Portugal education report reveals regional disparities and vocational barriers

A report from Pordata reveals significant regional disparities in secondary education completion rates across Portugal. The regions of Greater Lisbon, Setúbal, and the Algarve report the lowest completion rates for the 12th grade, particularly within the public school system. In contrast, the North and Center regions consistently maintain completion rates above the national average, often exceeding 90% for the third cycle of basic education.

Data also highlights structural barriers for students coming from vocational training pathways. In the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, which accounts for approximately 30% of the country's vocational students, there is a severe lack of higher education opportunities for those with professional diplomas. Major institutions such as the University of Lisbon, Nova University Lisbon, and the Lisbon Polytechnic Institute offer a negligible number of vacancies for vocational graduates. For example, across the entire metropolitan region, public higher education institutions provide only 21 vacancies for thousands of qualified vocational students, a gap that persists even in critical fields like engineering and digital technologies.