Norte: economy, jobs and official figures

Norte is a region of Portugal, the largest of 9 by population. Norte had 3,692,842 residents on 1 January 2025, 34.4% of the population of Portugal and the largest of 9 regions in Portugal. That is 2.0% more than in 2015.

In depth

• Economy, jobs and prices in Norte: GDP per person was 28,300 purchasing power standards (PPS) in 2024, 71% of the EU average; 6th highest of 9 regions in Portugal. PPS adjust for price differences between countries.
• Health in Norte: Life expectancy at birth was 83.1 years in 2024 (82.5 for Portugal); the highest of 9 regions in Portugal.
• Education in Norte: The share of adults aged 25 to 64 with a degree-level (tertiary) education was 29.8% in 2025, against 32.7% for Portugal and 36.9% across the EU; 4th highest of 9 regions in Portugal.
• Poverty and living standards in Norte: Disposable household income was 16,000 PPS per person in 2023; the lowest of 9 regions in Portugal.
• Government budget and revenue in Norte: In 2023 the 85 of Norte’s 86 municipal councils that published 2023 accounts collected total receipts of €3,630.2 million against total expenditure of €3,602.8 million (provisional accounts).
• Government and politics in Norte: In the local elections of 12 October 2025 the 86 municipal council presidencies in Norte were won as follows: 35 by the PS, 26 by the PSD alone, 16 by PSD/CDS-PP coalitions, 5 by other parties and coalitions, 2 by PSD/CDS-PP/IL coalitions, 2 by independent citizens’ lists.

Intermunicipal communities in Norte

Norte is made up of 8 intermunicipal communities. Each has its own page of official figures.

• Área Metropolitana do Porto 1,818,217
• Cávado 433,039
• Ave 423,255
• Tâmega e Sousa 409,078
• Alto Minho 234,645
• Douro 183,867
• Terras de Trás-os-Montes 107,296
• Alto Tâmega e Barroso 83,445

How regions are governed in Portugal

Autonomous regions (Azores, Madeira). Elected legislative assembly and regional government; a Representative of the Republic appointed by the President. Own laws and budgets in many fields.

Every tier of government in Portugal

Other regions of Portugal

• Grande Lisboa 2,156,612
• Centro (PT) 1,717,560
• Oeste e Vale do Tejo 865,315
• Península de Setúbal 848,507
• Algarve 492,747
• Alentejo 474,894
• Região Autónoma da Madeira 259,440
• Região Autónoma dos Açores 241,718

Up a level: Portugal · government and power in Portugal · cities

Sources

• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_d2jan: Population on 1 January, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1572e74fa245…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_d3dens: Population density, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f4b59fe9d121…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_2gdp: GDP per person (purchasing power standards), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c21f724d14a6…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_2gdp: GDP per person (euros), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 537f99167955…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_2gdp: GDP (million euros), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 e3677c4e6d67…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_2hhinc: Disposable household income per person (PPS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 bd6019768e9f…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfu3rt: Unemployment rate (age 15-74), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 13f5037ce93a…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfu3rt: Youth unemployment rate (age 15-24), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 83bb1aebc10b…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfe2emprt: Employment rate (age 20-64), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 03191283bf5f…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset ilc_peps11n: At risk of poverty or social exclusion, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 94dcf245d20e…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_mlifexp: Life expectancy at birth, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 62800ed9bbb3…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset edat_lfse_04: Adults (25-64) with a degree-level education, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 6ff9f4bfff72…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset rd_e_gerdreg: Research and development spending (% of GDP), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 36a9132b2284…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset isoc_r_broad_h: Households with broadband, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b02c9a1ef222…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_fagec: Live births, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 6a1490d549d5…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_magec: Deaths, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 d4821a589633…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset reg_area3: Area, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 75302b0aafe9…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfu3rt: Unemployment rates by sex, age, educational attainment level and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 ac151d8a46d5…)
• 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…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset isoc_r_iuse_i: Individuals regularly using the internet by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 fb4ff8800853…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfe2emprt: Employment rates by sex, age and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 51bfca80dc8b…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset ilc_li41: At-risk-of-poverty rate by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 27849ad61b9a…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_2gvagr: Real growth rate of regional gross value added (GVA) at basic prices by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 ba2c4bdc7c37…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset trng_lfse_04: Participation rate of adults in education and training (last 4 weeks) by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 42ceced85786…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3empers: Employment (thousand persons) by NUTS 3 region and industry, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 222a97c302d3…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gva: Gross value added at basic prices by NUTS 3 region and industry, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c656e8563bdf…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_2coe: Compensation of employees by NUTS 2 region and industry, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 895d7cc9e826…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset tran_r_acci: Victims in road accidents by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a183ad1f888d…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset tour_occ_nin2: Nights spent at tourist accommodation establishments by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 06f6a82909c0…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_minfind: Infant mortality rates by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 60cbafea3657…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset ilc_mdsd18: Severe material and social deprivation rate by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 62e6e6fba571…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset edat_lfse_04: Population aged 25-64 by educational attainment level, sex and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 63810622cd71…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset edat_lfse_22: Young people neither in employment nor in education and training (NEET) by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1467a7225373…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset ilc_lvhl21n: People living in households with very low work intensity by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 8b5e993ae943…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset hlth_cd_asdr2: Causes of death: standardised death rate by NUTS 2 region of residence, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 308c4b705d5d…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_mlifexp: Life expectancy by age, sex and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f5a2a33406b9…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset edat_lfse_16: Early leavers from education and training by sex and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c3cc66b98a4a…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_find2: Fertility indicators by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 d3f275c072bc…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset educ_uoe_enra11: Pupils and students enrolled by education level, sex and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 20b6224cca4f…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_2hhinc: Income of households by NUTS 2 region (euros per inhabitant), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a7441dafca51…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset hlth_rs_physreg: Physicians by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 4ff68eb77f8b…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset hlth_rs_bdsrg2: Hospital beds by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3178c155028f…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfu2ltu: Long-term unemployment (12 months and more) by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3d5d17a32863…)

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