Arrears on utility bills in Portugal

Portugal: Arrears on utility bills was 3.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
3.6%
Change on year
down 16.3%
World rank
38th
of 47 countries
All-time high
8.5%
in 2014
All-time low
3.5%
in 2020
Years of data
22
2004–2025

Arrears on utility bills in Portugal, 2004–2025

024682004201420252004: 5.3 Percentage2005: 5 Percentage2006: 4.8 Percentage2007: 5.2 Percentage2008: 3.7 Percentage2009: 6.1 Percentage2010: 6.4 Percentage2011: 6.7 Percentage2012: 6.3 Percentage2013: 8.2 Percentage2014: 8.5 Percentage2015: 7.8 Percentage2016: 7.3 Percentage2017: 5.6 Percentage2018: 4.5 Percentage2019: 4.3 Percentage2020: 3.5 Percentage2021: 5.3 Percentage2022: 4.7 Percentage2023: 3.8 Percentage2024: 4.3 Percentage2025: 3.6 Percentage

Source: Eurostat. Measured in Percentage.

Analysis

In 2025, arrears on utility bills in Portugal stood at 3.6%.

That represents a change of down 16.3% on the previous year and down 53.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, arrears on utility bills in Portugal peaked at 8.5% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 3.5%, in 2020.

Portugal ranks 38th of 47 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 22 years of available data.

Arrears on utility bills in Portugal, year by year

Annual values for Arrears on utility bills in Portugal, 2004 to 2025.
Year Percentage Change
2004 5.3% —
2005 5.0% -5.7%
2006 4.8% -4.0%
2007 5.2% +8.3%
2008 3.7% -28.8%
2009 6.1% +64.9%
2010 6.4% +4.9%
2011 6.7% +4.7%
2012 6.3% -6.0%
2013 8.2% +30.2%
2014 8.5% +3.7%
2015 7.8% -8.2%
2016 7.3% -6.4%
2017 5.6% -23.3%
2018 4.5% -19.6%
2019 4.3% -4.4%
2020 3.5% -18.6%
2021 5.3% +51.4%
2022 4.7% -11.3%
2023 3.8% -19.1%
2024 4.3% +13.2%
2025 3.6% -16.3%

Portugal compared with similar countries

  • Portugal's 3.6% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 5.7%, 64% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
  • Portugal's 3.6% is below the median for high income countries, which is 5.4%, 67% of the median. (31 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 5.0% 3.7% 6.1% 6
2010s 6.6% 4.3% 8.5% 10
2020s 4.2% 3.5% 5.3% 6

Countries ranked near Portugal

  1. 35 Lithuania 4.1% compare
  2. 35 Lithuania 4.1% compare
  3. 37 Belgium 4.0% compare
  4. 38 Switzerland 3.6% compare
  5. 40 Norway 3.2% compare
  6. 41 Iceland 3.1% compare

See the full ranking of 53 places →

More reference data data for Portugal

All data for Portugal →

Frequently asked questions

What is arrears on utility bills in Portugal?
Arrears on utility bills in Portugal was 3.6% in 2025, according to Eurostat.
What is the highest arrears on utility bills recorded in Portugal?
The highest recorded value was 8.5% in 2014.
What is the lowest arrears on utility bills recorded in Portugal?
The lowest recorded value was 3.5% in 2020.
How does Portugal rank for arrears on utility bills?
Portugal ranks 38th out of 47 countries with data for 2025.
Is arrears on utility bills rising or falling in Portugal?
Over the last ten years it is down 53.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Portugal data come from?
The figures come from Eurostat, published as part of Arrears on utility bills. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Arrears on utility bills in Portugal. Statizoid, drawing on Eurostat. Retrieved 24 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/arrears-on-utility-bills/portugal/

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About this data

Indicator
Arrears on utility bills
Unit
Percentage
Source
Eurostat
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat)
Coverage
53 places, 997 data points, 2003–2025
Last refreshed