NUTS statistical regions of Portugal
The Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics is developed by Eurostat, and employed in Portugal for statistical purposes. The NUTS branch extends from NUTS1, NUTS2 and NUTS3 regions, with the complementary LAU sub-categorization being used to differentiate the local areas, of trans-national importance.
Developed by Eurostat and implemented in 1998, the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics regions, which comprises three levels of the Portuguese territory, are instrumental in European Union's Structural Fund delivery mechanisms. The standard was developed by the European Union, and thus only covers the member states, and extensively used by national governments, Eurostat and other EU bodies for statistical and policy matters. Until 4 November 2002, the Sistema Estatístico Nacional used a NUTS codification system that was distinct from the Eurostat system. With the enactment of Decree Law 244/2002, published in the Diário da República, this system was abandoned in order to harmonize the national system with that of Eurostat.
Subdivisions
The NUTS system subdivides the nation into three levels: NUTS I, NUTS II and NUTS III. In some European partners, as is the case with Portugal, a complementary hierarchy, respectively LAU I and LAU II is employed. The LAU, or Local Administrative Units, in the Portuguese context pertains to the 308 municipalities and 3092 civil parishes respectively. In the broadest sense, the NUTS hierarchy, while they may follow some of the borders diverge in their delineation.| Subdivision | No. | Description |
| NUTS 1: National | 3 | Continental Portugal, the Azores and Madeira |
| NUTS 2: Regions | 7 | Regional Coordination Commissions and Autonomous Regions |
| NUTS 3: Subregion | 25 | Administrative, Statistical and Autonomous Regions |
Changes NUTS 2-3 (1986—2013)
NUTS I
The first and broadest subdivision of Portugal is between continental Portugal and the two autonomous regions of the Azores and Madeira.NUTS II
Although the districts are still the most socially relevant subdivision, their function is being phased in favour of locally oriented regional units, and regions are growing in importance. Portugal is divided into five regions, administered by the Commissions for Coordination and Regional Development in continental Portugal, plus the two autonomous regions that are their own NUTS II regions.NUTS III
The seven regions of Portugal are likewise subdivided into 25 subregions that, from 2015, represent the 2 metropolitan areas, the 21 intermunicipal communities and the 2 autonomous regions. Therefore, since the 2013 revision, the Portuguese subregions have a statutory and administrative relevance.The two autonomous regions in the Atlantic, correspond to their own NUTS I, II and III categories.
NUTS CodesCOMMISSION REGULATION (EU) No 868/2014 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:L:2014:241:FULL&from=PT
LAUs
Municipalities and civil parishes were at NUTS IV and V levels, but these nomenclature units have been abolished and substituted by LAUs: the municipality is classified as LAU 1, while the civil parish is LAU level 2. Below the NUTS levels, the two LAU levels are:| Sudvision | No. | Description |
| LAU 1 | 308 | Municipalities |
| LAU 2 | 4260 | Civil Parishes |
The LAU codes of Portugal can be downloaded at: