Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Portugal instead of Spain, you would:

Health

be 12.6% less likely to be obese

In Spain, 23.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Portugal, that number is 20.8% of people as of 2016.

live 1.0 years less

In Spain, the average life expectancy is 83 years (80 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022. In Portugal, that number is 82 years (78 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

be 46.5% less likely to be unemployed

In Spain, 12.1% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Portugal, that number is 6.5% as of 2023.

be 18.8% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Spain, 20.2% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Portugal, however, that number is 16.4% as of 2021.

make 10.1% less money

Spain has a GDP per capita of $46,400 as of 2023, while in Portugal, the GDP per capita is $41,700 as of 2023.

pay a 25.6% higher top tax rate

Spain has a top tax rate of 45.0% as of 2016. In Portugal, the top tax rate is 56.5% as of 2016.

Life

have 14.1% more children

In Spain, there are approximately 7.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Portugal, there are 8.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020.

be 4.0 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Spain, approximately 3.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Portugal, 12.0 women do as of 2020.

Basic Needs

be 12.8% less likely to have internet access

In Spain, approximately 94.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Portugal, about 82.0% do as of 2021.

Geography

see 63.9% less coastline

Spain has a total of 4,964 km of coastline. In Portugal, that number is 1,793 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira, Agencia Tributaria, Spain.

Portugal: At a glance

Portugal is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 91,470 sq km. Following its heyday as a global maritime power during the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal lost much of its wealth and status with the destruction of Lisbon in a 1755 earthquake, occupation during the Napoleonic Wars, and the independence of Brazil, its wealthiest colony, in 1822. A 1910 revolution deposed the monarchy; for most of the next six decades, repressive governments ran the country. In 1974, a left-wing military coup installed broad democratic reforms. The following year, Portugal granted independence to all of its African colonies. Portugal is a founding member of NATO and entered the EC (now the EU) in 1986.
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How big is Portugal compared to Spain? See an in-depth size comparison.

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