107,997 higher-education graduates in the 2024/2025 school year.
Up 6.7% from 2023/2024.
How many people graduate from higher education?
Explore the data
Graduates by region and sex
2024 / 2025
| Geographic localization (NUTS - 2024) | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal | 107,997 | 45,579 | 62,418 |
| Norte | 37,188 | 15,872 | 21,316 |
| Centro | 20,744 | 8,416 | 12,328 |
| Oeste e Vale do Tejo | 2,495 | 1,113 | 1,382 |
| Grande Lisboa | 36,024 | 15,222 | 20,802 |
| Península de Setúbal | 4,626 | 2,313 | 2,313 |
| Alentejo | 2,961 | 1,042 | 1,919 |
| Algarve | 2,503 | 1,007 | 1,496 |
| Região Autónoma dos Açores | 600 | 198 | 402 |
| Região Autónoma da Madeira | 856 | 396 | 460 |
Graduates by field of study
2024 / 2025
Show the data as a table
| Area of education and training (ISCED-F 2013) | Number (No.) |
|---|---|
| Business and administration | 18,493 |
| Health | 16,237 |
| Engineering and engineering trades | 14,858 |
| Social and behavioural sciences | 10,770 |
| Arts | 6,707 |
| Education | 5,137 |
| Law | 4,590 |
| Personal services | 4,526 |
| Information and communication technologies (ICTs) | 3,838 |
| Biological and related sciences | 3,360 |
| Architecture and construction | 2,852 |
| Journalism and information | 2,204 |
| Languages | 2,183 |
| Welfare | 2,090 |
| Physical sciences | 1,725 |
| Humanities (except languages) | 1,544 |
| Veterinary | 1,389 |
| Inter-disciplinary programmes and qualifications involving engineering, manufacturing and construction | 1,267 |
| Mathematics and statistics | 959 |
| Agriculture | 757 |
| Security services | 744 |
| Manufacturing and processing | 733 |
| Environment | 388 |
| Hygiene and occupational health services | 339 |
| Inter-disciplinary programmes and qualifications involving arts and humanities | 79 |
| Transport services | 64 |
| Forestry | 63 |
| Fisheries | 42 |
| Field unknown | 42 |
| Inter-disciplinary programmes and qualifications involving health and welfare | 17 |
| Generic programmes and qualifications not further defined | - (Null or not applicable) |
| Basic programmes and qualifications | - (Null or not applicable) |
| Literacy and numeracy | - (Null or not applicable) |
| Personal skills and development | - (Null or not applicable) |
| Generic programmes and qualifications not elsewhere classified | - (Null or not applicable) |
| Inter-disciplinary programmes and qualifications involving education | - (Null or not applicable) |
| Arts and humanities not further defined | - (Null or not applicable) |
| Arts and humanities programmes not elsewhere classified | - (Null or not applicable) |
| Social sciences, journalism and information not further defined | - (Null or not applicable) |
| Inter-disciplinary programmes and qualifications involving social sciences, journalism and information | - (Null or not applicable) |
| Social sciences, journalism and information not elsewhere classified | - (Null or not applicable) |
| Business, administration and law not further defined | - (Null or not applicable) |
| Inter-disciplinary programmes and qualifications involving business, administration and law | - (Null or not applicable) |
| Business, administration and law not elsewhere classified | - (Null or not applicable) |
| Natural sciences, mathematics and statistics not further defined | - (Null or not applicable) |
| Inter-disciplinary programmes and qualifications involving natural sciences, mathematics and statistics | - (Null or not applicable) |
| Natural sciences, mathematics and statistics not elsewhere classified | - (Null or not applicable) |
| Inter-disciplinary programmes and qualifications involving Information and communication technologies (ICTs) | - (Null or not applicable) |
| Engineering, manufacturing and construction not further defined | - (Null or not applicable) |
| Engineering, manufacturing and construction not elsewhere classified | - (Null or not applicable) |
| Agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary not further defined | - (Null or not applicable) |
| Inter-disciplinary programmes and qualifications involving agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary | - (Null or not applicable) |
| Agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary not elsewhere classified | - (Null or not applicable) |
| Health and welfare not further defined | - (Null or not applicable) |
| Health and welfare not elsewhere classified | - (Null or not applicable) |
| Services not further defined | - (Null or not applicable) |
| Inter-disciplinary programmes and qualifications involving services | - (Null or not applicable) |
| Services programmes not elsewhere classified | - (Null or not applicable) |
Conventional signs:
- -
- Null or not applicable
Number of graduates over time
2010 / 2011 to 2024 / 2025
Show the data as a table
| Period | Number (No.) |
|---|---|
| 2010 / 2011 | 75,482 |
| 2011 / 2012 | 79,034 |
| 2012 / 2013 | 78,947 |
| 2013 / 2014 | 74,129 |
| 2014 / 2015 | 74,757 |
| 2015 / 2016 | 73,086 |
| 2016 / 2017 | 77,034 |
| 2017 / 2018 | 79,849 |
| 2018 / 2019 | 81,138 |
| 2019 / 2020 | 85,799 |
| 2020 / 2021 | 90,920 |
| 2021 / 2022 | 89,640 |
| 2022 / 2023 | 95,608 |
| 2023 / 2024 | 101,213 |
| 2024 / 2025 | 107,997 |
About these data
Show sources, notes, calculation rules and citation
Sources, units, dates, notes, calculation rules, citation and provenance of every chart and table on this page.
