Government and power in Portugal
Who leads Portugal, how the World Bank's governance indicators score it, how many women sit in parliament and government, what the state spends and taxes, and the official bodies that hold power to account. System of government: Unitary semi-presidential republic with two autonomous regions.
Who leads Portugal?
- Head of state: António José Martins Seguro (President of the Portuguese Republic)
- Head of government: Luís Montenegro (Prime Minister of the Portuguese Republic)
- Foreign minister: Paulo Rangel (Minister of State and Foreign Affairs of the Portuguese Republic)
Source: Heads of State, Heads of Government, Ministers for Foreign Affairs: Public List (United Nations Protocol and Liaison Service), list dated 15 October 2026. All world leaders.
Governance scores
The World Bank's Worldwide Governance Indicators combine surveys of households and firms with assessments by public, private and non-governmental bodies. Each score runs from 0 to 100; higher means the sources rate governance better. They measure perceptions, and each has a margin of error.
- Voice and accountability
- Measures how far citizens can choose their government, and freedom of expression, association and the media.
- Political stability and absence of violence
- Measures the likelihood of political instability or politically motivated violence, including terrorism.
- Government effectiveness
- Measures the quality of public services and the civil service, and how independent they are from political pressure.
- Regulatory quality
- Measures the government's ability to make and carry out policies that let the private sector develop.
- Rule of law
- Measures confidence in and respect for the rules of society, including contract enforcement, property rights, the police and the courts.
- Control of corruption
- Measures how far public power is used for private gain, including petty and grand corruption and "capture" of the state by elites.
How does Portugal score on voice and accountability?
Voice and accountability: 81.1 out of 100 in 2025, 19th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 74.2). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 81.7.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does Portugal score on political stability?
Political stability and absence of violence: 77.9 out of 100 in 2025, 56th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 73.5). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 83.3.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does Portugal score on government effectiveness?
Government effectiveness: 73.3 out of 100 in 2025, 33rd highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 69.4). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 73.9.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does Portugal score on regulatory quality?
Regulatory quality: 65.1 out of 100 in 2025, 47th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 66.2). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 71.4.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does Portugal score on the rule of law?
Rule of law: 75.9 out of 100 in 2025, 31st highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 70.8). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 77.4.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does Portugal score on control of corruption?
Control of corruption: 63.6 out of 100 in 2025, 42nd highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 60.7). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 62.6.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many women are in Portugal's parliament?
Women held 35.7% of seats in the national parliament (single or lower chamber) in 2025, 43rd highest of 184 countries with data. Source: Inter-Parliamentary Union, via the World Bank.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many of Portugal's ministers are women?
Women held 37.5% of ministerial posts in 2025, 30th highest of 190.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow much does the government of Portugal spend?
Central government spending (expense) was 37.2% of GDP in 2023.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow much tax does the government of Portugal collect?
Central government tax revenue was 22.3% of GDP in 2024, 27th highest of 92.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow much does Portugal spend on the military?
Military spending was 1.7% of GDP in 2025, 73rd highest of 149 (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, via the World Bank).
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow big are the armed forces of Portugal?
Armed forces personnel numbered 52,000 in 2020.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow good are Portugal's official statistics?
The World Bank's Statistical Performance Indicator, which scores how well a country's official statistics system works, was 90.7 out of 100 in 2024, 15th highest of 187.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many births are registered in Portugal?
100.0% of births of children under 5 were registered with a civil authority (2020).
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many people in Portugal use the internet?
88.5% of people used the internet in 2024.
Source: World Bank · saved copyOfficial bodies that hold power in Portugal
Government
- Portuguese GovernmentCouncil of Ministers communiqués, government programme and ministry news.
Parliament
- Assembly of the RepublicBills, plenary records, votes and deputy information.
Elections
- National Elections CommissionElectoral calendars, decisions and official election results maps.
Courts
- Supreme Court of JusticeJudgments and case-law summaries of the highest court in ordinary matters.
- Constitutional CourtRulings on constitutionality and on political party accounts.
Public audit
- Court of AuditorsAudit reports and opinions on the general state account and public spending.
Ombudsman
- Ombudsman (Provedor de Justiça)Recommendations and annual reports on complaints about public bodies.
Access to information
- Commission for Access to Administrative DocumentsOpinions on complaints about access to administrative documents, legislation and FAQs.
Asset declarations
- Entity for Transparency (Constitutional Court)Information on the declarations of income, assets and interests of political office holders.
Laws and the official gazette
- Diário da RepúblicaThe official journal publishing Portuguese laws, decrees and official acts, with consolidated legislation.
Government below the national level
- Autonomous regions (Azores, Madeira): Elected legislative assembly and regional government; a Representative of the Republic appointed by the President
- Regional coordination and development commissions (CCDRs, 5 on the mainland): President chosen by an electoral college of local councillors and mayors since 2020
- Intermunicipal communities and two metropolitan areas (Lisbon, Porto): Made up of the mayors of member municipalities
- Municipalities (308): Municipal chamber (câmara, the executive) and municipal assembly both elected every four years (last October 2025); the head of the most-voted list for the chamber becomes president (mayor)
- Civil parishes (freguesias, about 3,260 since 2025): Parish assembly elected; it forms the parish board (junta de freguesia), led by the head of the most-voted list
How local power works in Portugal
Places in Portugal
Sources
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Voice and accountability (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 70f2804fd1e2…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Political stability and absence of violence (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1317de0c85e1…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Government effectiveness (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a775e808dc65…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Regulatory quality (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 83b57e36ff8c…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Rule of law (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0bccc3c054e8…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Control of corruption (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3b15a5340cdd…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Seats held by women in national parliament (SG.GEN.PARL.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1ae1dc13981a…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Women in ministerial positions (SG.GEN.MNST.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a4e448a5b8bd…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Central government spending (GC.XPN.TOTL.GD.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 808094019f50…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Tax revenue (GC.TAX.TOTL.GD.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 08c94b750f31…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Military spending (MS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a7f6913a783b…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Armed forces personnel (MS.MIL.TOTL.P1), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 fa4663c743ba…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Statistical Performance Indicator (overall score) (IQ.SPI.OVRL), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 08ac7cde9129…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Births registered (SP.REG.BRTH.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f8d443034ba7…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: People using the internet (IT.NET.USER.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0d78dc658329…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.