586 | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 10,578,660 | 40.5 | 1.38 | 80.1 | 100,745 | 102,925 | −5,627 | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 10,370,519 | 45.0 | 1.41 | 81.4 | 83,378 | 121,309 | +54,076 | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 10,430,738 | 46.2 | 1.51 | 82.4 | 86,646 | 115,917 | +29,102 | 0.0% |
| 2024* | 10,425,292 | 46.6 | 1.51 | 82.6 | 86,151 | 117,517 | +20,648 | -0.1% |
| 2026* | 10,395,362 | 47.2 | 1.52 | 82.9 | 85,260 | 118,973 | +16,968 | -0.2% |
| 2030* | 10,317,927 | 48.3 | 1.53 | 83.5 | 84,783 | 121,907 | +18,378 | -0.2% |
| 2040* | 10,082,256 | 49.1 | 1.56 | 84.9 | 87,037 | 130,258 | +14,933 | -0.3% |
| 2050* | 9,770,270 | 48.3 | 1.57 | 86.2 | 82,568 | 134,735 | +16,642 | -0.4% |
| 2060* | 9,395,884 | 48.1 | 1.58 | 87.4 | 81,195 | 134,746 | +16,156 | -0.4% |
| 2070* | 9,060,610 | 46.8 | 1.59 | 88.5 | 82,081 | 126,252 | +16,527 | -0.3% |
| 2080* | 8,868,424 | 46.3 | 1.60 | 89.7 | 81,116 | 106,893 | +15,024 | -0.1% |
| 2090* | 8,804,662 | 46.8 | 1.61 | 90.8 | 78,589 | 97,910 | +15,061 | -0.1% |
| 2100* | 8,753,987 | 47.3 | 1.61 | 91.9 | 78,387 | 97,560 | +14,873 | -0.1% |
* 2024 onward is the UN medium projection. Fertility is births per woman; life expectancy is years at birth; births, deaths, and net migration are counts for that calendar year.
Download every year, 1950–2100 (CSV)
2026 population by age and sex
The table provides the counts behind the chart. Age groups are five-year bands, with everyone aged 100 or older combined.
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 220,047 | 209,466 | 429,513 | 4.1% |
| 5–9 | 224,232 | 214,315 | 438,547 | 4.2% |
| 10–14 | 227,554 | 216,461 | 444,015 | 4.3% |
| 15–19 | 261,260 | 252,900 | 514,160 | 4.9% |
| 20–24 | 288,638 | 276,745 | 565,383 | 5.4% |
| 25–29 | 290,110 | 280,071 | 570,181 | 5.5% |
| 30–34 | 276,248 | 270,505 | 546,753 | 5.3% |
| 35–39 | 281,764 | 285,404 | 567,168 | 5.5% |
| 40–44 | 315,534 | 332,760 | 648,294 | 6.2% |
| 45–49 | 363,836 | 393,737 | 757,573 | 7.3% |
| 50–54 | 381,421 | 418,902 | 800,323 | 7.7% |
| 55–59 | 350,711 | 392,848 | 743,559 | 7.2% |
| 60–64 | 338,634 | 393,501 | 732,135 | 7.0% |
| 65–69 | 315,996 | 373,830 | 689,826 | 6.6% |
| 70–74 | 280,444 | 342,663 | 623,107 | 6.0% |
| 75–79 | 238,471 | 303,711 | 542,182 | 5.2% |
| 80–84 | 161,047 | 230,584 | 391,631 | 3.8% |
| 85–89 | 89,621 | 152,931 | 242,552 | 2.3% |
| 90–94 | 36,254 | 78,669 | 114,923 | 1.1% |
| 95–99 | 7,478 | 22,262 | 29,740 | 0.3% |
| 100+ | 727 | 3,072 | 3,799 | 0.0% |
Countries with the most similar age structure
These profiles have the 2026 age distributions closest to Portugal’s, measured by the total difference in the share of the population in each five-year band. Similar shapes can arise from very different histories, so the match is a starting point for comparison, not an explanation.
- Greece97% overlap · median age 47.1
- Italy97% overlap · median age 48.6
- Isle of Man96% overlap · median age 46.3
- Croatia96% overlap · median age 45.5
- Bermuda96% overlap · median age 46.4
- Spain96% overlap · median age 46.3
To calculate school-age, working-age, or older groups with other boundaries, use the age-group calculator for Portugal.
Use this chart in your work
Charts and tables may be reused with attribution. Please link to this page and credit the United Nations as the data source.
Embed the population pyramid
Cite this page
APA
World Population Pyramid. (2026, October 19). Portugal Population Pyramid 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/portugal/
MLA
“Portugal Population Pyramid 2026.” World Population Pyramid, 19 Oct. 2026, worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/portugal/.
Chicago
World Population Pyramid. “Portugal Population Pyramid 2026.” Last modified October 19, 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/portugal/.
Underlying data: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024.
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Portugal in 2026?
Under the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium scenario, Portugal's population in 2026 is projected at 10,395,362.
What is the median age in Portugal?
The projected median age in Portugal in 2026 is 47.2 years: half the population is younger and half is older.
What is the fertility rate in Portugal?
The projected total fertility rate in 2026 is 1.52 births per woman, below the replacement level of about 2.1 in low-mortality populations.
Is Portugal's population projected to grow?
Between 2026 and 2050, the UN medium scenario indicates the population will decline by about 6%, from 10.4M to 9.8M.
What share of Portugal is aged 65 or older?
In 2026, 25.4% of the projected population is aged 65 or older. By 2050, the medium scenario places the share at 33.0%.
How many babies are born in Portugal each year?
The UN medium scenario projects 85,260 births and 118,973 deaths in 2026, about 233 births a day. Deaths exceed births by 33,713.
What is life expectancy in Portugal for men and women?
Life expectancy at birth in 2026 is projected at 85.5 years for women and 80.1 years for men, a gap of 5.4 years in favour of women.
Does Portugal have more immigrants or emigrants?
Portugal is projected to gain about 16,968 more people through migration than it loses in 2026. Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates cumulative net migration of +454,342.
What is the sex ratio in Portugal?
The projected 2026 population sex ratio is 90.9 males per 100 females. This all-age ratio is different from the sex ratio at birth and can vary substantially by age.
Sources and notes
- United Nations, DESA, Population Division: World Population Prospects 2024, medium scenario.
- Population values are mid-year figures. Source values published in thousands are converted to people; displayed figures may imply more precision than is appropriate for planning.
- Historical values through 2023 are estimates. Values from 2024 onward are projections.
- Calculations follow the site methodology.