Physicians by category in Portugal

Portugal: Physicians by category was 6,088 Number in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
6,088 Number
Change on year
down 17.9%
World rank
23rd
of 45 countries
All-time high
30,098 Number
in 2020
All-time low
6,088 Number
in 2024
Years of data
40
1985–2024

Physicians by category in Portugal, 1985–2024

5.0k10.0k15.0k20.0k25.0k30.0k1985200420241985: 18.0k Number1986: 18.8k Number1987: 19.4k Number1988: 19.4k Number1989: 19.8k Number1990: 19.9k Number1991: 19.9k Number1992: 19.7k Number1993: 16.9k Number1994: 16.2k Number1995: 15.1k Number1996: 15.0k Number1997: 14.9k Number1998: 15.1k Number1999: 15.5k Number2000: 15.7k Number2001: 16.2k Number2002: 16.4k Number2003: 16.8k Number2004: 17.2k Number2005: 17.7k Number2006: 18.1k Number2007: 18.8k Number2008: 19.5k Number2009: 20.2k Number2010: 21.2k Number2011: 21.9k Number2012: 22.1k Number2013: 22.7k Number2014: 23.7k Number2015: 24.9k Number2016: 26.1k Number2017: 27.1k Number2018: 27.7k Number2019: 29.1k Number2020: 30.1k Number2021: 12.4k Number2022: 9.7k Number2023: 7.4k Number2024: 6.1k Number

Source: Eurostat. Measured in Number.

Analysis

In 2024, physicians by category in Portugal stood at 6,088 Number. That is the lowest value across all 40 years on record.

That represents a change of down 17.9% on the previous year and down 74.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, physicians by category in Portugal peaked at 30,098 Number in 2020 and was at its lowest, 6,088 Number, in 2024.

Portugal ranks 23rd of 45 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 40 years of available data.

Physicians by category in Portugal, year by year

Annual values for Physicians by category in Portugal, 1985 to 2024.
Year Number Change
1985 17,997 Number
1986 18,776 Number +4.3%
1987 19,364 Number +3.1%
1988 19,369 Number +0.0%
1989 19,838 Number +2.4%
1990 19,876 Number +0.2%
1991 19,865 Number -0.1%
1992 19,679 Number -0.9%
1993 16,886 Number -14.2%
1994 16,183 Number -4.2%
1995 15,132 Number -6.5%
1996 14,969 Number -1.1%
1997 14,928 Number -0.3%
1998 15,080 Number +1.0%
1999 15,509 Number +2.8%
2000 15,722 Number +1.4%
2001 16,184 Number +2.9%
2002 16,440 Number +1.6%
2003 16,792 Number +2.1%
2004 17,162 Number +2.2%
2005 17,713 Number +3.2%
2006 18,145 Number +2.4%
2007 18,802 Number +3.6%
2008 19,538 Number +3.9%
2009 20,221 Number +3.5%
2010 21,170 Number +4.7%
2011 21,917 Number +3.5%
2012 22,125 Number +0.9%
2013 22,744 Number +2.8%
2014 23,748 Number +4.4%
2015 24,940 Number +5.0%
2016 26,100 Number +4.7%
2017 27,076 Number +3.7%
2018 27,664 Number +2.2%
2019 29,079 Number +5.1%
2020 30,098 Number +3.5%
2021 12,358 Number -58.9%
2022 9,680 Number -21.7%
2023 7,416 Number -23.4%
2024 6,088 Number -17.9%

Portugal compared with similar countries

  • Portugal's 6,088 Number is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 6,220 Number, 98% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
  • Portugal's 6,088 Number is below the median for high income countries, which is 6,380 Number, 95% of the median. (31 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Physicians by category in Portugal changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
2021 -58.9% 30,098 Number 12,358 Number

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 19,069 Number 17,997 Number 19,838 Number 5
1990s 16,811 Number 14,928 Number 19,876 Number 10
2000s 17,672 Number 15,722 Number 20,221 Number 10
2010s 24,656 Number 21,170 Number 29,079 Number 10
2020s 13,128 Number 6,088 Number 30,098 Number 5

Countries ranked near Portugal

  1. 20 Sweden 6,380 Number compare
  2. 21 Serbia 6,295 Number compare
  3. 22 Norway 6,144 Number compare
  4. 24 Denmark 5,257 Number compare
  5. 25 Greece 4,901 Number compare
  6. 26 Bulgaria 3,877 Number compare

See the full ranking of 45 places →

More reference data data for Portugal

All data for Portugal →

Frequently asked questions

What is physicians by category in Portugal?
Physicians by category in Portugal was 6,088 Number in 2024, according to Eurostat.
What is the highest physicians by category recorded in Portugal?
The highest recorded value was 30,098 Number in 2020.
What is the lowest physicians by category recorded in Portugal?
The lowest recorded value was 6,088 Number in 2024.
How does Portugal rank for physicians by category?
Portugal ranks 23rd out of 45 countries with data for 2024.
Is physicians by category rising or falling in Portugal?
Over the last ten years it is down 74.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Portugal data come from?
The figures come from Eurostat, published as part of Physicians by category. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Physicians by category in Portugal. Statizoid, drawing on Eurostat. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/physicians-by-category/portugal/

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About this data

Indicator
Physicians by category
Unit
Number
Source
Eurostat
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat)
Coverage
45 places, 1,193 data points, 1985–2025
Last refreshed