Education in Área Metropolitana do Porto (Norte, Portugal): official figures
2.2% of basic-education pupils (grades 1 to 9) in the Porto Metropolitan Area were held back or dropped out in the 2023/2024 school year, below the national figure of 3.9%; that is 6th lowest of 26 among Portugal’s NUTS 3 sub-regions.
How do secondary schools perform in The Porto Metropolitan Area?
93.0% of secondary students in the Porto Metropolitan Area passed or completed their year in 2023/2024, above the national figure of 90.4% (6th highest of 26 among Portugal’s NUTS 3 sub-regions).
Source: INE, Instituto Nacional de Estatistica (Statistics Portugal) · saved copyHow many students are there in The Porto Metropolitan Area?
The Porto Metropolitan Area had 215,817 pupils in basic and secondary education in 2023/2024 and 20,566 teachers in those levels, about 10.5 pupils per teacher (national: 10.2); 21.6% 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 the Porto Metropolitan Area reached 3.7% 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 the Porto Metropolitan Area was 97.8% 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
- 42.4% of secondary pupils in the Porto Metropolitan Area followed vocational or dual-certification courses in 2023/2024, above the national figure of 39.0%. Source: INE, Instituto Nacional de Estatistica (Statistics Portugal) · saved copy
- Schools in the Porto Metropolitan Area had an average of 1.2 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 the Porto Metropolitan Area awarded degrees to 105.7 graduates per 1,000 residents aged 20 to 29 in 2023/2024, above the national figure of 88.7 (7th highest of 26 among Portugal’s NUTS 3 sub-regions). Source: INE, Instituto Nacional de Estatistica (Statistics Portugal) · saved copy
How Área Metropolitana do Porto compares with other intermunicipal communities in Portugal
Retention and dropout rate in basic education (%) (2023/2024)
Área Metropolitana do Porto ranks 21 of 26, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Retention and dropout rate in basic education (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | Região de Aveiro | 3.0% |
| 19 | Região de Coimbra | 2.5% |
| 20 | Região de Leiria | 2.5% |
| 21 | Área Metropolitana do Porto | 2.2% |
| 22 | Douro | 2.1% |
| 23 | Ave | 1.6% |
| 24 | Cávado | 1.5% |
Transition/completion rate in secondary education (%) (2023/2024)
Área Metropolitana do Porto ranks 6 of 26, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Transition/completion rate in secondary education (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Ave | 95.1% |
| 4 | Douro | 94.0% |
| 5 | Cávado | 93.5% |
| 6 | Área Metropolitana do Porto | 93.0% |
| 7 | Beiras e Serra da Estrela | 93.0% |
| 8 | Viseu Dão Lafões | 93.0% |
| 9 | Terras de Trás-os-Montes | 92.8% |
Pupils per teacher, basic and secondary education (2023/2024)
Área Metropolitana do Porto ranks 7 of 26, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Pupils per teacher, basic and secondary education |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Região de Leiria | 10.8 |
| 5 | Região de Aveiro | 10.7 |
| 6 | Lezíria do Tejo | 10.6 |
| 7 | Área Metropolitana do Porto | 10.5 |
| 8 | Alentejo Litoral | 10.4 |
| 9 | Médio Tejo | 10.4 |
| 10 | Cávado | 10.2 |
More on Área Metropolitana do Porto: overview · economy and jobs · health · poverty and living standards · government budget · government and politics · Norte · 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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