Cabo Verde

Parliamentary RepublicPop525KGDP (PPP)$5.2BCI70Beta CP0.0→Beta

Some figures reconciled across multiple sources via Civica's methodology (v0.2 BETA). Methodology →

Cabo Verde

⌘K

Overview

Background: The Portuguese discovered and colonized the uninhabited islands of Cabo Verde in the 15th century; Cabo Verde subsequently became a trading center for African slaves and later an important coaling and resupply stop for whaling and transatlantic shipping. The fusing of European and various African cultural traditions is reflected in Cabo Verde’s Crioulo language, music, and pano textiles. After gaining independence in 1975, a one-party system was established and maintained until multi-party elections were held in 1990. Cabo Verde continues to sustain one of Africa's most stable democratic governments and relatively stable economies, maintaining a currency pegged first to the Portuguese escudo and then to the euro since 1998. Repeated droughts during the second half of the 20th century caused significant hardship and prompted heavy emigration. As a result, Cabo Verde's expatriate population -- concentrated in Boston, Massachusetts and Western Europe -- is greater than its domestic one.

Most Cabo Verdeans have both African and Portuguese antecedents. Cabo Verde’s population descends from its first permanent inhabitants in the late 15th-century -- a preponderance of West African slaves, a small share of Portuguese colonists, and even fewer Italians and Spaniards. Among the nine inhabited islands, population distribution is varied. The islands in the east are very dry and are home to the country's growing tourism industry. The more western islands receive more precipitation and support larger populations, but agriculture and livestock grazing have damaged their soil fertility and vegetation. For centuries, the country’s overall population size has fluctuated significantly, as recurring periods of famine and epidemics have caused high death tolls and emigration.

Geography

Area

Land: 4,033 sq km
Water: 0 sq km
Total: 4,033 sq km

Climate: temperate; warm, dry summer; precipitation meager and erratic
Terrain: steep, rugged, rocky, volcanic

Land Use

Other: 68% (2023 est.)
Forest: 12.4% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: 19.6% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 12.4% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 1% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 6.2% (2023 est.)

Location: Western Africa, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal
Coastline: 965 km

Elevation

Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Highest point: Mt. Fogo (a volcano on Fogo Island) 2,829 m

Irrigated land: 35 sq km (2012)
Map references: Africa

Land Boundaries

Total: 0 km

Maritime Claims

Note: note: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards: prolonged droughts; seasonal harmattan wind produces obscuring dust; volcanically and seismically active

volcanism: Fogo (2,829 m), which last erupted in 1995, is Cabo Verde's only active volcano
Geography note: strategic location 500 km from west coast of Africa near major north-south sea routes; one of four North Atlantic archipelagos that make up Macaronesia; the others are Azores (Portugal), Canary Islands (Spain), and Madeira (Portugal)
Natural resources: salt, basalt rock, limestone, kaolin, fish, clay, gypsum
Area comparative: slightly larger than Rhode Island
Geographic coordinates: 16 00 N, 24 00 W
Population distribution: among the nine inhabited islands, population distribution is variable; islands in the east are very dry and are only sparsely settled; the more southerly islands receive more precipitation and support larger populations; approximately half of the population lives on Sao Tiago Island, which is the location of the capital of Praia; Mindelo, on the northern island of Sao Vicente, also has a large urban population, as shown in this population distribution map

People & Society

Literacy

Male: 92.9% (2024 est.)
Female: 84.1% (2024 est.)
Total population: 88.5% (2024 est.)

Languages: Portuguese (official), Crioulo (a Portuguese-based creole language with two main dialects)
Religions: Roman Catholic 72.5%, Protestant 4% (includes Adventist 1.9%, Nazarene 1.8%, Assembly of God 0.2%, God is Love 0.1%), Christian Rationalism 1.7%, Muslim 1.3%, Jehovah's Witness 1.2%, Church of Jesus Christ 1%, other Christian 1.3%, other 1.2%, none 15.6%, no response 0.4% (2021 est.)

