List of prime ministers of Portugal by time in office

This is a list of Portuguese prime ministers by time in office.

36 years, 82 days António de Oliveira Salazar from 1932 to 1968
11 years, 26 days Fontes Pereira de Melo from 1871 to 1877, 1878 to 1879 and 1881 to 1886
9 years, 356 days Aníbal Cavaco Silva from 1985 to 1995
The shortest time in office was that of Francisco José Fernandes Costa, who was appointed Prime Minister on 15 January 1920 and resigned after having not taken office during the same day, due to protests.

Of the 90 prime ministers, 8 have served more than eight years, while 56 have served less than one year.

António Oliveira Salazar served as prime minister for more than 36 years, whereas Francisco Fernandes Costa didn't even serve as prime minister because he refused to take the oath of office.

Rank by time in office

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Rank by
length
of terms
Prime Minister Length by
time served
Cabinets Party
1 António de Oliveira Salazar 36 years, 82 days 3 National Union
2 António Maria de Fontes Pereira de Melo 11 years, 26 days 3 Regenerator
3 Aníbal Cavaco Silva 9 years, 356 days 3 Social Democratic
4 José Luciano de Castro 8 years, 288 days 3 Progressist
5 Duke of Saldanha 8 years, 203 days 4 Regenerator
6 Ernesto Hintze Ribeiro 8 years, 131 days 3 Regenerator
7 António Costa 8 years, 128 days 3 Socialist
8 Duke of Loulé 8 years, 123 days 3 Historic
9 António Guterres 6 years, 160 days 2 Socialist
10 José Sócrates 6 years, 101 days 2 Socialist
11 Duke of Terceira 5 years, 290 days 4 Regenerator
12 Marcello Caetano 5 years, 210 days 1 National Union
13 Mário Soares 4 years, 187 days 2 Socialist
14 Pedro Passos Coelho 4 years, 158 days 2 Social Democratic
15 Marquess of Sá da Bandeira 3 years, 310 days 5 Reformist
16 Joaquim António de Aguiar 3 years, 64 days 3 Regenerator
17 Domingos Oliveira 2 years, 166 days 1 National Union
18 Francisco Pinto Balsemão 2 years, 151 days 1 Social Democratic
19 António Maria da Silva 2 years, 132 days 4 Democratic
20 Duke of Ávila 2 years, 119 days 3 Reformist
21 José Manuel Durão Barroso 2 years, 102 days 1 Social Democratic
22 Afonso Costa 1 year, 329 days 3 Democratic
23 António Costa Cabral, Marquess of Tomar 1 year, 312 days 2 Chartist
24 Anselmo José Braamcamp 1 year, 297 days 1 Progressist
25 António Óscar Carmona 1 year, 284 days 1 Independent
26 João Franco 1 year, 261 days 1 Liberal Regenerator
27 Count of Bonfim 1 year, 195 days 1 Septemberist
28 João Crisóstomo 1 year, 95 days 1 Independent
29 José Vicente de Freitas 1 year, 81 days 1 Independent
30 Vasco Gonçalves 1 year, 63 days 1 Independent
31 António José de Almeida 1 year, 40 days 1 Evolutionist Party
32 José Dias Ferreira 1 year, 35 days 1 Independent
33 Bernardino Machado 1 year, 23 days 2 Democratic
34 Sidónio Pais 1 year, 9 days 1 National Republican
35 Duke of Palmela 363 days 3 Chartist
36 Francisco de Sá Carneiro 336 days 1 Social Democratic
37 Francisco Ferreira do Amaral 326 days 1 Independent
38 Teófilo Braga 323 days 1 Republican
39 Domingos Pereira 278 days 3 Democratic
José Pinheiro de Azevedo 278 days 1 Independent
40 António de Serpa Pimentel 270 days 1 Regenerator
41 Carlos Mota Pinto 252 days 1 Social Democratic
