Photo: Tsy1980 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 14 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Portugal: Poverty & Inequality
Where is income shared most fairly, and poverty shallowest?
Portugal is placed 52nd of 159 countries on poverty & inequality in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 3 key statistics. Readings behind it: Gini Index 33.85 (2023); Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day 0.2 (2023).
Share
Poverty & Inequality
52nd
of 159 countries placed
Placed from 3 of 3 key statistics
01The evidence
The 3 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Portugal on poverty & inequality — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used — or, for a survey-based key, each country’s latest reading; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
Key 1 of 3
Gini Index
World Bank Group
Latest reading per country, 2013–2023 · Portugal’s is from 2023 · CC BY 4.0
33.85
Gini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality)
Lower is better
Portugal: 33.85. Across the 159 countries at their latest reading, values run from 23 (India) to 59.07 (Namibia); the world median is 33.72.
- World median
- 33.72
- Best in Southern Europe
- 24.68 Slovenia
- Land neighbours
- Spain 33.41
Key 2 of 3
Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day
World Bank Group
Latest reading per country, 2013–2023 · Portugal’s is from 2023 · CC BY 4.0
0.2
Poverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%)
Lower is better
Portugal: 0.2. Across the 159 countries at their latest reading, values run from 0 (Czechia) to 48.69 (DR Congo); the world median is 0.345.
- World median
- 0.345
- Best in Southern Europe
- 0 Slovenia
- Land neighbours
- Spain 0.55
Key 3 of 3
Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY 4.0
14.4
Share of the population unable to afford a healthy diet (%)
Lower is better
Portugal: 14.4. Across the 145 countries in this edition, values run from 0.6 (Belarus) to 93.9 (South Sudan); the world median is 26.4.
- World median
- 26.4
- Best in Southern Europe
- 2.3 Slovenia
- Land neighbours
- Spain 9.3
02Over time
Which way Portugal is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Gini Index
Gini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality) · lower is better
PortugalWorld median
Portugal fell from 38.78 in 2003 to 33.85 in 2023; the world median went from 35.46 to 33.72.
Every year’s figures
Year Portugal World median 2023 33.85 33.72 2022 36.25 33.91 2021 34.59 34.04 2020 34.67 34.18 2019 32.76 33.51 2018 33.49 35.25 2017 33.80 34.86 2016 35.19 34.47 2015 35.52 35.52 2014 35.56 34.79 2013 36.19 36.16 2012 36.03 35.40 2011 36.34 33.96 2010 35.84 33.71 2009 34.91 34.91 2008 36.63 34.60 2007 36.75 34.26 2006 38.06 35.63 2005 38.48 36.28 2004 38.94 34.29 2003 38.78 35.46 2002 — 37.14 Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day
Poverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%) · lower is better
PortugalWorld median
Portugal fell from 0.59 in 2003 to 0.2 in 2023; the world median went from 1.65 to 0.345.
Every year’s figures
Year Portugal World median 2023 0.20 0.345 2022 0.10 0.420 2021 0.15 0.335 2020 0.27 0.280 2019 0.08 0.380 2018 0.18 0.460 2017 0.26 0.300 2016 0.24 0.440 2015 0.32 0.500 2014 0.32 0.635 2013 0.51 0.515 2012 0.45 0.640 2011 0.26 0.430 2010 0.08 0.530 2009 0.10 0.600 2008 0.09 0.350 2007 0.16 0.360 2006 0.05 0.465 2005 0.34 1.250 2004 0.33 0.790 2003 0.59 1.650 2002 — 3.010 Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet
Share of the population unable to afford a healthy diet (%) · lower is better
PortugalWorld median
Portugal fell from 22.1 in 2017 to 14.4 in 2025; the world median went from 32.4 to 26.4.
