Introduction
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. <br><br>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
- Land
- 4,033 sq km
- Total
- 4,033 sq km
- Water
- 0 sq km
slightly larger than Rhode Island
temperate; warm, dry summer; precipitation meager and erratic
965 km
Africa
- Highest point
- Mt. Fogo (a volcano on Fogo Island) 2,829 m
- Lowest point
- Atlantic Ocean 0 m
16 00 N, 24 00 W
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)
35 sq km (2012)
- Total
- 0 km
- 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.)
- arable land
- 12.41%
- Forest
- 12.4% (2023 est.)
- Other
- 68% (2023 est.)
- permanent crops
- 0.99%
No
Western Africa, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal
- Google Maps
- https://goo.gl/maps/Kc9vy5ChjuiAgMfXA
- OpenStreetMap
- https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/535774
Africa
- Contiguous zone
- 24 nm
- Exclusive economic zone
- 200 nm
- Note
- <strong>note: </strong>measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
- Territorial sea
- 12 nm
prolonged droughts; seasonal harmattan wind produces obscuring dust; volcanically and seismically active <br><br><strong>volcanism:</strong> Fogo (2,829 m), which last erupted in 1995, is Cabo Verde's only active volcano
salt, basalt rock, limestone, kaolin, fish, clay, gypsum
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
Western Africa
steep, rugged, rocky, volcanic
- UTC-01:00
- number of time zones
- 1
People and Society
- 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)
- Beer
- 2.28 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Other alcohols
- 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Spirits
- 0.6 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Total
- 4.7 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Wine
- 1.82 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
17.51 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Men married by age 18
- 1.5% (2018)
- Women married by age 15
- 1.8% (2018)
- Women married by age 18
- 8.4% (2018)
2.2% (2018 est.)
45% (2021 est.)
- 5.73 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- adult female
- 60 per 1,000
- adult male
- 162 per 1,000
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 9.5 (2024 est.)
- Potential support ratio
- 10.5 (2024 est.)
- Total dependency ratio
- 48.8 (2024 est.)
- Youth dependency ratio
- 39.2 (2024 est.)
- 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 (% GDP)
- 4.3% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Education expenditure (% national budget)
- 13.4% national budget (2024 est.)
4 % of GDP
Creole (Mulatto) 71%, African 28%, European 1%
1.02 (2025 est.)
- 6 % of GDP
- Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
- 6.9% of GDP (2021)
- Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
- 16.1% of national budget (2022 est.)
0.68%
2 beds/1,000 population (2018 est.)
- Female
- 18.4 deaths/1,000 live births
- Male
- 26.3 deaths/1,000 live births
- neonatal
- 8 deaths/1,000 live births
- Total
- 21.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
- Portuguese (official), Crioulo (a Portuguese-based creole language with two main dialects)
- languages
- Portuguese
- number of languages
- 1
- Female
- 76.7 years
- Male
- 72 years
- Total population
- 74.3 years (2024 est.)
- Female
- 84.1% (2024 est.)
- Male
- 92.9% (2024 est.)
- Total population
- 88.5% (2024 est.)
168,000 PRAIA (capital) (2018)
40 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
- Female
- 29.6 years
- Male
- 27.9 years
- Total
- 29.3 years (2025 est.)
39 births/1,000 women 15-19
- Adjective
- Cabo Verdean
- Noun
- Cabo Verdean(s)
-0.56 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
11.8% (2016)
0.73 physicians/1,000 population (2023)
- Female
- 313,908
- Male
- 297,106
- Total
- 611,014 (2024 est.)
1.12% (2025 est.)
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.)
- 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.)
- Female
- 14 years (2018 est.)
- Male
- 13 years (2018 est.)
- Total
- 13 years (2018 est.)
- 0-14 years
- 1.01 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years
- 0.96 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over
- 0.62 male(s)/female
- At birth
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- Total population
- 0.95 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
- Female
- 4.5% (2025 est.)
- Male
- 15.3% (2025 est.)
- Total
- 9.8% (2025 est.)
2.08 children born/woman (2025 est.)