Sex Ratio

At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0 14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15 64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female

Birth rate: 17.51 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate: 5.73 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Median Age

Male: 27.9 years
Total: 29.3 years (2025 est.)
Female: 29.6 years

Population

Male: 297,106
Total: 611,014 (2024 est.)
Female: 313,908

Nationality

Noun: Cabo Verdean(s)
Adjective: Cabo Verdean

Tobacco Use

Male: 15.3% (2025 est.)
Total: 9.8% (2025 est.)
Female: 4.5% (2025 est.)

Urbanization

Urban population: 68% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 1.83% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Age Structure

0 14 years: 26.4% (male 80,973/female 80,129)
15 64 years: 67.2% (male 201,084/female 209,676)
65 years and over: 6.4% (2024 est.) (male 15,049/female 24,103)

Ethnic groups: Creole (Mulatto) 71%, African 28%, European 1%

Child Marriage

Men married BY age 18: 1.5% (2018)
Women married BY age 15: 1.8% (2018)
Women married BY age 18: 8.4% (2018)

Dependency Ratios

Total dependency ratio: 48.8 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 39.2 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 10.5 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 9.5 (2024 est.)

Physician density: 0.73 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

Health Expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP): 6.9% of GDP (2021)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 16.1% of national budget (2022 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.56 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Hospital bed density: 2 beds/1,000 population (2018 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.08 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Drinking Water Source

Improved: rural: rural: 82.9% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: total: total: 89.9% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: urban: urban: 93.2% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: rural: rural: 17.1% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: total: total: 10.1% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: urban: urban: 6.8% of population (2022 est.)

Education Expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP): 4.3% of GDP (2023 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget): 13.4% national budget (2024 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

Male: 26.3 deaths/1,000 live births
Total: 21.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
Female: 18.4 deaths/1,000 live births

Population growth rate: 1.12% (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate: 1.02 (2025 est.)
Population distribution: among the nine inhabited islands, population distribution is variable; islands in the east are very dry and are only sparsely settled; the more southerly islands receive more precipitation and support larger populations; approximately half of the population lives on Sao Tiago Island, which is the location of the capital of Praia; Mindelo, on the northern island of Sao Vicente, also has a large urban population, as shown in this population distribution map

Life Expectancy at Birth

Male: 72 years
Female: 76.7 years
Total population: 74.3 years (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 40 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

Improved: rural: rural: 77.8% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: total: total: 89.8% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: urban: urban: 95.6% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: rural: rural: 22.2% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: total: total: 10.2% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: urban: urban: 4.4% of population (2022 est.)

Alcohol Consumption Per Capita

Beer: 2.28 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine: 1.82 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Total: 4.7 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Spirits: 0.6 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Major urban areas population: 168,000 PRAIA (capital) (2018)
Obesity adult prevalence rate: 11.8% (2016)
Currently married women (ages 15 49): 45% (2021 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 2.2% (2018 est.)

School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)

Male: 13 years (2018 est.)
Total: 13 years (2018 est.)
Female: 14 years (2018 est.)

Government

Civica · structure

How power is organised

ExecutiveLegislative

Flag: description: five unequal horizontal bands; the top band of blue is half the height of the flag; under it are three narrow bands of white, red, and white, and a bottom stripe of blue; a circle of 10 five-pointed yellow stars is centered on the red stripe and sits toward the left side of the flag

meaning: blue stands for the sea and sky; the stripes symbolize the country's formation through peace (white) and effort (red); the stars represent the 10 major islands

Capital

Name: Praia
Etymology: the earlier Portuguese name was Villa de Praia ("Village of the Beach"); it was shortened to Praia in 1974 
Time difference: UTC-1 (4 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Geographic coordinates: 14 55 N, 23 31 W

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Citizenship

Citizenship BY birth: no
Citizenship BY descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Cabo Verde
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Constitution

History: previous 1981; latest effective 25 September 1992
Amendment process: proposals require support of at least four fifths of the active National Assembly membership; amendment drafts require sponsorship of at least one third of the active Assembly membership; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly membership; constitutional sections, including those on national independence, form of government, political pluralism, suffrage, and human rights and liberties, cannot be amended