42 Luís Montenegro 238 days (Incumbent) 1 Social Democratic
43 Pedro Santana Lopes 238 days 1 Social Democratic
44 António Rodrigues Sampaio 236 days 1 Regenerator
45 Baron of Ribeira de Sabrosa 222 days 1 Septemberist
Venceslau de Lima 222 days 1 Independent
46 Augusto de Vasconcelos 216 days 1 Republican
47 Álvaro de Castro 212 days 1 Nationalist Republican
48 Duarte Leite 207 days 1 Republican
49 Alfredo de Sá Cardoso 205 days 1 Democratic
50 Artur Ivens Ferraz 197 days 1 Independent
51 José de Castro 196 days 1 Democratic
52 Francisco da Veiga Beirão 186 days 1 Regenerator
53 António Granjo 174 days 2 Republican Liberal
54 Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo 155 days 1 Independent
55 José Jorge Loureiro 154 days 1 Independent
56 Alfredo Rodrigues Gaspar 138 days 1 Democratic
57 Vitorino Guimarães 136 days 1 Democratic
58 Artur de Campos Henriques 106 days 1 Independent
Joaquim Pimenta de Castro 106 days 1 Independent
59 António Teixeira de Sousa 101 days 1 Regenerator
60 Tomé de Barros Queirós 99 days 1 Republican Liberal
61 Liberato Pinto 92 days 1 Democratic
62 António Maria Baptista 90 days 1 Democratic
63 Alfredo Nobre da Costa 86 days 1 Independent
64 José Domingues dos Santos 85 days 1 Democratic Leftwing Republican
65 João Chagas 72 days 1 Republican
66 Adelino da Palma Carlos 63 days 1 Independent
67 António Dias de Oliveira 62 days 1 Septemberist
José Relvas 62 days 1 Independent
68 Count of Lumiares 55 days 1 Septemberist
69 Francisco Cunha Leal 53 days 1 Democratic
70 Vítor Hugo de Azevedo Coutinho 47 days 1 Democratic
71 Carlos Maia Pinto 41 days 1 Independent
72 Diogo Freitas do Amaral 36 days 1 Democratic and Social Centre
73 João Tamagnini Barbosa 35 days 1 National Republican
74 Sebastião Sousa Teles 33 days 1 Independent
António Ginestal Machado 33 days 1 Nationalist Republican
75 Vasco de Almeida e Costa 30 days 1 Independent
76 Count of Linhares 23 days 1 Chamorro
77 National Salvation Junta 21 days 1 Independent
78 José Ramos Preto 20 days 1 Democratic
José Mendes Cabeçadas 20 days 1 Independent
Manuel Gomes da Costa 20 days 1 Independent
79 Manuel Maria Coelho 17 days 1 Independent
80 João do Canto e Castro 9 days 1 National Republican
81 Marquess of Valença 1 day 1 Independent
Constitutional Junta 1 day 1 Independent
82 Francisco Fernandes Costa less than a day Republican Liberal

By party

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Rank by
length
of terms
Party Length by
time served
Prime ministers
1 National Union 44 years, 93 days 3
2 Regenerator 38 years, 176 days 9
3 Socialist 25 years, 211 days 4
4 Social Democratic 22 years, 5 days (Incumbent) 8
5 Independent 11 years, 307 days 25
6 Progressist 10 years, 220 days 2
7 Democratic 8 years, 279 days 13
8 Historic 8 years, 123 days 1
9 Reformist 6 years, 64 days 2
10 Chartist 2 years, 310 days 2
11 Septemberist 2 years, 169 days 4
12 Republican 2 years, 88 days 4
13 Liberal Regenerator 1 year, 261 days 1
14 Evolutionist Party 1 year, 40 days 1
15 National Republican 1 year, 53 days 3
16 Republican Liberal 273 days 3
17 Nationalist Republican 245 days 2
18 Democratic Leftwing Republican 85 days 1
19 Democratic and Social Centre 36 days 1
20 Chamorro 23 days 1

See also

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