Brussels, Sept. 1, 2026 (Lusa) - Portugal allocated 10.3% of its public expenditure to education in 2024, a higher share than the European Union average of 9.7%, according to the European Commission's latest data on investment in the sector.
This figure is based on a European Commission report on investment in education, published on Tuesday, which analysed trends in sector expenditure across member states and presents the latest available data for 2024. The report states that, in that year, public investment in education in Portugal amounted to €12.6 billion.
Thus, in 2024, Portugal allocated 10.3% of public expenditure to education, slightly below the 10.5% recorded in 2019.
Over the period under review, this expenditure fell from 10.5% in 2019 to 9.6% in 2020, then rose to 9.9% in 2021, 10.1% in 2022, 10.2% in 2023, and 10.3% in 2024, according to the same document.
In terms of its share of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), investment in education rose from 4.5% in 2019 to 4.7% in 2020, remained at 4.7% in 2021, then fell to 4.4% in 2022 and 4.3% in 2023, and was unchanged in 2024.
At the European Union level, member states allocated 9.7% of public expenditure to education in 2024, up from 9.6% in 2023 and moving towards the 10% target set in 2019.
Public expenditure on education stood at 10% in 2019, falling to 9.3% in 2020 and 2021. The figure then recovered to 9.4% in 2022, 9.6% in 2023 and 9.7% in 2024.
In terms of its share of GDP, the European Union average stood at 4.8% in 2024.
In the report, the European Commission highlights the importance of continuing to invest in education systems and, in particular, in teachers, at a time when several member states are working to strengthen their capacity to attract and retain staff.
The results show that more than three in four teachers (76.5%) would choose to continue teaching if given the opportunity to pursue a new profession.
«The data indicates that various factors, such as pay and professional recognition, play an important role in determining the attractiveness of the teaching profession,» the European Commission notes.
Satisfaction with pay is associated with a higher likelihood that teachers will remain in the profession.
Furthermore, other factors, such as supportive working environments, positive perceptions of the profession and opportunities for professional collaboration, also play an important role.
Conversely, «workplace stress significantly reduces teachers' willingness to remain in the profession», adds the European Commission.
The Executive Vice-President responsible for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Training, Roxana Mînzatu, noted that the report «makes it clear that attracting and retaining teachers depends on more than salaries».
«At a time when many education systems are facing a shortage of teachers, we need to make teaching a profession that people want to take up, one in which they want to remain and in which they feel valued. The forthcoming European Agenda for Teachers and Trainers, as part of the Skills Union, will support Member States precisely in achieving this objective,» she concluded.
ANE/ADB // ADB.
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