Country Name

Etymology: the name derives from the Cape Verde (Green Cape) peninsula on the Senegalese coast, the westernmost point of Africa and the nearest mainland to the islands
Local long form: Republica de Cabo Verde
Local short form: Cabo Verde
Conventional long form: Republic of Cabo Verde
Conventional short form: Cabo Verde

Independence: 5 July 1975 (from Portugal)
Legal system: civil law system of Portugal
Government type: parliamentary republic

Judicial Branch

Highest court(s): Supreme Court of Justice (consists of the chief justice and at least 7 judges and organized into civil, criminal, and administrative sections)
Subordinate courts: appeals courts, first instance (municipal) courts; audit, military, and fiscal and customs courts
Judge selection and term of office: judge appointments - 1 by the president of the republic, 1 elected by the National Assembly, and 3 by the Superior Judicial Council (SJC), a 16-member independent body chaired by the chief justice and includes the attorney general, 8 private citizens, 2 judges, 2 prosecutors, the senior legal inspector of the Attorney General's office, and a representative of the Ministry of Justice; chief justice appointed by the president of the republic from among peers of the Supreme Court of Justice and in consultation with the SJC; judges appointed for life

Executive Branch

Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
Chief of state: President Jose Maria Pereira NEVES (since 9 November 2021)
Election results: 2020: Jose Maria Pereira NEVES elected president; percent of vote - Jose Maria Pereira NEVES (PAICV) 51.7%, Carlos VEIGA (MPD) 42.4%, Casimiro DE PINA (independent) 1.8%, Fernando Rocha DELGADO (independent) 1.4%, Helio SANCHES (independent) 1.14%, Gilson ALVES (independent) 0.8%, Joaquim MONTEIRO (independent) 3.4%

2016: Jorge Carlos FONSECA reelected president; percent of vote - Jorge Carlos FONSECA (MPD) 74.1%, Albertino GRACA (independent) 22.5%, other 3.4%
Head of government: Prime Minister Jose Ulisses CORREIA e SILVA (since 22 April 2016)
Most recent election date: 17 October 2021 
Election/appointment process: president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister nominated by the National Assembly and appointed by the president
Expected date of next election: October 2026

National holiday: Independence Day, 5 July (1975)
National color(s): blue, white, red, yellow

National Heritage

Total world heritage sites: 1 (cultural)
Selected world heritage site locales: Cidade Velha; Historic Center of Ribeira Grande

Political parties: African Party for Independence of Cabo Verde or PAICV
Democratic and Independent Cabo Verdean Union or UCID
Democratic Christian Party or PDC
Democratic Renewal Party or PRD
Movement for Democracy or MPD
Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD
Party of Work and Solidarity or PTS
Social Democratic Party or PSD

Legislative Branch

Term in office: 5 years
Number of seats: 72 (all directly elected)
Electoral system: proportional representation
Legislature name: National Assembly (Assembleia Nacional)
Scope of elections: full renewal
Legislative structure: unicameral
Most recent election date: 4/18/2021
Expected date of next election: April 2026
Percentage of women in chamber: 44.4%
Parties elected and seats per party: Movement for Democracy (MpD) (38); African Party for the Independence of Cabo Verde (PAICV) (30); Union for an Independent Democratic Cape Verde (UCID) (4)

National Anthem(s)

Title: "Cantico da Liberdade" (Song of Freedom)
History: adopted 1996
Lyrics/music: Amilcar Spencer LOPES/Adalberto Higino Tavares SILVA

