Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Portugal

Portugal: Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age was 71.4% in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
71.4%
World rank
24th
of 53 countries
All-time high
74.0%
in 2015
All-time low
56.8%
in 2000
Years of data
8
2000–2022

Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Portugal, 2000–2022

0204060802000201120222000: 56.8 %2003: 62.5 %2006: 61.4 %2009: 70 %2012: 70.9 %2015: 74 %2018: 72.3 %2022: 71.4 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Portugal recorded 71.4% for share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in 2022.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Portugal peaked at 74.0% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 56.8%, in 2000.

Portugal ranks 24th of 53 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Portugal, year by year

Annual values for Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Portugal, 2000 to 2022.
Year % Change
2000 56.8%
2003 62.5% +10.1%
2006 61.4% -1.8%
2009 70.0% +14.0%
2012 70.9% +1.3%
2015 74.0% +4.3%
2018 72.3% -2.2%
2022 71.4% -1.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 62.7% 56.8% 70.0% 4
2010s 72.4% 70.9% 74.0% 3
2020s 71.4% 71.4% 71.4% 1

Countries ranked near Portugal

  1. 21 Norway 72.3% compare
  2. 22 France 71.9% compare
  3. 23 Spain 71.7% compare
  4. 25 Hungary 70.9% compare
  5. 26 Israel 69.3% compare
  6. 27 Germany 68.8% compare

See the full ranking of 53 places →

More reference data data for Portugal

All data for Portugal →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Portugal?
Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Portugal was 71.4% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age recorded in Portugal?
The highest recorded value was 74.0% in 2015.
What is the lowest share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age recorded in Portugal?
The lowest recorded value was 56.8% in 2000.
How does Portugal rank for share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age?
Portugal ranks 24th out of 53 countries with data for 2022.
Is share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age rising or falling in Portugal?
Over the last ten years it is up 0.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Portugal data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Portugal. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-children-reaching-sufficient-reading-comprehension-by-the-end-of-lower-secondary/portugal/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
53 places, 379 data points, 2000–2022
Last refreshed

Share of children who achieve minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education. This data accounts for school completion rates to estimate skills for all children, not just those in school.