Education in Alentejo Central (Alentejo, Portugal): official figures
4.1% of basic-education pupils (grades 1 to 9) in Alentejo Central were held back or dropped out in the 2023/2024 school year, above the national figure of 3.9%; that is 11th highest of 26 among Portugal’s NUTS 3 sub-regions.
How do secondary schools perform in Alentejo Central?
The secondary-school transition and completion rate in Alentejo Central stood at 92.1% in 2023/2024, 12th highest of 26 among Portugal’s NUTS 3 sub-regions; nationally it was 90.4%.
Source: INE, Instituto Nacional de Estatistica (Statistics Portugal) · saved copyHow many students are there in Alentejo Central?
Alentejo Central had 18,482 pupils in basic and secondary education in 2023/2024 and 2,102 teachers in those levels, about 8.8 pupils per teacher (national: 10.2); 7.5% of pupils attended private schools (16.3% nationally).
Source: INE, Instituto Nacional de Estatistica (Statistics Portugal) · saved copyMore figures
- In grades 7 to 9 (the third cycle) the retention and dropout rate in Alentejo Central reached 5.4% in 2023/2024, against 6.2% across Portugal. Source: INE, Instituto Nacional de Estatistica (Statistics Portugal) · saved copy
- The gross pre-school enrolment rate in Alentejo Central was 108.8% in 2023/2024 (Portugal: 100.6%); rates can exceed 100% when children enrol outside their home area. Source: INE, Instituto Nacional de Estatistica (Statistics Portugal) · saved copy
- 34.8% of secondary pupils in Alentejo Central followed vocational or dual-certification courses in 2023/2024, below the national figure of 39.0%. Source: INE, Instituto Nacional de Estatistica (Statistics Portugal) · saved copy
- Schools in Alentejo Central had an average of 1.1 enrolled pupils per computer in 2023/2024, compared with 1.2 in mainland Portugal. Source: INE, Instituto Nacional de Estatistica (Statistics Portugal) · saved copy
- Higher-education institutions located in Alentejo Central awarded degrees to 87.2 graduates per 1,000 residents aged 20 to 29 in 2023/2024, below the national figure of 88.7 (10th highest of 26 among Portugal’s NUTS 3 sub-regions). Source: INE, Instituto Nacional de Estatistica (Statistics Portugal) · saved copy
How Alentejo Central compares with other intermunicipal communities in Portugal
Retention and dropout rate in basic education (%) (2023/2024)
Alentejo Central ranks 11 of 26, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Retention and dropout rate in basic education (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Grande Lisboa | 5.0% |
| 9 | Oeste | 4.6% |
| 10 | Beira Baixa | 4.5% |
| 11 | Alentejo Central | 4.1% |
| 12 | Beiras e Serra da Estrela | 4.1% |
| 13 | Médio Tejo | 4.0% |
| 14 | Terras de Trás-os-Montes | 3.5% |
Transition/completion rate in secondary education (%) (2023/2024)
Alentejo Central ranks 12 of 26, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Transition/completion rate in secondary education (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Terras de Trás-os-Montes | 92.8% |
| 10 | Região de Leiria | 92.7% |
| 11 | Região de Coimbra | 92.6% |
| 12 | Alentejo Central | 92.1% |
| 13 | Região de Aveiro | 92.1% |
| 14 | Alto Tâmega e Barroso | 91.6% |
| 15 | Alto Alentejo | 91.4% |
Pupils per teacher, basic and secondary education (2023/2024)
Alentejo Central ranks 19 of 26, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Pupils per teacher, basic and secondary education |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | Baixo Alentejo | 9.5 |
| 17 | Viseu Dão Lafões | 9.3 |
| 18 | Alto Minho | 9.2 |
| 19 | Alentejo Central | 8.8 |
| 20 | Beiras e Serra da Estrela | 8.5 |
| 21 | Alto Alentejo | 8.4 |
| 22 | Terras de Trás-os-Montes | 8.3 |
More on Alentejo Central: overview · economy and jobs · health · poverty and living standards · government budget · government and politics · Alentejo · Portugal
Sources
- INE, Instituto Nacional de Estatistica (Statistics Portugal): Anuarios Estatisticos Regionais 2024 (Regional Statistical Yearbooks, 2025 release): all subchapter tables in XLSX by municipality, NUTS 3 and NUTS 2, read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 36f716bda712…)
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