Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Portugal fits inside Italy 3.3 times.
Italy: 302,070 km² (2023) · Portugal: 92,230 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Italy’s coastline is 4.2 times as long as Portugal’s.
Italy: 7,600 km (2026 edition) · Portugal: 1,793 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Italy’s highest peak towers 2,397 m above Portugal’s.
Italy: 4,748 m (2026 edition) · Portugal: 2,351 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Italy has 5.5 times as many people as Portugal.
Italy: 58.9 million (2025) · Portugal: 10.8 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Italy is 69% more densely populated than Portugal.
Italy: 199 per km² (2025) · Portugal: 118 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Italy and Portugal are practically level.
Italy: 174.4 cm (2019) · Portugal: 174.4 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Italy and Portugal are practically level.
Italy: 161.8 cm (2019) · Portugal: 161.2 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Italy is 1.3 years older than in Portugal.
Italy: 47.5 years (2023) · Portugal: 46.2 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Portugal have 0.2 more children on average than in Italy.
Italy: 1.18 children per woman (2024) · Portugal: 1.41 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
Italy and Portugal are practically level.
Italy: 25.1% (2025) · Portugal: 24.9% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Italy has produced 3.4 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Portugal 1.9.
Italy: 3.4 (2025) · Portugal: 1.9 (2025)
How many official languages?
Italy and Portugal are practically level.
Italy: 1 (2026) · Portugal: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Italy’s economy is 7.4 times the size of Portugal’s.
Italy: $2.55 trillion (2025) · Portugal: $347 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Italy produces 18% more per person than Portugal.
Italy: Int$62,803 (2025) · Portugal: Int$53,146 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Italy than in Portugal (Gini 0.4 points higher).
Italy: 34.3 (2023) · Portugal: 33.9 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Italy and Portugal are practically level.
Italy: 6.4% (2025) · Portugal: 6.2% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Italy and Portugal are practically level.
Italy: 1.6% (2024) · Portugal: 1.5% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Italy’s price level (US = 100) is 1.1× Portugal’s.
Italy: 69% (2025) · Portugal: 60% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Italy spends 14% more on health per person than Portugal.
Italy: $3,398 (2024) · Portugal: $2,971 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in Italy live 1.6 years longer than in Portugal.
Italy: 84 years (2024) · Portugal: 82.4 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Portugal is 17% more likely to die before turning one than in Italy.
Italy: 2.3 per 1,000 (2024) · Portugal: 2.7 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Portugal has 40% more doctors per person than Italy.
Italy: 4.2 per 1,000 (2022) · Portugal: 5.9 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
23% of adults in Portugal are obese, versus 18% in Italy.
Italy: 17.9% (2024) · Portugal: 23% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
29% of adults in Portugal smoke, versus 22% in Italy.
Italy: 22.4% (2024) · Portugal: 28.6% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Italy rate their lives 0.54 points higher than in Portugal.
Italy: 6.57 (2025) · Portugal: 6.03 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Portugal drink 63% more alcohol than in Italy.
Italy: 8.4 litres (2023) · Portugal: 13.7 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Portugal has 39% more meat per person than Italy.
Italy: 71.2 kg (2023) · Portugal: 99.3 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Italy has 200 kcal more food per person per day than Portugal.
Italy: 3,753 kcal (2023) · Portugal: 3,553 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Portugal put in 34 more hours a year than in Italy.
Italy: 1,701 hours (2023) · Portugal: 1,735 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Italy went to school 1.1 years longer than in Portugal.
Italy: 10.8 years (2023) · Portugal: 9.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Portugal welcomed 2.8 times as many tourists per resident as Italy (2019).
Italy: 0.98 (2024) · Portugal: 2.71 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
89% of people in Italy are online, versus 88% in Portugal.
Italy: 89% (2024) · Portugal: 88% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Italy and Portugal are practically level.
Italy: 100% (2024) · Portugal: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
70% of people in Italy live in cities, versus 61% in Portugal.
Italy: 70% (2025) · Portugal: 61% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Italy has 133 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Portugal 124.
Italy: 133 (2024) · Portugal: 124 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Italy’s railway network is 6.8 times as long as Portugal’s.
Italy: 17,305 km (2021) · Portugal: 2,527 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Portugal fly 4.9 times as many passengers per resident as those from Italy.
Italy: 0.34 (2023) · Portugal: 1.69 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 36% of Portugal, but only 33% of Italy.
Italy: 32.9% (2023) · Portugal: 36.2% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Italy emits 49% more CO₂ than someone in Portugal.
Italy: 5.1 t (2024) · Portugal: 3.4 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
81% of Portugal’s electricity is renewable, versus 49% in Italy.
Italy: 48.8% (2025) · Portugal: 81% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Italy carries 45% more fine dust than in Portugal.
Italy: 15.2 µg/m³ (2024) · Portugal: 10.5 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 27% more likely to be murdered in Portugal than in Italy.
Italy: 0.6 per 100k (2023) · Portugal: 0.7 per 100k (2022)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Portugal are 44% deadlier than in Italy.
Italy: 5 per 100k (2021) · Portugal: 7.2 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Portugal is on average 2.0 °C warmer than Italy.
Italy: 13.9°C (2016–2025 avg) · Portugal: 15.9°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Italy gets 33% more rain than Portugal.
Italy: 1,030 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Portugal: 777 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Italy bigger than Portugal?
Italy is larger. Portugal fits inside Italy 3.3 times.
Which has more people, Italy or Portugal?
Italy has 5.5 times as many people as Portugal (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Italy or Portugal?
People in Italy live 1.6 years longer than in Portugal. Life expectancy at birth is 84.0 years in Italy and 82.4 in Portugal.
Are people taller in Italy or Portugal?
Italy and Portugal are practically level (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
