Portugal

Portugal

Portugal sits in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula, sharing its only land border with Spain. The Atlantic Ocean lies to the west and south. The country also includes the Azores and Madeira, two autonomous island groups in the Atlantic. Their political status is not disputed within the UN framework; they are integral parts of Portugal, not separate territories.

The capital is Lisbon, which is also the largest city, though that status can shift with urban definitions and metropolitan boundaries. The official language is Portuguese and the currency is the euro (EUR). These are stable facts, but confirm current legal definitions through the Bank of Portugal and the Portuguese government’s official portal, not through third-party travel blogs.

Stable identifiers

These codes come from the United Nations Statistics Division’s Standard Country or Area Codes for Statistical Use (M49) and the World Bank country API. They are statistical classifications, not political statements about borders, sovereignty or territorial claims.

• UN M49 code: 620
• ISO alpha-2: PT
• ISO alpha-3: PRT
• UN region: Europe
• UN subregion: Southern Europe
• UN member state: Yes
• World Bank capital field: Lisbon
• Top-level domain: .pt (IANA)
• Calling code: +351

Source: UN Statistics Division M49 overview and IANA root zone database. The UN M49 overview is available at and the World Bank API at

Population and people

Population figures change between censuses and projections. For a current estimate, check the United Nations World Population Prospects or the Portuguese National Statistics Institute (Instituto Nacional de Estatística, INE). The UN M49 overview provides the classification framework, not demographic data. The World Bank country API returns the latest official population estimate with its reference year, but the exact number will differ depending on whether you use the UN’s mid-year estimate, the World Bank’s series or Portugal’s own national statistics. Always note the reference year and the source when citing a figure.

The capital of Portugal is Lisbon. The capital field in the World Bank country API is “Lisbon” (World Bank, country API, accessed 2025). This is a statistical and administrative designation; it does not resolve historical or political questions about the nation’s broader territory.

Volatile figures

Volatile figures change every year, so freeze none of them here. For current population, use the World Bank country API, which returns a population series for Portugal:

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This returns the most recent World Bank population estimate with its reference year. The World Bank indicator is based on national censuses, vital registration and UN Population Division estimates. For a different vintage, the UN World Population Prospects and Portugal’s national statistical office (INE) publish their own estimates; do not mix them in one table.

For population, languages, currency, government and economy, use the live sources rather than a frozen number:

• Population: UN World Population Prospects and Portugal’s INE.
• Languages: Ethnologue or the Camões Institute for current linguistic data.
• Currency: Bank of Portugal (Banco de Portugal) for legal tender and issuance policy.
• Government: Portugal’s official government portal (ePortugal) and the Portuguese parliament site for the current structure.
• Economy: World Bank country API and IMF Article IV reports for GDP, growth, inflation and fiscal data.

The World Bank API call returns a JSON array of country records. Find the object with “id”: “PT” or “iso2Code”: “PT” to get the official name, capital city, region, income level and lending type. The reference year for any figure taken from the World Bank API is listed in the “date” field of the indicator endpoint (e.g., For UN M49, use the official overview at The M49 overview defines Portugal under region Europe, subregion Southern Europe.