Agreement with Percentages
When discussing demographic data, you will frequently use percentages. When a percentage acts as the subject, should the verb be singular or plural?
In Portuguese, the verb agrees with the noun the percentage quantifies. Just look at the noun immediately following the percentage (usually introduced by de, da, do, das, or dos) to determine the conjugation.
Singular Nouns Take Singular Verbs
If the percentage modifies a singular noun, the verb must be singular—regardless of the percentage's size. This is common with collective nouns like a população (population) or a minoria (minority).
| The census indicates that ten percent of the population lives here. | O censo indica que dez por cento da população mora aqui. |
| Ninety percent of the minority supports the abstention. | Noventa por cento da minoria apoia a abstenção. |
Plural Nouns Take Plural Verbs
If the percentage modifies a plural noun, the verb takes the plural form.
| Eighty percent of the respondents answered the questionnaire. | Oitenta por cento dos inquiridos responderam ao questionário. |
| The chart shows that thirty percent of the votes are null. | O gráfico mostra que trinta por cento dos votos são nulos. |
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