Air passengers in Portugal

Portugal: Air passengers was 18.29 million in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
18.29 million
Change on year
up 16.8%
World rank
37th
of 183 countries
All-time high
22.05 million
in 2019
All-time low
1.42 million
in 1970
Years of data
54
1970–2023

Air passengers in Portugal, 1970–2023

05.0M10.0M15.0M20.0M197019962023

Source: International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for air passengers in Portugal is 18.29 million, measured in 2023.

That represents a change of up 16.8% on the previous year and up 54.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, air passengers in Portugal peaked at 22.05 million in 2019 and was at its lowest, 1.42 million, in 1970.

That places Portugal 37th out of 183 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 1.90 million 1.42 million 2.26 million 10
1980s 2.47 million 1.98 million 3.19 million 10
1990s 5.00 million 3.50 million 7.34 million 10
2000s 8.78 million 6.65 million 11.17 million 10
2010s 13.84 million 10.43 million 22.05 million 10
2020s 12.06 million 6.22 million 18.29 million 4

Countries ranked near Portugal

  1. 34 Italy 20.26 million compare
  2. 35 Sweden 19.55 million compare
  3. 36 Greece 19.09 million compare
  4. 38 Iran 18.07 million compare
  5. 39 Peru 17.72 million compare
  6. 40 Egypt 16.67 million compare

See the full ranking of 183 places →

More reference data data for Portugal

All data for Portugal →

Frequently asked questions

What is air passengers in Portugal?
Air passengers in Portugal was 18.29 million in 2023, according to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest air passengers recorded in Portugal?
The highest recorded value was 22.05 million in 2019.
What is the lowest air passengers recorded in Portugal?
The lowest recorded value was 1.42 million in 1970.
How does Portugal rank for air passengers?
Portugal ranks 37th out of 183 countries with data for 2023.
Is air passengers rising or falling in Portugal?
Over the last ten years it is up 54.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Portugal data come from?
The figures come from International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Air passengers. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Air passengers
Source
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
183 places, 7,925 data points, 1970–2023
Last refreshed

Domestic and international passengers of airlines registered in the country. Passengers counted each time they travel.