- Rate of urbanization
- 1.83% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
- Urban population
- 68% of total population (2023)
- measles
- 95%
Government
22 municipalities (<em>concelhos</em>, singular - <em>concelho</em>); 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
- Etymology
- the earlier Portuguese name was Villa de Praia ("Village of the Beach"); it was shortened to Praia in 1974
- Geographic coordinates
- 14 55 N, 23 31 W
- Name
- Praia
- Time difference
- UTC-1 (4 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- 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
- svg
- https://mainfacts.com/media/images/coats_of_arms/cv.svg
- 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
- History
- previous 1981; latest effective 25 September 1992
- alternative spellings
- CV, Republic of Cabo Verde, República de Cabo Verde
- Conventional long form
- Republic of Cabo Verde
- Conventional short form
- Cabo Verde
- 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
- FIFA code
- CPV
- Local long form
- Republica de Cabo Verde
- local long form (por)
- República de Cabo Verde
- Local short form
- Cabo Verde
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador Jennifer ADAMS (since 10 September 2024)
- Email address and website
- <br>PraiaConsular@state.gov<br><br>https://cv.usembassy.gov/
- Embassy
- Rua Abilio Macedo 6, Praia
- FAX
- [238] 261-1355
- Mailing address
- 2460 Praia Place, Washington DC 20521-2460
- Telephone
- [238] 260-8900
- Chancery
- 3415 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador Jose Luis do Livramento MONTEIRO ALVES DE BRITO (since 23 December 2020)
- Consulate(s) general
- Boston
- Email address and website
- <br>embassy.wdc@mnec.gov.cv<br><br>https://www.embcv-usa.gov.cv/
- FAX
- [1] (202) 965-1207
- Telephone
- [1] (202) 965-6820
- 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
- <em><br>2020: </em>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%<br><br><em>2016: </em>Jorge Carlos FONSECA reelected president; percent of vote - Jorge Carlos FONSECA (MPD) 74.1%, Albertino GRACA (independent) 22.5%, other 3.4%
- 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
- Head of government
- Prime Minister Jose Ulisses CORREIA e SILVA (since 22 April 2016)
- Most recent election date
- 17 October 2021
<strong>description:</strong> 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<br><br><strong>meaning:</strong> 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
The flag of Cape Verde is composed of five horizontal bands of blue, white, red, white and blue in the ratio of 6:1:1:1:3. A ring of ten five-pointed yellow stars is centered at three-eighth of the height from the bottom edge and three-eighth of the width from the hoist end of the field.
- svg
- https://flagcdn.com/cv.svg
parliamentary republic
5 July 1975 (from Portugal)
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
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
- 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)
- 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
- Subordinate courts
- appeals courts, first instance (municipal) courts; audit, military, and fiscal and customs courts
civil law system of Portugal
- Electoral system
- proportional representation
- Expected date of next election
- April 2026
- Legislative structure
- unicameral
- Legislature name
- National Assembly (Assembleia Nacional)
- Most recent election date
- 4/18/2021
- Number of seats
- 72 (all directly elected)
- 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)
- Percentage of women in chamber
- 44.4%
- Scope of elections
- full renewal
- Term in office
- 5 years
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
blue, white, red, yellow
- Selected World Heritage Site locales
- Cidade Velha; Historic Center of Ribeira Grande
- Total World Heritage Sites
- 1 (cultural)
Independence Day, 5 July (1975)
ten five-pointed yellow stars
African Party for Independence of Cabo Verde or PAICV <br>Democratic and Independent Cabo Verdean Union or UCID <br>Democratic Christian Party or PDC <br>Democratic Renewal Party or PRD <br>Movement for Democracy or MPD <br>Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD <br>Party of Work and Solidarity or PTS <br>Social Democratic Party or PSD
Monday
18 years of age; universal
Yes
Economy
- sugarcane, tomatoes, coconuts, pulses, goat milk, milk, vegetables, bananas, cabbages, onions (2023)
- note
- <b>note:</b> top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
- Expenditures
- $623.816 million (2020 est.)
- Note
- <b>note:</b> 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.)
- code
- CVE
- name
- Cape Verdean escudo (CVE) [Esc]
- $106.59 million
- 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.)
- Note
- <b>note:</b> balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
- $2.36 billion
- Debt - external 2023
- $1.385 billion (2023 est.)
- Note
- <b>note:</b> present value of external debt in current US dollars
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
- 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.)
- $1.16 billion
- Exports 2022
- $851.907 million (2022 est.)
- Exports 2023
- $972.636 million (2023 est.)
- Exports 2024
- $1.158 billion (2024 est.)
- Note
- <b>note:</b> balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
- fish, refined petroleum, railway cargo containers, shellfish, garments (2023)
- note
- <b>note:</b> top five export commodities based on value in dollars
- Spain 46%, Portugal 9%, Togo 7%, Italy 7%, India 6% (2023)
- note
- <b>note:</b> top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
- net inflows
- $109.93 million
- Exports of goods and services
- 41.9% (2024 est.)
- Government consumption
- 20.7% (2024 est.)
- Household consumption
- 74.7% (2024 est.)
- Imports of goods and services
- -53.2% (2024 est.)
- Investment in fixed capital
- 16% (2024 est.)
- Investment in inventories
- 0% (2024 est.)
- Note
- <strong>note:</strong> figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
- Agriculture
- 4.7% (2024 est.)
- Industry
- 10.5% (2024 est.)
- Note
- <b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
- Services
- 69.4% (2024 est.)
- $2.768 billion (2024 est.)
- note
- <b>note:</b> data in current dollars at official exchange rate
$5,192
- 42.4 (2015)
- Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2015
- 42.4 (2015 est.)
- Note
- <b>note:</b> index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
$2.68 billion
$4,950
16 % of GDP
- Highest 10%
- 32.3% (2015 est.)
