Social, Economic, and Demographic Change during the Portuguese Democracy (1974–2020)

Abstract

AbstractPortugal went through substantial social and economic changes since the onset of democracy in 1974. The general transformation of Portuguese economy and society was defined by a general pattern of convergence with Western European standards in many aspects: Portugal became a high-income country, having previously been a mid- to low-income country at the beginning of the democratic period; it also became a service economy, much like its European counterparts. This convergence was also visible in the role played by the government, both in terms of its growth (as measured by public spending) and its structure, with the expansion of social elements (social security, education, and health), bringing Portugal closer to the standard of European welfare states. One final aspect where convergence was noticeable was demographic behaviour, as Portugal quickly completed the process generally known as ‘demographic transition’.