Provisional results of the 2020 Doctorateholders Survey

According to the provisional results of the 2020 Doctorateholders Survey, conducted by DGEEC, between 2015 and 2020 Portugal recorded a 17% growth in the population of doctorate holders living in the country (from 30,807 to 37,113). For the first time, the number of female doctorate holders living in Portugal (51%) was higher than the number of male doctorate holders (49%), while the percentage of foreign doctorate holders living in Portugal in 2020 remained very close to the percentage in 2015.

The survey also revealed an increase in the number of employed doctorate holders and, consequently, a decrease in the number of unemployed doctorate holders (accounting for 2% in 2020), with the percentage of inactive (retired and other inactive people) remaining at 3%.

The distribution by employment sector shows an increase in the number of PhD graduates working in the State and Corporate sectors by 2020, with a decrease in the Higher Education sector.

The number of doctorate holders residing in Portugal who have set up a company increased between 2012 and 2020 (they were 1% in 2012, 4% in 2015 and 6% in 2020). Among the resident population, the number of PhD holders has been rising steadily since 2012, from 24 to 36 PhD holders per 10,000 inhabitants and from 50 to 75 PhD holders per 10,000 inhabitants in the working population.

Chart - Evolution of doctorate holders residing in Portugal

For more information please consult Doctorate Survey - CDH20 - Provisional Results