Updated
Overview
Portugal and Israel are nearly matched in population: 10.80 million versus 10.12 million people (2025).
Israel's economy is about 75% larger than Portugal's, at $610.78B versus $346.64B.
Per person, Israel is the wealthier of the two: $60,337 against $32,082 in GDP per capita.
Population
GDP (nominal)
GDP per capita
The full table
| Indicator | Portugal | Israel | Years | Factbook, Jan 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | ||||
| GDP (nominal) | $346.64B | Higher: $610.78B | 2025 | $308.68B / $540.38B |
| GDP per capita | $32,082 | Higher: $60,337 | 2025 | — / — |
| GDP growth | 1.9% | Higher: 2.9% | 2025 | — / — |
| Inflation | Lower: 2.3% | 3.0% | 2025 | 2.4% / 3.1% |
| Unemployment | 6.2% | Lower: 3.5% | 2025 | — / — |
| Price level (US=100) | 60 | 101 | 2025 | — / — |
| Avg monthly earnings | $1,426 | Higher: $3,383 | 2025 / 2021 | — / — |
| Minimum wage | $1,147 | Higher: $1,589 | 2025 / 2024 | — / — |
| Big Mac price | — | $7.67 | — | — / — |
| People | ||||
| Population | 10.80 million | 10.12 million | 2025 | 10.19 million / 9.40 million |
| Population growth | 1.0% | 1.2% | 2025 | — / — |
| Median age | 46.9 yrs | 29.2 yrs | 2025 | — / — |
| Fertility rate | 1.52 | 2.75 | 2025 | — / — |
| Life expectancy | 82.4 yrs | Higher: 83.2 yrs | 2024 | — / — |
| Urban population | 61% | 92% | 2025 | — / — |
| Internet users | Higher: 88% | 88% | 2024 | — / — |
| Geography | ||||
| Area | 92,090 km² | 20,770 km² | — | — / — |
| Population density | 117.3/km² | 487.4/km² | 2025 | — / — |
| Environment | ||||
| CO2 emissions | Lower: 36 Mt | 53 Mt | 2024 | — / — |
| CO2 per capita | Lower: 3.4 t | 5.6 t | 2024 | — / — |
| Military | ||||
| Military spending | $4.64B | $46.51B | 2024 | — / — |
| Military spending (% GDP) | 1.5% | 8.8% | 2024 | — / — |
| Armed forces personnel | 52,000 | 178,000 | 2020 | — / — |
Sources by row: World Bank WDI, IMF WEO, UN WPP 2024, ILOSTAT, The Economist. Emphasis marks the stronger figure where one direction is meaningfully better.
Reading the numbers
Economy
Israel is growing faster: 2.9% annual GDP growth versus 1.9%.
Inflation is comparable in both: 2.3% in Portugal and 3.0% in Israel.
Day-to-day prices are noticeably lower in Portugal: a price level of 60 versus 101 on a US=100 scale.
Average monthly earnings favour Israel: $3,383 against $1,426 (ILOSTAT, latest available years).
People and society
Israel is the far younger society: median age 29.2 versus 46.9 years.
Israel is considerably more urbanized: 92% of people live in cities, against 61%.
Geography
By land area, Portugal is 4.4 times the size of Israel: 92,090 km² versus 20,770 km².
Israel is far more densely settled: 487 people per km² against 117.
Military
Israel spends 10 times as much on defence as Portugal: $46.51B versus $4.64B (World Bank/SIPRI data).
Relative to its economy, Israel carries the heavier military burden: 8.8% of GDP versus 1.5%.
Israel fields the larger armed forces: 178,000 personnel against 52,000 (note: personnel data lags; observation years shown in the table).
Frequently asked
- Is Portugal bigger than Israel?
- Portugal is larger by land area. Portugal covers 92,090 km² while Israel covers 20,770 km², so Portugal is 4.4 times the size of the other.
- Which has more people, Portugal or Israel?
- Portugal has the larger population: 10.80 million versus 10.12 million (World Bank, 2025).
- Is Portugal richer than Israel?
- Measured by GDP per capita, Israel is richer: $60,337 against $32,082. Total GDP tells the same story: $346.64B for Portugal versus $610.78B for Israel.
- Who spends more on their military, Portugal or Israel?
- Israel spends more: $46.51B versus $4.64B per year (World Bank, SIPRI-derived data; observation years vary).