Every year’s figures
Year Portugal World median 2025 14.4 26.40 2024 14.8 27.10 2023 15.0 27.15 2022 16.9 27.90 2021 15.7 29.65 2020 16.1 31.80 2019 15.1 29.05 2018 19.0 29.85 2017 22.1 32.40
03In context
Portugal beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 159 countries on poverty & inequality, never a place within the region.
Portugal and the countries it borders
Standing among all 159; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | Gini IndexGini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality) | Poverty Gap at $3.00 a DayPoverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%) | Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy DietShare of the population unable to afford a healthy diet (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal | 52nd | 33.85 | 0.2 | 14.4 |
 Spaincompare | 54th | 33.41 | 0.55 | 9.3 |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Southern Europe
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 159.
Placed either side on poverty & inequality
The countries immediately above and below Portugal in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Portugal is ahead of the world, and behind
26 more statistics filed under poverty & inequality, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Ahead of the world median21
Statistics on which Portugal does better than the middle country measured.
Low Pay RateILO · 2024 · world median 17.893.7917.89▲ Improved since 2014
Portugal: 3.79 · world median 17.89 · Employees paid less than two-thirds of the median hourly earnings (%). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 3.395 to 41.69; lower is better.
Position 70th of 71 · derived, 1st = worst.
Coefficient of Variation of Habitual Caloric ConsumptionFAO · 2024 · world median 0.250.20.25▲ Improved since 2014
Portugal: 0.2 · world median 0.25 · Coefficient of variation of habitual calorie consumption across the population (standard deviation ÷ mean). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.17 to 0.4; lower is better.
Gini Index of Monthly EarningsILO · 2024 · world median 0.3370.2360.337▲ Improved since 2014
Portugal: 0.236 · world median 0.337 · Gini index of employees’ monthly earnings (0 = all paid the same, 1 = maximum inequality). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.182 to 0.643; lower is better.
Position 69th of 75 · derived, 1st = worst.
Actual Individual Consumption per Capita (PPP)World Bank Group · 2021 · world median 12,80027,98112,800No real change since 2017
Portugal: 27,981 · world median 12,800 · Actual individual consumption per capita (PPP, current international $). World Bank Group, 2021 edition, data for 2021.
Published values in that edition run from 688.7 to 52,654; higher is better.
Position 34th of 173 · derived.
Income Growth of the Poorest 40%World Bank Group · 2024 · world median 1.8413.8421.841▲ Improved since 2015
Portugal: 3.842 · world median 1.841 · Annualized growth in real income or consumption per person of the bottom 40% (%). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from -4.185 to 14.51; higher is better.
Inequality-adjusted Human Development IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.6090.7950.609▲ Improved since 2013
Portugal: 0.795 · world median 0.609 · IHDI (0–1). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.226 to 0.923; higher is better.
Position 40th of 169 · derived.
Poverty Headcount at $3.00 a Day, Line-up EstimatesWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 2.10.412.1No real change since 2014
Portugal: 0.41 · world median 2.1 · Population below $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP, World Bank line-up estimate (%). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 89.54; lower is better.
Societal Poverty RateWorld Bank Group · 2023 · world median 17.213.0817.2▲ Improved since 2013
Portugal: 13.08 · world median 17.2 · Population below the societal poverty line, 2021 PPP (%). World Bank Group, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 7 to 54.36; lower is better.
Position 44th of 60 · derived, 1st = worst.
Exclusion by Socio-Economic GroupV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2023 · world median 0.4130.1960.413▼ Worsened since 2013
Portugal: 0.196 · world median 0.413 · Exclusion by socio-economic group index (0–1; higher = more exclusion). V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.014 to 0.969; lower is better.
Position 126th of 174 · derived, 1st = worst.
Coefficient of Human InequalityUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 17.0510.4417.05▲ Improved since 2013
Portugal: 10.44 · world median 17.05 · Coefficient of Human Inequality (%). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 4.865 to 43.08; lower is better.
Position 122nd of 169 · derived, 1st = worst.
