Cabo Verde Population in 2026
Cabo Verde is one of the world’s most demographically distinctive small nations — an archipelago of ten islands scattered across the Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Senegal, whose resident population is significantly outnumbered by its own diaspora. According to the United Nations World Population Prospects 2024 Revision, Cabo Verde’s resident population at mid-year 2026 is estimated at 529,630 — placing the country 175th in the world by population size. The World Bank’s de facto population count, which includes all residents regardless of legal status, recorded 610,209 people in 2025, reflecting a broader measure that incorporates foreign workers concentrated in the tourism sector on Sal and Boa Vista islands. Both figures are dwarfed by the Cabo Verdean diaspora: an estimated 750,000 to over 1 million people of Cabo Verdean origin live abroad — in Portugal, the United States (concentrated in Massachusetts and New England), Senegal, France, and the Netherlands — giving the country a diaspora-to-resident ratio estimated at 1.3 to 1.7:1, one of the highest of any nation on earth. Cabo Verde’s 2021 Census, conducted by the Instituto Nacional de Estatística Cabo Verde (INE-CV), recorded a resident population of 491,233 — the most recent official count from the national statistical authority — and remains the primary domestic benchmark for island-level and municipal-level demographic breakdowns.
The country’s growth trajectory in 2026 is shaped by two competing forces: a natural increase driven by 17 births and 8 deaths per day against net emigration of approximately 4 to 7 people daily who permanently leave for other countries. The result is modest positive population growth — an estimated net daily increase of 19 people, or roughly 7,000 per year — with the annual population growth rate at approximately 0.95–1.19%, significantly below the Sub-Saharan African average of over 2.5%. GDP grew 7.3% in 2024 — one of the strongest performances in West Africa — and is projected at 5.2% in 2025 and 4.7% in 2026 according to the African Development Bank. The economy is structurally dependent on tourism (25% of GDP), remittances (12.3% of GDP in 2024 per World Bank data), and foreign aid, with the poverty rate falling to 14.4% in 2024 and projected to decline to 13.3% in 2025 per the World Bank’s June 2025 Cabo Verde Economic Update.
Interesting Facts: Cabo Verde Population 2026
| Fact | Figure |
|---|---|
| Resident population (UN WPP mid-2026 estimate) | 529,630 |
| World Bank de facto population (mid-2025) | 610,209 |
| INE-CV Census 2021 resident count | 491,233 |
| World population rank | 175th |
| Population as % of world population | 0.0064% |
| Annual population growth rate (2026) | ~0.95–1.19% |
| Net daily population increase | ~19 people/day |
| Daily births | ~17 |
| Daily deaths | ~8 |
| Net daily emigration | ~4–7 people |
| Cabo Verdean diaspora (estimated) | 750,000–1 million+ |
| Diaspora-to-resident ratio | ~1.3 to 1.7:1 |
| Population density (2026) | 131–147 people per km² |
| Total land area | 4,030 km² |
| Urban population share | ~79–80% |
| Median age (2026) | ~29.5–30.5 years |
| Life expectancy at birth (2026) | 76.2 years (73.0 male / 79.4 female) |
| Total fertility rate (2026) | 2.0 children per woman |
| Male/female ratio | 50.84% male / 49.16% female |
| Largest ethnicity | Creole/Mulatto — 71% |
| African (Black) share | 28% |
| Roman Catholic share of population | 77.3% |
| Official language | Portuguese |
| National language | Cape Verdean Creole (Kriolu) |
Source: UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, World Population Prospects 2024 Revision; World Bank Open Data — Cabo Verde, 2025; Instituto Nacional de Estatística Cabo Verde (INE-CV), Census 2021 (RGPH); WorldPopulationReview.com (UN WPP 2024 source); Worldometer 2026 UN elaborations; worldpopulationclock.net; Wikipedia Demographics of Cape Verde
These figures contain one of the most demographically unusual patterns in the world. A fertility rate of 2.0 — just above replacement level — places Cabo Verde far below the Sub-Saharan African average of 4.3 and closer to upper-middle-income nations like Brazil or Vietnam. That low fertility is a product of high female secondary school completion (78%), late average age at first marriage (~25 years for women), and widespread contraceptive use (~55% of married women) according to worldpopulationclock.net’s detailed 2026 demographic analysis. Life expectancy of 76.2 years — higher than the world average of 73.8 — reflects sustained government investment in primary healthcare and immunisation programs that have virtually eliminated tropical diseases once endemic to the islands. This combination of near-replacement fertility and above-average life expectancy produces an aging-leaning population structure unusual for a nation at Cabo Verde’s income level, with approximately 60–70% of secondary school completers aged 18–25 expressing intentions to emigrate, per worldpopulationclock.net.