- Lowest 10%
- 2.2% (2015 est.)
- Note
- <b>note:</b> % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
- $1.47 billion
- Imports 2022
- $1.31 billion (2022 est.)
- Imports 2023
- $1.428 billion (2023 est.)
- Imports 2024
- $1.473 billion (2024 est.)
- Note
- <b>note:</b> balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
- refined petroleum, aircraft, cars, fish, railway cargo containers (2023)
- note
- <b>note:</b> top five import commodities based on value in dollars
- Portugal 29%, Saudi Arabia 11%, Netherlands 9%, Spain 8%, China 7% (2023)
- note
- <b>note:</b> top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
- 4.4% (2024 est.)
- note
- <b>note:</b> annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
food and beverages, fish processing, shoes and garments, salt mining, ship repair
- 1.05%
- 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.)
- Note
- <b>note:</b> annual % change based on consumer prices
- 224,500 (2024 est.)
- note
- <b>note:</b> number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
- total
- 226,448 persons
- agriculture
- 9.25%
- industry
- 23.07%
- services
- 67.69%
- 35.2% (2015 est.)
- note
- <b>note:</b> % of population with income below national poverty line
- Public debt 2016
- 127.6% of GDP (2016 est.)
- $5.88 billion
- Note
- <b>note:</b> 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.)
- 7.24%
- Note
- <b>note:</b> 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.)
- $11,195
- Note
- <b>note:</b> 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.)
- $333.99 million
- Note
- <b>note:</b> 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.)
- $783.11 million
- Note
- <b>note:</b> 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.)
- 18.4% (of GDP) (2020 est.)
- note
- <b>note:</b> central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
- 11.94%
- Note
- <b>note:</b> % 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.)
- Female
- 33.8% (2024 est.)
- Male
- 24.6% (2024 est.)
- Note
- <b>note:</b> % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
- Total
- 28.2% (2024 est.)
Energy
- Consumption
- 400 million kWh (2023 est.)
- Installed generating capacity
- 200,000 kW (2023 est.)
- Transmission/distribution losses
- 106 million kWh (2023 est.)
- Electrification - rural areas
- 96.9%
- Electrification - total population
- 97.1% (2022 est.)
- Electrification - urban areas
- 95.3%
- Fossil fuels
- 71.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- hydroelectric
- 0%
- nuclear
- 0%
- renewable
- 18.27%
- Solar
- 14.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Wind
- 14.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Total energy consumption per capita 2023
- 19.999 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
- Refined petroleum consumption
- 5,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
21.8%
Communications
- per 100 inhabitants
- 7 per 100
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 7 (2023 est.)
- Total
- 38,000 (2023 est.)
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)
.cv
- Percent of population
- 74% (2023 est.)
####
+238
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 12 (2023 est.)
- Total subscriptions
- 60,000 (2023 est.)
- subscriptions per 100
- 113 per 100
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 112 (2024 est.)
- Total subscriptions
- 590,354 (2023 est.)
Transportation
- passengers carried
- 71,784 passengers
- registered carrier departures
- 815 departures
10 (2025)
D4
Right
- By type
- general cargo 14, oil tanker 2, other 28
- Total
- 44 (2023)
- Key ports
- Porto da Praia, Porto Grande
- Large
- 0
- Medium
- 0
- Ports with oil terminals
- 1
- Small
- 1
- Total ports
- 2 (2024)
- Very small
- 1
CV
Military and Security
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)
- Cabo Verdean Armed Forces (FACV): National Guard (GN), Cabo Verde Coast Guard (Guardia Costeira de Cabo Verde, GCCV) (2025)
- active duty personnel
- 1,000
- note
- <strong>note:</strong> the National Police are under the Ministry of Internal Affairs
- percent of total labor force
- 0.51 %
the FACV has approximately 1,000-1,500 active personnel (2025)
the FACV has a limited amount of mostly dated or secondhand equipment, largely from China, some European countries, and the former Soviet Union (2025)
- 1 % of GDP
- current USD
- $16,827,225
- 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.)
- percent of central government expenditure
- 2.05 %
- percent of GDP
- 0.62 % of GDP
17 years of age for voluntary service (with parental consent); 18-35 years of age for selective compulsory service (14-month service obligation) (2025)
Transnational Issues
- Stateless persons
- 115 (2024 est.)
- 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/
Environment
- From petroleum and other liquids
- 714,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- Total emissions
- 714,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
deforestation due to demand for firewood; water shortages; droughts; desertification; soil erosion; illegal beach sand extraction; overfishing
- 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
27.4 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
0 % of total land area
18 % of total
300 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
- 60 % of internal resources
- Agricultural
- 103.217 million cubic meters (2022)
- Industrial
- 5.614 million cubic meters (2022)
- Municipal
- 155.895 million cubic meters (2022)
- Municipal solid waste generated annually
- 132,600 tons (2024 est.)
- Percent of municipal solid waste recycled
- 17.4% (2022 est.)