National symbol(s): ten five-pointed yellow stars
National coat of arms: adopted in 1992, the coat of arms features the national symbol of ten stars that represent the country’s islands; the stylized torch and triangle at the center of the circle symbolize freedom and national unity, and the three blue lines represent the ocean and sky; the name of the country is written in Portuguese, the official language; the plumbob at the top of the circle -- used in construction to make accurate vertical lines -- represents justice, righteousness, and truth; the chain links symbolize a commitment to the people and their well-being
Administrative divisions: 22 municipalities (concelhos, singular - concelho); Boa Vista, Brava, Maio, Mosteiros, Paul, Porto Novo, Praia, Ribeira Brava, Ribeira Grande, Ribeira Grande de Santiago, Sal, Santa Catarina, Santa Catarina do Fogo, Santa Cruz, São Domingos, São Filipe, São Lourenco dos Orgaos, São Miguel, São Salvador do Mundo, São Vicente, Tarrafal, Tarrafal de São Nicolau

Diplomatic Representation in the US

Fax: [1] (202) 965-1207
Chancery: 3415 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
Telephone: [1] (202) 965-6820
Chief of mission: Ambassador Jose Luis do Livramento MONTEIRO ALVES DE BRITO (since 23 December 2020)
Consulate(s) general: Boston
Email address and website: embassy.wdc@mnec.gov.cv

https://www.embcv-usa.gov.cv/

Diplomatic Representation from the US

Fax: [238] 261-1355
Embassy: Rua Abilio Macedo 6, Praia
Telephone: [238] 260-8900
Mailing address: 2460 Praia Place, Washington DC  20521-2460
Chief of mission: Ambassador Jennifer ADAMS (since 10 September 2024)
Email address and website: PraiaConsular@state.gov

https://cv.usembassy.gov/

International organisations: ACP, AfDB, AOSIS, AU, CD, CPLP, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Legislature

CABO VERDE · LEGISLATURE

National Assembly

72 seats · hover a seat for the party

Total seats

Majority line

Largest party

Movement for Democracy

Parties

All political parties3 parties · 72 seats · click to dim in hemicycle

Leaders

Current

JN
José Maria Neves
- Head of StateSince 2021
US
Ulisses Correia e Silva
- Head of GovernmentSince 2016

Economy

Budget

Note: note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
Revenues: $453.182 million (2020 est.)
Expenditures: $623.816 million (2020 est.)

Exports

Civica canonical (reconciled): $1.2B

Note: note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Exports 2022: $851.907 million (2022 est.)
Exports 2023: $972.636 million (2023 est.)
Exports 2024: $1.158 billion (2024 est.)

Imports

Civica canonical (reconciled): $1.5B

Note: note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Imports 2022: $1.31 billion (2022 est.)
Imports 2023: $1.428 billion (2023 est.)
Imports 2024: $1.473 billion (2024 est.)

Industries: food and beverages, fish processing, shoes and garments, salt mining, ship repair
Labor force: 224,500 (2024 est.)

Public Debt

Civica canonical (reconciled): 127.6% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2016: 127.6% of GDP (2016 est.)

Remittances

Note: note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Remittances 2022: 14% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances 2023: 12.5% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances 2024: 12.1% of GDP (2024 est.)

Exchange Rates

Currency: Cabo Verdean escudos (CVE) per US dollar -
Exchange rates 2020: 96.796 (2020 est.)
Exchange rates 2021: 93.218 (2021 est.)
Exchange rates 2022: 104.863 (2022 est.)
Exchange rates 2023: 101.805 (2023 est.)
Exchange rates 2024: 101.922 (2024 est.)

Debt External

Note: note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
Debt external 2023: $1.385 billion (2023 est.)

Economic overview: stable, middle-income, developing island economy; strong GDP growth led by tourism sector recovery; sustained poverty reduction through PEDS II development plan; high reliance on foreign remittances and aid to finance external debt

Unemployment Rate

Civica canonical (reconciled): 11.9%

Note: note: % of labor force seeking employment
Unemployment rate 2022: 12.3% (2022 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023: 12% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2024: 11.9% (2024 est.)

Exports partners: Spain 46%, Portugal 9%, Togo 7%, Italy 7%, India 6% (2023)
Imports partners: Portugal 29%, Saudi Arabia 11%, Netherlands 9%, Spain 8%, China 7% (2023)

Real GDP Per Capita

Civica canonical (reconciled): $11,195

Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita 2022: $8,900 (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023: $9,300 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2024: $9,900 (2024 est.)

