electionstracker

Portugal 1979 legislative election

What was the result of the 1979 legislative election in Portugal?

Social Democratic Party won 75 of 250 seats. 82.9% of registered voters cast a ballot.

  • Portugal
  • Held:
  • Final result
  • ParlGov, read 5 October 2026

Which party won the most seats?

Final results from ParlGov, read : Social Democratic Party won 75 of 250 seats; 82.9% of registered voters cast a ballot, down 0.7 points on 1976.

  • Democratic Alliance 0 43.7%
  • Socialist Party 74 −33 seats 28.1% −8.5 points
  • United People Alliance 0 19.3%
  • Popular Democratic Union 1 0 seats 2.2% +0.5 points
  • Christian Democratic Party 0 1.2%
  • Social Democratic Party 75 +2 seats
  • Portuguese Communist Party 44 +4 seats
  • CDS – People's Party 43 +1 seat
  • People's Monarchist Party 5
  • Reformists 5
  • Portuguese Democratic Movement 3
  • Seats won
  • Change on the previous election at the right
  • Share of the vote
  • Share at the previous election
  • Change in points at the right

Changes are against the Portugal 1976 legislative election, party by party.

126 of 250 seats make a majority

Key numbers

  1. +4 seats

    Seats gained by Portuguese Communist Party

    The largest gain in seats compared with 1976. Socialist Party lost 33 seats.

  2. 82.9%

    Voter turnout

    Down 0.7 points on 1976.

Seats and votes by party

PartySeats± seats%± pointsVotes
Democratic Alliance043.72,554,458
Socialist Party74−3328.1−8.51,642,136
United People Alliance019.31,129,322
Popular Democratic Union102.2+0.5130,842
Christian Democratic Party01.272,514
Social Democratic Party75+2
Portuguese Communist Party44+4
CDS – People's Party43+1
People's Monarchist Party5
Reformists5
Portuguese Democratic Movement3

± is the change against the Portugal 1976 legislative election, party by party.

Votes by party
  • Democratic Alliance 2,554,458
  • Socialist Party 1,642,136
  • United People Alliance 1,129,322
  • Popular Democratic Union 130,842
  • Christian Democratic Party 72,514
  • Social Democratic Party
  • Portuguese Communist Party
  • CDS – People's Party
  • People's Monarchist Party
  • Reformists
  • Portuguese Democratic Movement

ParlGov lists parties with at least 1 percent of the vote or 2 seats, so the rows do not add up to the valid votes.

How many people voted?

82.9% of the 7,249,346 registered voters cast a ballot (6,007,453 ballots), down 0.7 points on 1976. 5,843,739 of them were valid votes.

How do the votes compare with the seats?

  • Socialist Party28.1% of votes29.6% of seats
  • Popular Democratic Union2.2% of votes0.4% of seats
  • Democratic Alliance43.7% of votes0.0% of seats
  • United People Alliance19.3% of votes0.0% of seats
Each party's share of the vote (outlined) and of the seats (filled)

The Gallagher index of disproportionality is 43.6 (0 when seats follow votes exactly); the effective number of parties is 3.2 by votes and 4.2 by seats; Democratic Alliance led Socialist Party by 15.6 points of the vote.

Time and source Data as of