One third of the resident population in Portugal aged 15 or over consumed non-prescribed medication in 2025, according to data from the 2025 National Health Survey conducted by Statistics Portugal. The percentage stood at 33.2%, a practice more frequent among young people and in the Algarve, which recorded the highest proportion in the country at 38.6%.
Consumption of medication without a prescription was more significant in the population between 15 and 34 years old, with the highest percentage recorded in the 35 to 44 age group, at 40.4%, slightly lower than the percentage of prescribed medication consumption in the same age group, which reached 40.7%.
By regions, the Algarve led with 38.6%, followed by Greater Lisbon with 38% and the Alentejo with 26.2%. Statistics Portugal noted that, despite regional differences, prescribed medication consumption was higher than non-prescribed medication consumption in all regions of the country.
The 2025 NHS was conducted based on a representative sample of 22,000 households spread across the entire national territory.