The Creole (Mulatto) majority at 71% reflects the country’s distinctive historical formation. Cabo Verde was uninhabited when Portuguese explorers arrived in 1456, and its population formed entirely through settlement — Portuguese colonists, enslaved West Africans, traders from across the Atlantic — producing a mixed-heritage Creole culture and language unlike anything on the African mainland. The 28% Black African share consists primarily of descendants of enslaved peoples and more recent migrants from mainland West Africa, concentrated on Santiago. Roman Catholicism at 77.3% reflects the Portuguese colonial imprint that has persisted since the islands’ initial settlement.
Cabo Verde Population by Island in 2026
Population by Island — Cabo Verde Census 2021 (INE-CV)
=======================================================
Santiago |█████████████████████████████████████| 269,370
São Vicente |████████████████ | 74,016
Santo Antão |████████ | 36,632
Fogo |███████ | 33,519
Sal |███████ | 33,347
Boa Vista |████ | 12,789
São Nicolau |███ | 12,517
Maio |██ | 6,952
Brava |██ | 5,091
------------------------------------------------------------
Total resident: 491,233 | Source: INE-CV Census 2021 (RGPH)
| Island | Census 2021 Population (INE-CV) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Santiago | 269,370 | Largest island; capital Praia |
| São Vicente | 74,016 | Second largest; hub city Mindelo |
| Santo Antão | 36,632 | Agricultural; emigration trend |
| Fogo | 33,519 | Volcanic; subsistence farming |
| Sal | 33,347 | Tourism hub; rapid growth |
| Boa Vista | 12,789 | Tourism; strong growth |
| São Nicolau | 12,517 | Declining population |
| Maio | 6,952 | Approaching demographic stress |
| Brava | 5,091 | Smallest inhabited island; high emigration |
| Total resident (Census 2021) | 491,233 | INE-CV official count |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estatística Cabo Verde (INE-CV), Recenseamento Geral da População e Habitação (RGPH) 2021; Wikipedia Cape Verde; citypopulation.de (INE-CV data)
Santiago island dominates Cabo Verde’s demographic landscape, accounting for 54.8% of the entire national population in the 2021 census. Its capital, Praia, is home to approximately 137,868 people per the census — roughly 28% of the whole country’s resident population in a single city, with a population density of over 1,600 people per square kilometre. Mindelo on São Vicente, the country’s second city and main cultural hub, recorded 69,013 residents at the census — making these two cities together account for close to 40% of all residents, leaving eight islands to share the remaining 60%.
The island-level data reveals a country bifurcating economically. Sal and Boa Vista — the flat, sandy southern islands that host the bulk of Cabo Verde’s international resort tourism — have experienced tourism-driven growth that has pulled internal migrants away from agricultural islands like Santo Antão, Fogo, and Brava. Santo Antão, which recorded 43,845 people in 1990, had fallen to 36,632 by 2021 — a loss of over 7,000 people in three decades, driven by continuous emigration as agricultural viability on the mountainous island has declined. Brava’s 5,091 residents make it barely viable as a self-sustaining island economy. The INE-CV noted that all smaller islands experience persistent population loss, creating uneven demand for infrastructure and services that national planning must address across an ocean-fragmented territory.
Cabo Verde Age Structure and Population Growth in 2026
Cabo Verde Age Structure (2026 estimates, UN / INE-CV)
======================================================
0–14 years |████████████████████████████ | ~28–30%
15–64 years |████████████████████████████████████████████████| ~63–65%
65+ years |███████ | ~7–8%
------------------------------------------------------------
Median age: ~29.5–30.5 years | TFR: 2.0 (vs SSA avg 4.3)
Dependency ratio: moderate | Source: UN WPP 2024; INE-CV 2021
| Age/Growth Metric | Data |
|---|---|
| Median age (2026) | ~29.5–30.5 years |
| Global median age comparison | 31 years (global average) |
| Population under 15 years | ~28–30% |
| Population aged 15–64 years | ~63–65% |
| Population aged 65+ | ~7–8% |
| Total fertility rate (2026) | 2.0 children per woman |
| Sub-Saharan Africa TFR comparison | 4.3 (SSA average) |
| Annual population growth rate | ~0.95–1.19% |
| Annual births (2025) | ~9,678 (projected) |
| Annual deaths (2025) | ~3,918 (approx) |
| Natural increase (2025 est.) | ~5,760 per year |
| Net emigration (annual est.) | ~2,564–2,595 per year |
| Annual population increase | ~7,000 people net |
Source: UN WPP 2024 Revision (via Worldometer, StatisticsTimes); Countrymeters.info Cabo Verde 2026 demographic estimates; WorldPopulationReview.com 2026 (UN source); worldpopulationclock.net INE-CV and UN data synthesis
Cabo Verde’s age structure sits in a middle demographic transition phase — not the youthful bulge of high-fertility Sub-Saharan Africa, but not the ageing pyramid of Western Europe either. With roughly 28–30% of the population under 15 and a median age of around 30, the country has a growing working-age cohort that represents a potential demographic dividend — but only if the economy can generate enough employment to absorb it. The annual youth emigration rate of 15,000–20,000 people (2–3% of the resident population per year, per worldpopulationclock.net) shows that the demographic dividend is currently being exported rather than captured domestically, as 60–70% of educated young adults express emigration intentions.
The total fertility rate of 2.0 children per woman — down from approximately 2.2 in 2021 and 6.5 in the 1970s — is the defining demographic trend of the modern Cabo Verdean state. That half-century decline in fertility reflects the same factors that drove fertility transitions in Latin America a generation earlier: urbanisation, female education, and economic integration with higher-income remittance-sending countries. The country’s female secondary school completion rate of 78% is one of the highest in sub-Saharan Africa. The consequence is a demographic structure that is progressively aging relative to the continent — the share of population aged 65 and over is projected to rise steadily toward 10% by the mid-2030s — creating future social security and healthcare demands that the current working-age population, already reduced by emigration, will need to fund.
Cabo Verde Urbanisation and Cities in 2026
Urbanisation and Major Cities — Cabo Verde 2026
================================================
Praia (Santiago) |████████████████████████████████████████████| ~145,000 (~24% of residents)
Mindelo (São Vicente)|████████████████████████████ | ~70,000
Espargos (Sal) |████████ | ~24,500 (2021 census)
Assomada (Santiago) |████████ | ~21,297 (2021 census)
------------------------------------------------------------
Urban share: ~79–80% | Urban growth rate 1975–2021: +2.8%/yr
Source: INE-CV Census 2021; worldpopulationclock.net 2026
| Urbanisation Metric | Data |
|---|---|
| Urban population share (2026) | ~79–80% |
| Urban annual growth rate (1975–2021) | +2.8% per year |
| Praia population (Census 2021) | 137,868 |
| Praia 2026 estimate | ~145,000 |
| Praia share of national population | ~24% |
| Praia population density | Over 1,600 people/km² |
| Mindelo population (Census 2021) | 69,013 |
| Mindelo 2026 estimate | ~70,000 |
| Espargos (Sal) population (2021 census) | 24,500 |
| Assomada (Santiago) population (2021 census) | 21,297 |
| Praia + Mindelo combined share of residents | ~40% |
| Praia major port | Main hub for local ferry services |
| Mindelo port role | Main cruise ship and ferry terminal to Santo Antão |
Source: INE-CV Census 2021 (RGPH) via Wikipedia Cape Verde; worldpopulationclock.net 2026; caboverdeexpert.com demographic analysis
Cabo Verde’s urbanisation rate of approximately 80% is among the highest in West Africa, a product of decades of rural-to-urban migration driven by the collapse of subsistence agriculture on drier islands and the pull of service-sector employment in Praia and Mindelo. Praia’s 137,868 census residents — approximately 145,000 in 2026 — make it both the political capital and the commercial centre of an archipelago spread across 4,030 square kilometres of ocean. Its density of over 1,600 people per square kilometre reflects the same housing pressure visible in other rapidly urbanising African capitals, with informal settlements and infrastructure deficits in peripheral zones of the city.
Mindelo on São Vicente — the cultural capital, known for its vibrant music scene and the birthplace of the internationally celebrated musician Cesária Évora — functions as the archipelago’s maritime hub and the cultural counterweight to Praia’s political dominance. The Mindelo–Praia axis accounts for roughly 40% of all residents and an even higher share of formal employment, tax revenue, and public services. The rapid urbanisation of Espargos on Sal — from a tiny settlement to a city of 24,500 — is entirely a product of tourism-driven growth, as the island’s international airport and beach resort economy pulled workers from across the archipelago. This pattern of tourism-led urbanisation on flat, sandy southern islands, while agricultural northern islands depopulate, is shaping a geographically fragmented national economy that presents significant challenges for equitable public service delivery.