Real GDP Growth Rate

Civica canonical (reconciled): 7.2%

Note: note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 15.8% (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2023: 5.4% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2024: 7.3% (2024 est.)

Agricultural products: sugarcane, tomatoes, coconuts, pulses, goat milk, milk, vegetables, bananas, cabbages, onions (2023)
Exports commodities: fish, refined petroleum, railway cargo containers, shellfish, garments (2023)
Imports commodities: refined petroleum, aircraft, cars, fish, railway cargo containers (2023)

Current Account Balance

Civica canonical (reconciled): $106.6M

Note: note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
Current account balance 2022: -$78.271 million (2022 est.)
Current account balance 2023: -$64.439 million (2023 est.)
Current account balance 2024: $101.072 million (2024 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 18.4% (of GDP) (2020 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): $2.768 billion (2024 est.)

GDP Composition, BY End Use

Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
Household consumption: 74.7% (2024 est.)
Government consumption: 20.7% (2024 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0% (2024 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 16% (2024 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 41.9% (2024 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -53.2% (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line: 35.2% (2015 est.)

Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)

Civica canonical (reconciled): 1.0%

Note: note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 7.9% (2022 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 3.7% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024: 1% (2024 est.)

Industrial production growth rate: 4.4% (2024 est.)

Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Civica canonical (reconciled): $5.2 billion (2024 est.)

Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $4.6 billion (2022 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $4.848 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024: $5.2 billion (2024 est.)

Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)

Male: 24.6% (2024 est.)
Note: note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
Total: 28.2% (2024 est.)
Female: 33.8% (2024 est.)

Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold

Note: note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022: $729.566 million (2022 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023: $837.881 million (2023 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024: $783.106 million (2024 est.)

GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin

Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
Industry: 10.5% (2024 est.)
Services: 69.4% (2024 est.)
Agriculture: 4.7% (2024 est.)

Note: note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
Lowest 10%: 2.2% (2015 est.)
Highest 10%: 32.3% (2015 est.)

Gini Index Coefficient Distribution of Family Income

Note: note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
Gini index coefficient distribution of family income 2015: 42.4 (2015 est.)

Energy

Petroleum

Refined petroleum consumption: 5,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Electricity

Consumption: 400 million kWh (2023 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 200,000 kW (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 106 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity Access

Electrification rural areas: 96.9%
Electrification urban areas: 95.3%
Electrification total population: 97.1% (2022 est.)

Energy Consumption Per Capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 19.999 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Electricity Generation Sources

Wind: 14.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Solar: 14.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Fossil fuels: 71.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Communications

Internet Users

Percent of population: 74% (2023 est.)

Broadcast media: state-run TV and radio network, plus a growing number of private broadcasters; Portuguese public TV and radio services for Africa are available; transmissions of a few international broadcasters are available (2019)
Internet country code: .cv

Telephones Fixed Lines

Total subscriptions: 60,000 (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 12 (2023 est.)

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Total subscriptions: 590,354 (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 112 (2024 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Total: 38,000 (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 7 (2023 est.)

Transport

Ports

Large: 0
Small: 1
Medium: 0
Key ports: Porto da Praia, Porto Grande
Very small: 1
Total ports: 2 (2024)
Ports with oil terminals: 1

Airports: 10 (2025)

Merchant Marine

Total: 44 (2023)
BY type: general cargo 14, oil tanker 2, other 28

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: D4

Environment

Climate: temperate; warm, dry summer; precipitation meager and erratic

Land Use

Other: 68% (2023 est.)
Forest: 12.4% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: 19.6% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 12.4% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 1% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 6.2% (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Urban population: 68% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 1.83% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Waste and Recycling

Municipal solid waste generated annually: 132,600 tons (2024 est.)
Percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 17.4% (2022 est.)

