The data is systematised and released by the Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation through the Pordata statistics database on the occasion of World Environment Day.

Increased use of cars

In a world where it is necessary to reduce GHG emissions, for which transport is one of the main contributors (in Portugal, it is the main one), the country has surrendered to the automobile: from 1990 to 2023, the use of public transport decreased from 29% to 12%, and car use increased from 72% to 88%.

Portugal went from being the fifth country where people travelled the least by car to the top of the table, from the fourth country that used the train the most to the fourth that uses it the least, and from the fifth country that used buses the most to the fourth country that uses them the least (among 17 European countries with available data).

While Portugal shows some positive indicators in the environmental landscape, the overall picture is marred by its dependence on automobiles.

Increase in car sales

Data from 2023 indicate that 88.2% of kilometres travelled by passengers are by car (the third-highest value in the EU). Kilometres travelled by those who travel by bus represent only 7.5%, and by train, 4.2%, which is half the European average.

From 1990 to 2024, the vehicle fleet in Portugal more than tripled, going from one car for every five people to one car for every two people.

Another piece of data regarding automobiles indicates that in 2024, more than 40,000 new electric cars were sold in Portugal, 20% of the total and above the European average (13.5%). In Denmark, more than half of new cars were electric.

Carbon emissions

Despite the figures on electric cars, the truth is that transport is responsible for 34.4% of emissions (2024 data), the fourth highest value in the EU, with about 20% of national emissions associated with the combustion of gasoline and diesel in the fleet.

The data now released by Pordata indicate that, although Portugal is the third country with the fewest emissions “per capita” (only surpassed by Sweden and Malta), between 1990 and 2024, the country was the third that reduced emissions the least. All EU countries reduced emissions.

Other data now released indicate that, in 2024, in Portugal, final energy consumption (by households, industry and transport) was mainly sourced from petroleum products (42.9%), electricity (26.4%), renewables (19.5%) and natural gas (10.2%).

Renewable energy consumption

In renewable energy consumption, Portugal ranks sixth in the EU and above the European average.

Portuguese households account for less of their energy consumption than the European average.

According to the figures, they rely mainly on grid electricity (43.2%) and renewable sources (36.7%), while the European average relies mainly on natural gas (29.7%) and electricity (26.6%).

Portugal is among the four EU countries where more than 95% of the energy produced originated from renewable sources.