Country profile
Portugal
Republica Portuguesa
Europe · Southern Europe
PT · PRT
- Capital
- Lisbon
- Population
- 10,749,635
- Area
- 92,090 km²
- Democracy index
- 93
- Regime type
- Robust Democracy
Events
Ballots from Portugal
The latest elections, referendums, and opinion polls from Portugal. Community totals are not official results.
No published ballots yet
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Classification
Democracy profile
The score and regime label are assigned by Porto Voto using our in-house democracy index and classification framework, not ratings from governments or external agencies.
Democracy index
93/100
Regime type
Robust Democracy
Portugal continues to exemplify a robust democracy characterized by high levels of political stability and a profound commitment to civil liberties, recently underscored by the nationwide celebrations of the 52nd anniversary of the Carnation Revolution on April 25, 2026. The transition of power following the 2024 and 2025 legislative and presidential cycles has been seamless, with Prime Minister Luís Montenegro's administration operating within a well established framework of institutional checks and balances. Freedom House consistently rates the country among the highest in the world for political rights and civil liberties, maintaining a near perfect score in most categories. While the judiciary remains fully independent and capable of holding high level officials accountable, as seen in ongoing corruption investigations that have reached the highest levels of the executive branch without causing institutional collapse, some structural challenges persist. These include a high level of media concentration and occasional legal pressures on investigative journalists, as noted in the Liberties 2026 Rule of Law Report. Additionally, while the state effectively protects against systemic discrimination, there are rising concerns regarding xenophobic discourse in online spaces. Nevertheless, the transparency of the electoral system and the general safety of political competition ensure that Portugal remains one of the most resilient democracies in the European Union.
Last evaluation:
How we classify regimes →World Factbook
Country background
A concise introduction to Portugal, together with notes on how power and law are organized, to put local ballots in context.
A global maritime power during the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal lost much of its wealth and status with the destruction of Lisbon in a 1755 earthquake, occupation during the Napoleonic Wars, and the independence of Brazil, its wealthiest colony, in 1822. A revolution deposed the monarchy in 1910, and for most of the next six decades, repressive governments ran the country. In 1974, a left-wing military coup ushered in broad democratic reforms.
The following year, Portugal granted independence to all its African colonies. Portugal is a founding member of NATO and entered the EC (now the EU) in 1986.