Subsidies and other transfers (% of expense) in Portugal
Portugal: Subsidies and other transfers (% of expense) was 54.8% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Subsidies and other transfers in Portugal, 1978–2023
Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of expense.
Analysis
Portugal recorded 54.8% for subsidies and other transfers in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.4% on the previous year and up 5.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, subsidies and other transfers in Portugal peaked at 56.0% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 5.7%, in 1989.
Portugal ranks 36th of 152 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 46 years of available data.
Subsidies and other transfers (% of expense) in Portugal, year by year
| Year | % of expense | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 14.9% | — |
| 1979 | 12.7% | -15.0% |
| 1980 | 15.1% | +19.2% |
| 1981 | 16.0% | +5.8% |
| 1982 | 14.0% | -12.2% |
| 1983 | 11.9% | -15.3% |
| 1984 | 12.3% | +3.7% |
| 1985 | 18.1% | +46.8% |
| 1986 | 14.6% | -19.6% |
| 1987 | 9.1% | -37.7% |
| 1988 | 8.0% | -12.1% |
| 1989 | 5.7% | -28.7% |
| 1990 | 36.4% | +541.4% |
| 1991 | 36.2% | -0.7% |
| 1992 | 35.1% | -3.2% |
| 1993 | 37.3% | +6.4% |
| 1994 | 42.1% | +12.7% |
| 1995 | 34.8% | -17.3% |
| 1996 | 36.2% | +3.9% |
| 1997 | 36.4% | +0.7% |
| 1998 | 36.1% | -0.9% |
| 1999 | 36.8% | +2.0% |
| 2000 | 37.2% | +0.9% |
| 2001 | 37.3% | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 37.9% | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 40.0% | +5.7% |
| 2004 | 39.9% | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 40.5% | +1.4% |
| 2006 | 48.9% | +20.8% |
| 2007 | 48.9% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 48.9% | -0.0% |
| 2009 | 50.8% | +3.8% |
| 2010 | 50.1% | -1.5% |
| 2011 | 50.0% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 51.6% | +3.2% |
| 2013 | 51.9% | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 48.0% | -7.7% |
| 2015 | 50.9% | +6.2% |
| 2016 | 52.6% | +3.2% |
| 2017 | 49.9% | -5.1% |
| 2018 | 52.4% | +5.1% |
| 2019 | 53.2% | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 54.4% | +2.4% |
| 2021 | 56.0% | +2.8% |
| 2022 | 55.5% | -0.8% |
| 2023 | 54.8% | -1.4% |
Portugal compared with similar countries
- Portugal's 54.8% is above the median for high income countries, which is 48.0%, 1.1× the median. (56 countries reporting)
- Portugal's 54.8% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 54.8%, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Subsidies and other transfers (% of expense) 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.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | +541.4% | 5.7% | 36.4% |
| 1985 | +46.8% | 12.3% | 18.1% |
| 1987 | -37.7% | 14.6% | 9.1% |
| 1989 | -28.7% | 8.0% | 5.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 13.8% | 12.7% | 14.9% | 2 |
| 1980s | 12.5% | 5.7% | 18.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 36.7% | 34.8% | 42.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 43.0% | 37.2% | 50.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 51.0% | 48.0% | 53.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 55.2% | 54.4% | 56.0% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Portugal
More public sector data for Portugal
- Democracy, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Arms imports 90.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2025)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 5.7 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0002 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate -8.96 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is subsidies and other transfers in Portugal?
- Subsidies and other transfers in Portugal was 54.8% in 2023, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest subsidies and other transfers recorded in Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 56.0% in 2021.
- What is the lowest subsidies and other transfers recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.7% in 1989.
- How does Portugal rank for subsidies and other transfers?
- Portugal ranks 36th out of 152 countries with data for 2023.
- Is subsidies and other transfers rising or falling in Portugal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Portugal data come from?
- The figures come from Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Subsidies and other transfers (% of expense). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Subsidies are current unrequited payments that government units, including nonresident government units, make to enterprises on the basis of the levels of their production activities or the quantities or values of the goods or services that they produce, sell, export or import. This indicator is expressed as percentage of total expenses which is any decrease in net worth resulting from a transaction.