The workforce in Portugal has reached 5.1 million, with 34% holding at least a higher education degree. This figure compares to 28% of employers who have completed this level of education.
“Within the European Union framework, among the 23 countries with available data for 2024, Portugal is the country with the highest proportion of employers having no schooling or only basic education among all employers,” the study states.
The EU average stands at 16%, while in Portugal, 42% of employers have the lowest level of education. This percentage is significantly higher than Malta (34%), Spain (32%), or Italy (31%).
Between 2014 and 2024, the study notes a rise of 700,000 workers with higher education, a 61.8% increase compared to 2014 when 25% of workers had this level of education.
Among the over five million workers in Portugal, there are 302,000 foreign nationals, primarily from non-EU27 countries. This number has almost tripled over ten years, climbing by 197,000 since 2014.
Regarding wages, the profile of Portuguese workers, compiled by Pordata for May Day, reveals that the average annual salary in Portugal is the 9th lowest in the European Union, with Spain’s average salary being 30% higher.
Luxembourg tops the list of average salaries with €81,064, followed by Denmark with €67,604, while in Portugal, the figure stands at €22,293. This surpasses Latvia, Croatia, Poland, Romania, Greece, and Hungary.
This amount is calculated with adjustments for part-time workers.
The study also shows that one-quarter of workers earn the national minimum wage, which is the 10th lowest among the 22 countries with a minimum wage (when measured in purchasing power parity), considering the rate effective in 2025.
“In two decades, Portugal has been surpassed by Poland, Lithuania, and Romania,” the document reads, detailing that about one in four workers in Portugal (22.8%) earned a base salary equivalent to the minimum wage in 2022.
The proportion of workers receiving the minimum wage was higher among women (27.1%), young people (36.1%), those with only basic education (32.9%), and foreign nationals (38.0%).
The study further indicates that between 2019 and 2023, the average salary in Portugal increased by 24% nominally, while housing prices rose by 45%, according to the Housing Price Index. Across the EU, these two indicators rose by 16% and 23%, respectively.
Regarding the business landscape, the document notes small enterprises form the majority in the country but employ only 44% of the workforce.
Meanwhile, large companies are responsible for over a million jobs, having recorded a 14% increase in staff over the past two years.
