Regional disparities and public service gaps in Portugal

Reports indicate growing regional disparities and service shortages across various parts of Portugal. Data from the EduQA National Report shows that the Alentejo region faces significant educational gaps, recording the lowest national average scores in Science, Reading, Mathematics, and computational problem-solving. Additionally, the Algarve has been identified as having one of the lowest secondary school completion rates in the country.

In the Litoral Alentejano region, user commissions have intensified their advocacy through a ‘Demands Document for 2027’, intended for submission to the Government and political parties in the Assembly of the Republic. These commissions highlight critical deficiencies in the National Health Service, noting that approximately 35,000 users lack a family doctor and the Litoral Alentejano Local Health Unit (ULSLA) faces a shortage of about 100 nurses. Specific concerns include the use of non-specialized clinicians to replace family doctors, the reliance on temporary staffing agencies to maintain emergency services at the Litoral Alentejano Hospital in Santiago do Cacém, and the lack of pediatric specialists in emergency care.

To address these issues, the commissions propose the construction of a maternity ward, permanent 24-hour pediatric coverage, and incentives to retain health professionals. They also call for the reopening of health extensions and convalescence units, improvements in public education, transport, and justice, and the reversal of CTT to a fully public company to ensure regional cohesion.

Parallel to these social and educational concerns, the Portuguese government is developing new seismic security regulations. High-vulnerability zones identified for these new safety frameworks include the Algarve, Alentejo Litoral, Lisbon, Vale do Tejo, and the Azores.