Gaba ɗaya ana ɗaukar Portugal a matsayin mai nasara wajen kiyaye 'yancin ɗan adam da kare haƙƙin ɗan adam na 'yan ƙasa. Portugal ta tabbatar da aniyarta wajen ingantawa da mutunta haƙƙin ɗan adam a matakin ƙasa da ƙasa. Ministan shari'a na kasashen har zuwa watan Satumba na shekara ta 2018, Francisca Van Dunem, ya ce Portugal tana da "kyakkyawan tarihin" game da 'yancin ɗan adam amma har yanzu ana ci gaba da cin zarafi. Portugal kasa memba ce ta Tarayyar Turai don haka 'yan kasarta suna samun kariya ta Yarjejeniya ta Muhimman Hakki . Baya ga kasancewarta memba na Tarayyar Turai, Portugal ma memba ce ta Majalisar Dinkin Duniya kuma ta sanya hannu kan Yarjejeniyar Kare Hakkokin Dan Adam ta Duniya . .. A ranar 25 ga Afrilun 1974 wani juyin mulkin soji ya kawo karshen mulkin Estado Novo wanda ya kawo karshen mulkin farkisanci a kasar Portugal kuma shi ne mafarin sabuwar dimokradiyya bayan shekaru 48 na mulkin kama-karya da kuma yakin mulkin mallaka na shekaru 13. Wannan ya haifar da dimokuradiyya na majalisa da sabon tsarin mulki na 1976 na Jamhuriyar Fotigal wanda ya ba wa 'yan kasarta hakki na asali.