Portugal
Government finance and cost-of-living data from Eurostat — spending, debt, tax, and comparative prices.
Headline stats
Debt peaked at 134.1% GDP in 2020 — now 89.7%.
Government debt
89.7% GDP
2025
EU27 avg: 81.7% GDP (2025)
Govt expenditure
42.4% GDP
2024
Budget surplus
0.7% GDP
2025
EU27 avg: 3.1% GDP (2025)
Tax revenue
14.5% GDP
2025
Public sector jobs
1,196k
2025
Tax rates
What Portugal takes — statutory rates and effective burden on workers.
Labour tax wedge
22.8% of labour cost
2025
Top income tax rate
48%
2024
Corporate tax rate
21%
2024
Standard VAT rate
23%
2024
Labour tax wedge: effective % of gross labour cost (salary + employer contributions) going to income tax and social contributions for a single person at average wage. Source: Eurostat earn_nt_taxrate. Statutory rates: OECD Taxing Wages 2024 / EC Taxation Trends 2024.
Comparative prices
Portugal is 17.5% cheaper than the EU average overall (2024). Index: EU27 = 100.
| Category | Price index | vs EU avg |
|---|---|---|
| Overall price level | 82.5 | -17.5% |
| Food & non-alcoholic drinks | 101.5 | +1.5% |
| Housing, utilities & energy | 80.1 | -19.9% |
| Restaurants & hotels | 75.5 | -24.5% |
| Transport | 89.2 | -10.8% |
| Health | 86.6 | -13.4% |
| Education | 72.0 | -28.0% |
| Clothing & footwear | 93.5 | -6.5% |
| Recreation & culture | 85.9 | -14.1% |
| Alcohol & tobacco | 94.2 | -5.8% |
| Household furnishings | 98.9 | -1.1% |
| Communication | 115.6 | +15.6% |
| Miscellaneous | 85.6 | -14.4% |
Source: Eurostat prc_ppp_ind. EU27_2020 = 100. Green = cheaper than EU average.
Government debt since 2011
| Year | Debt (% GDP) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 114 | — |
| 2012 | 128.6 | +14.6 |
| 2013 | 130.8 | +2.2 |
| 2014 | 132.5 | +1.7 |
| 2015 | 131 | -1.5 |
| 2016 | 131.2 | +0.2 |
| 2017 | 126 | -5.2 |
| 2018 | 121.1 | -4.9 |
| 2019 | 116.1 | -5 |
| 2020 | 134.1 | +18 |
| 2021 | 123.9 | -10.2 |
| 2022 | 111.2 | -12.7 |
| 2023 | 96.9 | -14.3 |
| 2024 | 93.5 | -3.4 |
| 2025 | 89.7 | -3.8 |
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Data sources
| Dataset | Source | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Govt expenditure / debt / deficit | Eurostat gov_10dd_edpt1 | 1995–2025 |
| Tax revenue | Eurostat gov_10a_taxag | 1995–2025 |
| Public employment (NACE O-Q) | Eurostat nama_10_a64_e | 1995–2024 |
| Tax breakdown (VAT, income, social) | Eurostat gov_10a_taxag | 2000–2023 |
| Labour tax wedge | Eurostat earn_nt_taxrate | 2000–2023 |
| Statutory tax rates (income, corporate, VAT) | OECD / EC Taxation Trends 2024 | 2024 |
| Comparative price levels (13 categories) | Eurostat prc_ppp_ind | 1995–2024 |