Portugal is one of the European Union (EU) countries where people work the longest until retirement, exceeding the average of 27.

The most recent data from Eurostat shows that the average working life was 39.1 years in 2023, 2.2 years more than the EU average (36.9 years).

This is how the average working life in Portugal has evolved in recent years:

2023: 39.1 years

2022: 38.3 years

2021: 37.5 years

2020: 37.5 years

2019: 38.3 years

2018: 38 years

2017: 37.7 years

2016: 37.1 years

2015: 36.9 years

2014: 36.7 years

According to the European Statistics Office, the average working life varies greatly between the 27 Member States. In some countries, such as Iceland, the Netherlands, and Sweden, it exceeds 40 years: 45.7 years, 43.7 years, and 43.1 years, respectively.

Conversely, the average length of active working life is shorter in Romania (32.2 years), Italy (32.9 years) and Croatia (34 years).