World Factbook
Cape Verde
Republica de Cabo Verde
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
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.)