The orders of civil merit include after the Statutes of 1986 the following orders:
- Order of Merit – former Order of Benemerência founded in 1927-29
- Order of Public Instruction rewarding services in Education founded in 1927-29
- Order of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Merit, with three classes, rewarding services in the fields of Agriculture, Commerce and Services and in Industry, having its origin in the Order of Agricultural and Industrial Merit founded in 1893, by king Charles I. In 1991, the class of Commercial Merit was added reflecting the growing importance of Commerce and Services in the economy.