Environmental issues: deforestation due to demand for firewood; water shortages; droughts;  desertification; soil erosion; illegal beach sand extraction; overfishing

Total Water Withdrawal

Municipal: 155.895 million cubic meters (2022)
Industrial: 5.614 million cubic meters (2022)
Agricultural: 103.217 million cubic meters (2022)

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Total emissions: 714,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 714,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions: 27.4 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Total renewable water resources: 300 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

International Environmental Agreements

Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
Signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Military & Security

Military note: the FACV is responsible for external defense; it also has an internal security role in collaboration with the police if required; its duties include monitoring and patrolling the country's air and maritime spaces, participating in training exercises, conducting search and rescue, countering narcotics and other forms of illicit trafficking, and supporting the police and civil society (2025)

Military Expenditures

Civica canonical (reconciled): 0.6%

Military expenditures 2020: 0.5% of GDP (2020 est.)
Military expenditures 2021: 0.5% of GDP (2021 est.)
Military expenditures 2022: 0.5% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military expenditures 2023: 0.6% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military expenditures 2024: 0.6% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military and security forces: Cabo Verdean Armed Forces (FACV): National Guard (GN), Cabo Verde Coast Guard (Guardia Costeira de Cabo Verde, GCCV) (2025)
Military service age and obligation: 17 years of age for voluntary service (with parental consent); 18-35 years of age for selective compulsory service (14-month service obligation) (2025)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions: the FACV has a limited amount of mostly dated or secondhand equipment, largely from China, some European countries, and the former Soviet Union (2025)
Military and security service personnel strengths: the FACV has approximately 1,000-1,500 active personnel (2025)

Transnational Issues

Trafficking in Persons

Tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List — Cabo Verde did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking compared with the previous reporting period and was downgraded to Tier 2 Watch List; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/cabo-verde/

Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons

Stateless persons: 115 (2024 est.)

Scores & Rankings

ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of

Civica Index70.0 / 100as of 2024-Q446 / 1902024-Q4

V-Dem Liberal Democracy0.65as of 2024-Q438 / 1702024-Q4

Freedom House StatusFree (100/100)as of 2024-Q4—2024-Q4

Press Freedom (RSF)Partly free (50/100)as of 2024—2024

Cite this page

Cite this pageAPA · BibTeX · Chicago · JSON

Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Cabo Verde — vintage 2026-Q1: Cabo Verde factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/cabo-verde

Download as JSON

Sources: FAO FAOSTAT, ILO ILOSTAT, IMF (WEO), UN Statistics Division, UNDP HDR, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, V-Dem, WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, WTO Stats, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata

Cabo Verde

Area

Land Use

Elevation

Land Boundaries

Maritime Claims

Literacy

Sex Ratio

Median Age

Population

Nationality

Tobacco Use

Urbanization

Age Structure

Child Marriage

Dependency Ratios

Health Expenditure

Drinking Water Source

Education Expenditure

Infant Mortality Rate

Life Expectancy at Birth

Sanitation Facility Access

Alcohol Consumption Per Capita

School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)

How power is organised

Capital

Citizenship

Constitution

Country Name

Judicial Branch

Executive Branch

National Heritage

Legislative Branch

National Anthem(s)

Diplomatic Representation in the US

Diplomatic Representation from the US

National Assembly

Current

José Maria Neves

Ulisses Correia e Silva

Budget

Exports

Imports

Public Debt

Remittances

Exchange Rates

Debt External

Unemployment Rate

Real GDP Per Capita

Real GDP Growth Rate

Current Account Balance

GDP Composition, BY End Use

Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)

Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)

Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold

GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin

Household Income or Consumption BY Percentage Share

Gini Index Coefficient Distribution of Family Income

Petroleum

Electricity

Electricity Access

Energy Consumption Per Capita

Electricity Generation Sources

Internet Users

Telephones Fixed Lines

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Ports

Merchant Marine

Land Use

Urbanization

Waste and Recycling

Total Water Withdrawal

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

International Environmental Agreements

Military Expenditures

Trafficking in Persons

Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons

Cite this page