History of Portugal in Timeline

Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a unitary republic in Southwestern Europe, located on the Iberian Peninsula. It includes mainland Portugal, bordering Spain to the north and east, as well as the autonomous regions of Madeira and the Azores in the Atlantic Ocean. Lisbon serves as the capital and largest city, with a population exceeding 10.7 million. It features the westernmost point in continental Europe.

1911: Historic fertility rate

In 1911, the total fertility rate (TFR) in Portugal was 5.0 children born per woman.

1911: Portugal becomes a secular state

Portugal is a secular state since 1911 and guarantees religious freedom.

1935: Fernando Pessoa

Adventurer and poet Luís de Camões (c. 1524–1580) wrote the epic poem Os Lusíadas (The Lusiads), with Virgil's Aeneid as his main influence. Modern Portuguese poetry is rooted in neoclassic and contemporary styles, as exemplified by Bocage (1765–1805), Antero de Quental (1842–1891) and Fernando Pessoa (1888–1935).

1956: Establishment of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

In 1956, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation was established in Lisbon.

1966: FIFA World Cup

Portugal finished third in the 1966 FIFA World Cup.

1998: José Saramago wins Nobel Prize

José Saramago was the recipient of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Literature.

2003: Smaller metropolitan areas

Several smaller metropolitan areas (Algarve, Aveiro, Coimbra, Minho and Viseu) also held administrative legal status from 2003 to 2008.

2004: Euro 2004

Portugal finished second in the Euro 2004.

2006: Adoption of the Bologna process

In 2006, the Bologna process was adopted by Portuguese universities and poly-technical institutes.

2006: Moura Photovoltaic Power Station opens

In 2006, the world's then largest solar power plant, the Moura Photovoltaic Power Station, began operating.

2006: FIFA World Cup

Portugal finished fourth in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

2008: Foreigners acquiring Portuguese citizenship

Between 2008 and 2022, more than 340,000 resident foreigners acquired Portuguese citizenship, constituting around 3.27% of the country's population in 2022.

2008: Aguçadoura Wave Farm opens

In 2008, the world's first commercial wave power farm, the Aguçadoura Wave Farm, opened near Póvoa de Varzim, though it was later shut down.

2008: Financial crisis

In 2018, Portugal's parliament approved a budget plan for 2019 that included tax breaks for returning emigrants to attract those who left during the 2008 financial crisis.

2008: Smaller metropolitan areas converted

Several smaller metropolitan areas (Algarve, Aveiro, Coimbra, Minho and Viseu) were converted into intermunicipal communities in 2008.

2010: Compulsory secondary education

Since 2010, secondary education (three years) has been compulsory in Portugal.

2013: Local government reform

Since the 2013 local government reform, Lisbon and Porto are the only metropolitan areas in Portugal with administrative legal status.

2016: UEFA European Championship victory

The Portugal national football team won the UEFA Euro 2016 with a 1–0 victory in the final over France.

2018: Tax breaks for returning emigrants

In 2018, Portugal's parliament approved a budget plan for 2019 that included tax breaks for returning emigrants to attract those who left during the 2008 financial crisis.

2018: UEFA Nations League win

Portugal finished first in the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League.

2019: Tolerance towards other faiths

As of 2019, the majority of people in Portugal had shown to be tolerant towards followers of other faiths, with the Muslim community perceiving itself as thoroughly integrated into Portugal.

2019: Social Justice Index ranking

In 2019, Portuguese society ranked 24th among the 41 countries of the EU and OECD in the Social Justice Index, indicating relatively high socioeconomic equality.

2021: Census results on religion

According to the 2021 Census, 80.2% of the Portuguese population was Catholic, while 14.7% are nonreligious.

2021: Phase out of coal-fired generation

In 2021, Portugal phased out coal-fired generation and has been developing renewable energies such as hydopower and wind power.

2021: Recognition of Barranquenho dialect

In 2021, the Barranquenho dialect, spoken in Barrancos, was officially recognised and protected in Portugal.

2021: Electricity imports outnumbered exports

Since 2021, electricity imports, mainly from Spain, have outnumbered exports by around 20% as of 2023, with most of the energy coming from renewable sources.

2022: Statistics Portugal Study on Ethnicity

According to a Statistics Portugal study conducted between 2022 and 2023, around 6.4 million people aged between 18 and 74 years old identified themselves as White (84%), more than 262,000 as Mixed-race (3%), nearly 170,000 as Black (2%), 57,000 as Asian (<1%), and 47,500 as Romani (<1%).

2022: Births to unmarried and foreign-born women

As of 2022, 60.2% of births were to unmarried women, and 24.5% of births were to foreign born women in Portugal.

2022: Citizenship acquisition

In 2022, almost 21,000 foreign residents acquired Portuguese citizenship, with 11,170 being female and 9,674 being male.

2023: Adult health rating

A Eurostat opinion-poll in 2023 found that 55.4% of adults in Portugal rated their health as good or very good, the third lowest rate collected in the European Union.

2023: Statistics Portugal Study on Ethnicity

2023: Portugal's energy supply

As of 2023, oil made up 44% of Portugal's total energy supply. The country is also investing in public transport and electric vehicles.

2023: Electricity imports outnumbered exports

Since 2021, electricity imports, mainly from Spain, have outnumbered exports by around 20% as of 2023, with most of the energy coming from renewable sources.

December 2024: Portugal's population

As of December 31, 2024, Portugal had a population of 10,749,635, with 52.2% female and 47.8% male, according to Statistics Portugal.

2024: Foreign residents in Portugal

As of 2024, legal resident foreigners in Portugal number 1,543,697, which is approximately 14% of the population.

2024: Portugal's Civil Airports

By 2024, Portugal had 37 civil airports, including five main international airports. Lisbon, Porto, and Faro are on the mainland, while Funchal is in Madeira and Ponta Delgada is in the Azores.