- Reference
- Measure P11 of the list of selected indicators: Graduates in tertiary education — number
Comparison with the previous period
Change calculated by the project from the published values (2024 / 2025: 107,997; 2023 / 2024: 101,213): (107,997 − 101,213) ÷ 101,213 × 100 = 6.7%, rounded to one decimal place. Not a value published by Statistics Portugal.
Graduates by region and sex
- Period
- 2024 / 2025
- Unit
- Number (No.)
- Nature of institution
- Total
- Area of education and training (ISCED-F 2013)
- Total
- Data as of
- 3 November 2026
Notes
- Statistics Portugal note (0012644): Only includes the diplomas of ISCED tertiary education which granted a graduation; excludes 'post-graduations diplomas'; '(Post-Bologna) Specialization Course - Master's diploma' and '(Post-Bologna) Specialization Course - Doctoral Diploma'.
Source
- Directorate-General for Education and Science Statistics: Graduates of tertiary education (No.) by Geographic localization (NUTS - 2024), Sex, Nature of institution and Area of education and training (ISCED-F 2013), source last updated 2 October 2026. View in the Statistics Portugal database (0012644)
Suggested citation
Statistics Portugal. People: “Graduates by region and sex”. http://localhost:4321/en/as-pessoas/p11#x-P11-regioes-sexo. Data as of 3 November 2026; accessed 4 November 2026.
Provenance
- Version
INE:0012644@2026-11-03T19:27:49.919Z- Observations checksum (SHA-256)
e072233e0bd8a89b2599107673f8df8567aaea0fef00dc938a1b373a4803074f
Graduates by field of study
- Period
- 2024 / 2025
- Unit
- Number (No.)
- Geographic localization (NUTS - 2024)
- Portugal
- Sex
- Total
- Nature of institution
- Total
- Data as of
- 3 November 2026
Notes
- Statistics Portugal note (0012644): Only includes the diplomas of ISCED tertiary education which granted a graduation; excludes 'post-graduations diplomas'; '(Post-Bologna) Specialization Course - Master's diploma' and '(Post-Bologna) Specialization Course - Doctoral Diploma'.
Source
- Directorate-General for Education and Science Statistics: Graduates of tertiary education (No.) by Geographic localization (NUTS - 2024), Sex, Nature of institution and Area of education and training (ISCED-F 2013), source last updated 2 October 2026. View in the Statistics Portugal database (0012644)
Suggested citation
Statistics Portugal. People: “Graduates by field of study”. http://localhost:4321/en/as-pessoas/p11#x-P11-areas. Data as of 3 November 2026; accessed 4 November 2026.
Provenance
- Version
INE:0012644@2026-11-03T19:27:49.919Z- Observations checksum (SHA-256)
e072233e0bd8a89b2599107673f8df8567aaea0fef00dc938a1b373a4803074f
Number of graduates over time
- Periods
- 2010 / 2011 to 2024 / 2025
- Unit
- Number (No.)
- Geographic localization (NUTS - 2024)
- Portugal
- Sex
- Total
- Nature of institution
- Total
- Area of education and training (ISCED-F 2013)
- Total
- Data as of
- 3 November 2026
Notes
- Statistics Portugal note (0012644): Only includes the diplomas of ISCED tertiary education which granted a graduation; excludes 'post-graduations diplomas'; '(Post-Bologna) Specialization Course - Master's diploma' and '(Post-Bologna) Specialization Course - Doctoral Diploma'.
Source
- Directorate-General for Education and Science Statistics: Graduates of tertiary education (No.) by Geographic localization (NUTS - 2024), Sex, Nature of institution and Area of education and training (ISCED-F 2013), source last updated 2 October 2026. View in the Statistics Portugal database (0012644)
Suggested citation
Statistics Portugal. People: “Number of graduates over time”. http://localhost:4321/en/as-pessoas/p11#x-P11-evolucao. Data as of 3 November 2026; accessed 4 November 2026.
Provenance
- Version
INE:0012644@2026-11-03T19:27:49.919Z- Observations checksum (SHA-256)
e072233e0bd8a89b2599107673f8df8567aaea0fef00dc938a1b373a4803074f