Portugal is a democratic republic. The President, Prime Minister and Parliament are elected in multi-party elections on the basis of universal suffrage. Elections, won by the Socialist Party in 2005, were deemed free and fair. There are 58 women in the 230-seat parliament and 2 women in the Cabinet. There are no minorities in Parliament or in the Cabinet. The judiciary is independent in law and in practice.

Discrimination is prohibited on the basis of race, gender, disability, language and social status, but discrimination against women and ethnic minorities is cited.

Police and prison guards are reported to use disproportionate force and abuse against detainees. Public access to government information is provided in law for citizens and non-citizens. Freedom of speech and of the press are guaranteed in law and respected in practice. Internet access is unrestricted.

Portugal is a source, transit and destination country for people trafficked for sexual exploitation. The trafficking of children under 16 is a criminal offence. Reports also show that men and women are trafficked for forced labour and sexual exploitation. There are reports that immigrant children are used for organised street begging.

A new HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programme in prisons has been introduced on a trial basis.

Basic education consists of 9 years of schooling divided into 3 sequential cycles of education of 4, 2 and 3 years. 9 years of compulsory, free and universal education are provided for children. State-run nurseries are free of charge, though fees are paid to private nursery schools. Government-funded preschool education is available from age 4. Families are required to provide the necessary books and materials, with financial assistance available for poorer families. The school books are chosen at the level of the school every 4 years. Primary students, and sometimes students of other levels, get a free mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack.

While the majority of children attend school, the dropout rate is high: 45% of students leave without completing high school. The large dropout rates in secondary education and the multi-generational, high-functional illiteracy rate in comparison with other OECD countries has become the focus of discussion. Admission to state-run higher education requires either a secondary school leaving certificate or a special exam available to mature students. Admission to private universities is entirely at the discretion of each school. A full programme of vocational studies is available. Distance higher education is provided by the Universidade Aberta (Open University).

Efforts to promote anti-bias and tolerance education have included the commemoration of the anniversary of the founding of Lisbon's 19th-century synagogue and some funding to help build a new mosque in the city. An increasing number of children are reported to be living in the streets of the main cities.

The use of corporal punishment of children within the family and in schools is a cause for concern.

A 3-year programme begins at age 3. At this level 49% of education is private. The Net Enrolment Rate (NER) is 74%. There are 14,350 ECE teachers (92% female). The pupil/teacher ratio (PTR) is 17 : 1.

Education is compulsory for ages 6 to 14. Primary school begins at age 6 and continues for 6 years. At this level 11% of education is private. The NER is 99% (48% female). There are 69,109 primary teachers. The PTR is 11 : 1.

Secondary education begins at age 12 and is completed in 6 years. At this level 15% of education is private. 28% of students in upper secondary education study in technical vocational programmes. The NER is 82%. There are 87,302 secondary teachers, 41,032 (71% female) in lower secondary and 46,270 (67% female) in upper secondary schools. The PTR is 10 : 1 in lower secondary and 8 : 1 in upper secondary education.

400,831 students (57% female) study in tertiary institutions, for a Gross Enrolment Rate of 56%. 15,483 foreign students study in Portugal, mainly from Sub-Saharan Africa (8,814), North America and Western Europe (3,253), Latin America and the Caribbean (2,461), Asia (410), Central and Eastern Europe (254) and the Arab States (19). At the same time, 11, 213 Portuguese students study abroad, mainly in France (2,701), the UK (2,649), and Germany (1,922), Spain (1,377) and the USA (880).

Discrimination against persons with disabilities is illegal in education and in other state services, and the law is enforced. The law also mandates access for the disabled to public buildings, and these provisions are also enforced. The legislation does not cover private businesses or other non-government facilities. The principle of non-discrimination is reported not to be fully implemented for disabled children, especially in the fields of education and health.

Portugal's Supreme Court, in a decision that has shocked human rights advocates, has ruled that the corporal punishment of children with mental disabilities in a children's institution is legal, including smacking and isolation in a dark room.

The law provides for the granting of asylum or refugee status in accordance with the 1951 UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol, and the government has established a system for providing protection to refugees. The government cooperates with the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in assisting refugees and asylum-seekers. Concern is expressed that illegal immigrant children and non-accompanied children do not receive education.

Religious minorities include a little over 300,000 Protestants, as well as about 50,000 Muslims and 10,000 Hindus, mostly from the former Portuguese colonies of Goa, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, and São Tomé and Príncipe. Some 500,000 legal immigrants live Portugal, representing approximately 5% of the population. The country also has a resident Roma population of approximately 50,000 people. Though the civil and political rights of minority groups are protected, discrimination against the Roma is reported.

Reports do not indicate there is any violation of academic freedom.

Women enjoy legal equality with men, but economic and other forms of discrimination continue. Women make up 47.3% of the work force and are increasingly represented in business, science, universities and the professions, but their average salaries are some 30% lower than those of men. Of the 349,847 students enrolled in higher education in the 2004-05 school year, 55% were women. Sexual harassment by a superior in the workplace is a crime, and reporting of sexual harassment is on the rise. Discrimination against pregnant workers and new mothers is cited as a common problem.

Violence against women persists, and NGOs report that only 10% of cases are brought to trial. Trafficking in women for the purpose of sexual exploitation continues.

The minimum age for employment is 16, and the legislation is enforced in the formal sector. Child labour varies regionally, with problems greatest in the agriculture, clothing, footwear, construction, and hotel industries. Some 48,900 children aged 6 to 15 are said to be engaged in some form of economic activity, and 85% of them are unpaid family workers, 15% work for third parties and 98.6 % attend school and work. The majority of working children do so for 15 or fewer hours a week, but 11% are reported to work more than 35 hours a week. Roma children are reported to beg on the streets.

Workers have the right to form and join trade unions. About 35% of the work force is unionised. Collective bargaining is permitted, as is the right to strike, except for police officers and members of the armed forces. Recent strikes have occurred in education, health, justice, transportation and agriculture. Forced or compulsory labour is prohibited but reportedly occurs among those trafficked for exploitation.

The monthly minimum wage for full-time, rural and domestic workers over 18 is US$449 (374.70 euros), which does not provide a decent standard of living for a worker and family. Rent controls, along with food and utility subsidies, help raise the standard of living for minimum wage employees. Most workers earn more than the minimum wage, and the General Confederation of Portuguese Workers estimates the average monthly salary at US $916 (763.20 euros), excluding public servants.