Prosperity GapWorld Bank Group · 2023 · world median 1.7541.0981.754▲ Improved since 2013
Portugal: 1.098 · world median 1.754 · Average factor incomes must rise by to reach $28 a day. World Bank Group, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.406 to 12.06; lower is better.
Position 43rd of 60 · derived, 1st = worst.
Poverty Headcount Ratio at $4.20 a DayWorld Bank Group · 2023 · world median 1.340.681.34▲ Improved since 2013
Portugal: 0.68 · world median 1.34 · Population below $4.20 a day, 2021 PPP (%). World Bank Group, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.02 to 72.3; lower is better.
Position 41st of 59 · derived, 1st = worst.
Poverty Headcount Ratio at $3.00 a DayWorld Bank Group · 2023 · world median 0.930.410.93▲ Improved since 2013
Portugal: 0.41 · world median 0.93 · Population below $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%). World Bank Group, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 54.36; lower is better.
Position 40th of 58 · derived, 1st = worst.
Poverty Headcount Ratio at $8.30 a DayWorld Bank Group · 2023 · world median 7.822.167.82▲ Improved since 2013
Portugal: 2.16 · world median 7.82 · Population below $8.30 a day, 2021 PPP (%). World Bank Group, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.07 to 93.58; lower is better.
Position 40th of 59 · derived, 1st = worst.
Median Daily Income or Consumption per PersonWorld Bank Group · 2023 · world median 22.7633.6822.76No real change since 2013
Portugal: 33.68 · world median 22.76 · Median income or consumption per person, 2021 PPP dollars a day. World Bank Group, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 2.803 to 89.49; higher is better.
Position 22nd of 60 · derived.
Prevalence of Moderate or Severe Food InsecurityFAO · 2024 · world median 20.91120.9▲ Improved since 2015
Portugal: 11 · world median 20.9 · Population in moderate or severe food insecurity (%). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 1 to 88.8; lower is better.
Position 87th of 135 · derived, 1st = worst.
Multidimensional Poverty MeasureWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 4.2521.9364.252No earlier reading
Portugal: 1.936 · world median 4.252 · Multidimensional poverty headcount ratio (%). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 87.96; lower is better.
Position 99th of 157 · derived, 1st = worst.
Intergenerational Persistence in EducationWorld Bank Group · 2017 · world median 0.4460.4180.446No earlier reading
Portugal: 0.418 · world median 0.446 · Correlation between own and parents' years of schooling, born 1980–89 (0–1). World Bank Group, 2017 edition, data for 2017.
Published values in that edition run from 0.123 to 0.66; lower is better.
Position 91st of 153 · derived, 1st = worst.
Poverty Severity (Squared Poverty Gap) at $3.00 a DayWorld Bank Group · 2023 · world median 0.1850.120.185▲ Improved since 2013
Portugal: 0.12 · world median 0.185 · Squared poverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (0–100). World Bank Group, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 9.74; lower is better.
Gini Index of Disposable Income (SWIID)Frederick Solt, University of Iowa · 2023 · world median 3331.633▼ Worsened since 2013
Portugal: 31.6 · world median 33 · Gini index of disposable household income (0–100), SWIID estimate. Frederick Solt, University of Iowa, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 22.3 to 51.2; lower is better.
Position 45th of 79 · derived, 1st = worst.
Income Share Held by Lowest 20%World Bank Group · 2023 · world median 7.127.387.12▲ Improved since 2013
Portugal: 7.38 · world median 7.12 · Share of national income held by the poorest fifth (%). World Bank Group, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 3.24 to 11.07; higher is better.
Position 27th of 60 · derived.
Behind the world median2
Statistics on which Portugal does worse than the middle country measured.
Palma RatioWorld Bank Group · 2023 · world median 1.3321.3531.332No real change since 2013
Portugal: 1.353 · world median 1.332 · Palma ratio (income share of the richest 10% ÷ share of the poorest 40%). World Bank Group, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.771 to 4.193; lower is better.
Position 29th of 60 · derived, 1st = worst.
