IFES Election Guide | Country Profile: Portugal

Portuguese Republic

10,409,700
Population (as of Jan. 1, 2022)

10,957,369
Registered Voters (as of Dec. 31, 2024)

55.21%
Average Turnout

16
Elections in our database

V-Dem* Score: 0.831
Regimes of the World Classification: Electoral Democracy
*Varieties of Democracy Electoral Democracy Index (2024)

CEDAW Status: Signed and Ratified
Signed Date: April 24, 1980
Ratified Date: July 30, 1980

SIGI* Score: 9.5
Level of Discrimination: Very Low
*Social Institutions and Gender Index (2023)

CRPD Status: Signed and Ratified
Signed Date: March 30, 2007
Ratified Date: Sept. 23, 2009

HDI* Score: 0.890
Category: Very High
*UNDP Human Development Index (2023)

Name	Official Name	Type
Portuguese Presidency	None	Head of State
Portuguese Assembly of the Republic	Assembleia da República	Assembly

Description of government structure:

Chief of State: President Marcelo REBELO DE SOUSA (since 9 March 2016)
Head of Government: Prime Minister Luís MONTENEGRO (since 2 April 2024)
Assembly: unicameral Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da República) with 230 seats

Description of electoral system:

The President is elected by absolute majority vote through a two-round system to serve a 5-year term.
The Prime Minister, usually the leader of the majority party or coalition, is appointed by the President to serve a 4-year term.
In the Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da República) 230 members are elected through a closed-list proportional representation system to serve 4-year terms. There are 22 multi-member districts. Seats are allocated using the d'Hondt method, with the exception of the two constituencies for Portuguese living abroad, which are fixed at two members each.

Elections

2025-05-18 | Status: Held
Portuguese Assembly of the Republic
Votes 6,319,969
Registered 10,957,369
Turnout 57.68

2024-03-10 | Status: Held
Portuguese Assembly of the Republic
Votes 6,473,789
Registered 10,818,226
Turnout 59.84

2022-01-30 | Status: Held
Portuguese Assembly of the Republic
Votes 5,389,705
Registered 9,298,390
Turnout 57.96

2021-01-24 | Status: Held
Portuguese Presidency
Votes 4,258,356
Registered 10,847,434
Turnout 39.26

2019-10-06 | Status: Held
Portuguese Assembly of the Republic
Votes 5,092,424
Registered 9,343,084
Turnout 54.5

2016-01-24 | Status: Held
Portuguese Presidency
Votes 4,740,558
Registered 9,741,377
Turnout 48.66

2015-10-04 | Status: Held
Portuguese Assembly of the Republic
Votes 5,408,805
Registered 9,682,553
Turnout 55.86

2011-06-05 | Status: Held
Portuguese Assembly of the Republic
Votes 5,585,054
Registered 9,624,354
Turnout 58.03

2011-01-23 | Status: Held
Portuguese Presidency
Votes 4,492,297
Registered 9,657,312
Turnout 46.52

2009-09-27 | Status: Held
Portuguese Assembly of the Republic
Votes 5,683,967
Registered 9,514,322
Turnout 59.74

2007-02-11 | Status: Held
Referendum
Votes 3,840,176
Registered 8,814,016
Turnout 43.57

2006-01-22 | Status: Held
Portuguese Presidency
Votes 5,590,132
Registered 9,085,339
Turnout 61.53

2005-02-20 | Status: Held
Portuguese Assembly of the Republic
Votes 5,713,190
Registered 8,785,227
Turnout 65.03

2002-03-17 | Status: Held
Portuguese Assembly of the Republic
Votes 5,433,924
Registered 8,716,949
Turnout 62.34

2001-01-14 | Status: Held
Portuguese Presidency
Votes 4,453,011
Registered 8,746,746
Turnout 50.91

1999-10-10 | Status: Held
Portuguese Assembly of the Republic
Votes 5,363,895
Registered 8,672,801
Turnout 61.85

Election For	Date	Status	Votes	Registered Voters	Turnout
Portuguese Assembly of the Republic	2025-05-18	Held	6,319,969	10,957,369	57.68
Portuguese Assembly of the Republic	2024-03-10	Held	6,473,789	10,818,226	59.84
Portuguese Assembly of the Republic	2022-01-30	Held	5,389,705	9,298,390	57.96
Portuguese Presidency	2021-01-24	Held	4,258,356	10,847,434	39.26
Portuguese Assembly of the Republic	2019-10-06	Held	5,092,424	9,343,084	54.5
Portuguese Presidency	2016-01-24	Held	4,740,558	9,741,377	48.66
Portuguese Assembly of the Republic	2015-10-04	Held	5,408,805	9,682,553	55.86
Portuguese Assembly of the Republic	2011-06-05	Held	5,585,054	9,624,354	58.03
Portuguese Presidency	2011-01-23	Held	4,492,297	9,657,312	46.52
Portuguese Assembly of the Republic	2009-09-27	Held	5,683,967	9,514,322	59.74
Referendum	2007-02-11	Held	3,840,176	8,814,016	43.57
Portuguese Presidency	2006-01-22	Held	5,590,132	9,085,339	61.53
Portuguese Assembly of the Republic	2005-02-20	Held	5,713,190	8,785,227	65.03
Portuguese Assembly of the Republic	2002-03-17	Held	5,433,924	8,716,949	62.34
Portuguese Presidency	2001-01-14	Held	4,453,011	8,746,746	50.91
Portuguese Assembly of the Republic	1999-10-10	Held	5,363,895	8,672,801	61.85

Voter Turnout

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