Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Portugal fits inside Spain 5.5 times.
Portugal: 92,230 km² (2023) · Spain: 505,976 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Spain’s coastline is 2.8 times as long as Portugal’s.
Portugal: 1,793 km (2026 edition) · Spain: 4,964 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Spain’s highest peak towers 1,367 m above Portugal’s.
Portugal: 2,351 m (2026 edition) · Spain: 3,718 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Spain has 4.6 times as many people as Portugal.
Portugal: 10.8 million (2025) · Spain: 49.4 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Portugal is 19% more densely populated than Spain.
Portugal: 118 per km² (2025) · Spain: 99 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Spain are 1.7 cm taller than in Portugal.
Portugal: 174.4 cm (2019) · Spain: 176.1 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Spain and Portugal are practically level.
Portugal: 161.2 cm (2019) · Spain: 162 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Portugal is 1.3 years older than in Spain.
Portugal: 46.2 years (2023) · Spain: 44.9 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Portugal have 0.3 more children on average than in Spain.
Portugal: 1.41 children per woman (2024) · Spain: 1.1 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
25% of people in Portugal are 65 or older, versus 22% in Spain.
Portugal: 24.9% (2025) · Spain: 21.6% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Portugal has produced 1.9 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Spain 1.4.
Portugal: 1.9 (2025) · Spain: 1.4 (2025)
How many official languages?
Portugal and Spain are practically level.
Portugal: 1 (2026) · Spain: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Spain’s economy is 5.5 times the size of Portugal’s.
Portugal: $347 billion (2025) · Spain: $1.91 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Spain produces 13% more per person than Portugal.
Portugal: Int$53,146 (2025) · Spain: Int$59,868 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Portugal than in Spain (Gini 0.5 points higher).
Portugal: 33.9 (2023) · Spain: 33.4 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 10% in Spain, versus 6.2% in Portugal.
Portugal: 6.2% (2025) · Spain: 10.4% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Portugal and Spain are practically level.
Portugal: 1.5% (2024) · Spain: 1.4% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Spain’s price level (US = 100) is 1.1× Portugal’s.
Portugal: 60% (2025) · Spain: 65% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Spain spends 5% more on health per person than Portugal.
Portugal: $2,971 (2024) · Spain: $3,107 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Spain live 1.5 years longer than in Portugal.
Portugal: 82.4 years (2024) · Spain: 83.9 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Portugal is 4% more likely to die before turning one than in Spain.
Portugal: 2.7 per 1,000 (2024) · Spain: 2.6 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Portugal has 36% more doctors per person than Spain.
Portugal: 5.9 per 1,000 (2022) · Spain: 4.3 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
23% of adults in Portugal are obese, versus 19% in Spain.
Portugal: 23% (2024) · Spain: 18.9% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
29% of adults in Portugal smoke, versus 28% in Spain.
Portugal: 28.6% (2024) · Spain: 27.6% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Spain rate their lives 0.51 points higher than in Portugal.
Portugal: 6.03 (2025) · Spain: 6.54 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Portugal drink 14% more alcohol than in Spain.
Portugal: 13.7 litres (2023) · Spain: 12.1 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Spain has 1% more meat per person than Portugal.
Portugal: 99.3 kg (2023) · Spain: 100.8 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Portugal has 176 kcal more food per person per day than Spain.
Portugal: 3,553 kcal (2023) · Spain: 3,377 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Portugal put in 97 more hours a year than in Spain.
Portugal: 1,735 hours (2023) · Spain: 1,638 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Spain went to school 1.1 years longer than in Portugal.
Portugal: 9.7 years (2023) · Spain: 10.8 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Portugal welcomed 41% more tourists per resident than Spain (2019).
Portugal: 2.71 (2024) · Spain: 1.92 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
96% of people in Spain are online, versus 88% in Portugal.
Portugal: 88% (2024) · Spain: 96% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Portugal and Spain are practically level.
Portugal: 100% (2024) · Spain: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
81% of people in Spain live in cities, versus 61% in Portugal.
Portugal: 61% (2025) · Spain: 81% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Spain has 130 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Portugal 124.
Portugal: 124 (2024) · Spain: 130 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Spain’s railway network is 6.3 times as long as Portugal’s.
Portugal: 2,527 km (2021) · Spain: 15,963 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Spain fly 13% more passengers per resident than those from Portugal.
Portugal: 1.69 (2023) · Spain: 1.91 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 37% of Spain, but only 36% of Portugal.
Portugal: 36.2% (2023) · Spain: 37.2% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Spain emits 35% more CO₂ than someone in Portugal.
Portugal: 3.4 t (2024) · Spain: 4.6 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
81% of Portugal’s electricity is renewable, versus 56% in Spain.
Portugal: 81% (2025) · Spain: 55.9% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Portugal carries 5% more fine dust than in Spain.
Portugal: 10.5 µg/m³ (2024) · Spain: 10 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 4% more likely to be murdered in Portugal than in Spain.
Portugal: 0.7 per 100k (2022) · Spain: 0.7 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Portugal are 2.1 times as deadly as in Spain.
Portugal: 7.2 per 100k (2021) · Spain: 3.5 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Portugal is on average 1.1 °C warmer than Spain.
Portugal: 15.9°C (2016–2025 avg) · Spain: 14.8°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Portugal gets 17% more rain than Spain.
Portugal: 777 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Spain: 665 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Portugal bigger than Spain?
Spain is larger. Portugal fits inside Spain 5.5 times.
Which has more people, Portugal or Spain?
Spain has 4.6 times as many people as Portugal (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Portugal or Spain?
People in Spain live 1.5 years longer than in Portugal. Life expectancy at birth is 82.4 years in Portugal and 83.9 in Spain.
Are people taller in Portugal or Spain?
Men in Spain are 1.7 cm taller than in Portugal (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