Income Share Held by Richest 10%World Bank Group · 2023 · world median 26.1826.9426.18No real change since 2013
Portugal: 26.94 · world median 26.18 · Share of national income or consumption held by the richest tenth (%). World Bank Group, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 18.79 to 43.08; lower is better.
Position 26th of 60 · derived, 1st = worst.
No better end3
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Catastrophic Out-of-Pocket Health SpendingWorld Bank Group · 2019 · world median 6.8818.386.88No earlier reading
Portugal: 18.38 · world median 6.88 · Population in households spending more than 10% of their budget on health out of pocket (%). World Bank Group, 2019 edition, data for 2019.
Published values in that edition run from 0.133 to 31.21.
Cost of a Healthy DietFAO · 2025 · world median 4.554.34.55Moved since 2017
Portugal: 4.3 · world median 4.55 · Cost of the cheapest locally available healthy diet, PPP dollars per person per day. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 2.66 to 8.27.
Poverty Headcount at National Poverty LinesWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 21.816.421.8No earlier reading
Portugal: 16.4 · world median 21.8 · Population below the national poverty line (%). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 82.3.
No current reading for Portugal
Adequacy of Social Protection and Labour Benefits, Global Multidimensional Poverty Index, Severe Child Food Poverty, Children Aged 6–23 Months, Wealth Parity Index, Lower Secondary Completion and Working Poverty Rate. Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Poverty & Inequality among Portugal’s 16 topics
Poverty & Inequality is Portugal’s 15th best-placed topic of 16. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Education & Knowledge15th of 1983/4 keys
- Health & Wellbeing19th of 2004/4 keys
- Energy17th of 1653/3 keys
- Peace & Securityjoint 21st of 1774/4 keys
- Food & Agriculture22nd of 1844/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties26th of 1984/4 keys
- Governance & Institutions27th of 1944/4 keys
- Gender & Equalityjoint 26th of 1834/4 keys
- Mobility & Trade28th of 1774/4 keys
- Development & Human Capital34th of 1963/3 keys
- Risk & Resilience34th of 1934/4 keys
- Economy & Innovation32nd of 1764/4 keys
- Digital & Technology36th of 1984/4 keys
- Work & Labourjoint 58th of 1824/4 keys
- Poverty & Inequality52nd of 1593/3 keys
- Environment & Sustainability88th of 1864/4 keys
06The top of the list
Who leads on poverty & inequality
The three countries placed highest of 159, and the leaders Portugal can most readily be measured against.
1
BelarusEastern Europe
1st of 159 · 3 of 3 keys
Photo: zedlik , cropped by Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2
SloveniaSouthern Europe
2nd of 159 · 3 of 3 keys
Photo: Z.K. derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY 3.0, greyscale
=3
UkraineEastern Europe
Joint 3rd of 159 · 2 of 3 keys
Photo: uploaded by Chern038 · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest in Europe
Belarus1st3/3 keysHighest in Southern Europe
Slovenia2nd3/3 keysThis page
Portugal52nd3/3 keys
Positions out of 159 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
Survey-based figures come from household surveys, which most countries run every few years rather than annually, so each country is read from its most recent survey of the last decade and the year of every reading is shown; a country with no survey in that time has no standing here. Wealth, as distinct from income, is not measured, because no global source of household wealth is available to this site under a licence that allows republishing it. Multidimensional poverty, national poverty lines and the income growth of the poorest are published here as context, and what work pays is under Work & Labour.
How the Poverty & Inequality standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 3 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 3 keys to be placed.
The poverty & inequality method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- Gini Index — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), CC BY 4.0
The other 26 statistics on this page come from 6 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
Portugal’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Portugal (banner) — Tsy1980, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Belarus — zedlik , cropped by Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Slovenia — Z.K. derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY 3.0
- Ukraine — uploaded by Chern038, CC BY-SA 3.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Portugal: Poverty & Inequality — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/portugal/poverty