At stake in this election:

• 230 seats in the Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da Republica)

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Jorge Fernando Branco de SAMPAIO
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Antonio Manuel de Oliveira GUTERRES
• Assembly: Portugal has a unicameral Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da Republica) with 230 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by absolute majority vote through a two-round system to serve a 5-year term.
• The Prime Minister is appointed by the president.
• In the Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da Republica) 230 members are elected through a closed-list proportional representation system to serve 4-year terms.***

*** There are 22 multi-member districts. Seats are allocated using the d'Hondt method.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: Portugese Socialist Party / (PS)
  • Leader: Antonio Manuel de Oliveira GUTERRES
  • Seats won in this election: 112
  • Seats won in last election: 112
• Party: Social Democratic Party / (PSD)
  • Leader: Durao BARROSO
  • Seats won in this election: 80
  • Seats won in last election: 88
• Coalition: United Democratic Coalition / (CDU)***
  • Leader: Carlos CARVALHAS
  • Seats won in this election: 17
  • Seats won in last election: 15
• Party: Popular Party / (PP)****
  • Leader: Paulo PORTAS
  • Seats won in this election: 15
  • Seats won in last election: 15
• Party: B.E.
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 2
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: Other Parties
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 0
  • Seats won in last election: N/A

*** The United Democratic Coalition (CDU) includes the Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) and the Green Party.
**** The Popular Party (PP) was formerly the Social Democratic Center.

Last Parliamentary election:

• Elections to the Assembleia da Republica were last held on October 1, 1995.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 10,217,828 (1999)
• Registered Voters: 8,672,801 (1999)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 5,290,849 (1999)

·         Is Portugal a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (24 April 1980)

·         Has Portugal ratified CEDAW: Yes (30 July 1980)

·         Gender Quota: Yes

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 43 (following the 1999 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 43 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: N/A

Disability Data:

·         Is Portugal a signatory to CRPD: Yes (30 March 2007)

·         Has Portugal ratified CRPD: Yes (23 September 2009)

·         Population with a disability: 1,532,674 (est.)