Cabo Verde Economy and Remittances in 2026
Cabo Verde Key Economic Indicators (World Bank / AfDB, 2024–2026)
==================================================================
GDP growth 2024 |████████████████████████████████████| 7.3%
GDP growth 2025 est.|████████████████████████████ | 5.2%
GDP growth 2026 proj|████████████████████████ | 4.7%
Remittances (% GDP) |█████████████████████████████ | 12.3% (2024)
Tourism (% GDP) |█████████████████████████ | ~25%
Poverty rate 2024 |██████████████ | 14.4%
Poverty rate 2025 |████████████ | 13.3% (proj)
Unemployment 2025 |████████████ | 11.9%
------------------------------------------------------------
Source: World Bank, AfDB, macrotrends.net 2025–2026
| Economic Indicator | Data |
|---|---|
| GDP growth rate 2024 (World Bank) | 7.3% |
| GDP growth rate 2025 estimate (AfDB) | 5.2% |
| GDP growth rate 2026 projection (AfDB) | 4.7% |
| Inflation 2024 | 1.0% |
| Inflation 2025 | 2.3% |
| Remittances as % of GDP (2024, World Bank) | 12.3% |
| Tourism share of GDP | ~25% |
| Tourism share of total economic activity | ~40% |
| Poverty rate 2024 ($3.65/day PPP, World Bank) | 14.4% |
| Poverty rate 2025 projection (World Bank) | 13.3% |
| Poverty rate 2027 projection | 11.2% |
| Unemployment rate 2025 (World Bank ILO) | 11.9% |
| Unemployment rate 2023 (World Bank) | 10.3% |
| Government debt as % of GDP (2024) | 110.2% |
| Access to electricity (2023) | 98.6% of population |
| Foreign reserves (Nov 2025) | €978 million |
Source: World Bank Open Data — Cabo Verde, 2025; World Bank Cabo Verde Economic Update 2025 (June 23, 2025); African Development Bank Cabo Verde Economic Outlook 2026; Ecofin Agency, June 25, 2025; macrotrends.net Cabo Verde historical population and GDP data
Remittances equivalent to 12.3% of GDP place Cabo Verde among the most remittance-dependent economies in Africa — and those flows are structurally tied to the diaspora’s size and earning power in high-income destinations. The United States diaspora concentrated in Massachusetts and New England, the Portuguese diaspora numbering around 260,000, and communities in France, the Netherlands, and Senegal collectively sustain an economy that could not maintain its current poverty reduction trajectory without their contributions. Foreign reserves reached €978 million in November 2025 — up from €729 million a year earlier — partly reflecting remittance inflows and tourism recovery, giving Cabo Verde approximately 5.5 months of import coverage, a comfortable buffer for a small island state.
The GDP growth of 7.3% in 2024 was exceptional by any standard, driven by strong tourism activity — the sector employs a significant share of the formal workforce and indirectly supports roughly 40% of all economic activity including transport, retail, hospitality, and construction. The deceleration to 5.2% in 2025 reflects power disruptions across the islands and a reduction in official development assistance — structural vulnerabilities that the World Bank’s June 2025 economic update specifically flagged as risks that climate shocks could amplify. The government’s goal of eradicating extreme poverty by 2026, aligned with the Strategic Plan for Sustainable Development 2022–2026 (PEDS II), is achievable given current trajectories but depends on maintaining tourism growth, controlling SOE losses, and avoiding the commodity price and climate shocks the bank identified as primary downside risks.
Cabo Verde Diaspora Statistics in 2026
Cabo Verdean Diaspora Distribution (Estimated 2026)
====================================================
United States (New England) |████████████████████████████████████| ~500,000
Portugal |████████████████████████████ | ~260,000
Senegal |████████████████ | Est. significant
France |█████████████ | Est. significant
Netherlands |██████████ | Est. significant
------------------------------------------------------------
Total diaspora: ~750,000–1 million+ | Resident population: ~529,000–610,000
Diaspora-to-resident ratio: ~1.3 to 1.7:1
Source: Wikipedia Demographics of Cabo Verde; worldpopulationclock.net 2026
| Diaspora Metric | Data |
|---|---|
| Estimated total Cabo Verdean diaspora | 750,000–1 million+ |
| Diaspora-to-resident ratio | ~1.3 to 1.7:1 |
| People of Cabo Verdean ancestry worldwide | Over 1 million |
| US diaspora (Massachusetts/New England) | ~500,000 |
| Portugal diaspora | ~260,000 |
| Annual youth emigration | 15,000–20,000 (2–3% of resident population) |
| Share of secondary completers aged 18–25 intending to emigrate | 60–70% |
| Remittances received (% of GDP, 2024) | 12.3% |
| Emigration impact on population (annual net) | ~−2,564 people |
| Cape Verde FIFA World Cup 2026 debut | Qualified — first World Cup appearance |
| Cesária Évora — globally known Cabo Verdean artist | Born Mindelo, São Vicente |
| Independence from Portugal | July 5, 1975 |
Source: Wikipedia Demographics of Cape Verde; worldpopulationclock.net 2026; Verite.org Cabo Verde overview; Wikipedia Cape Verde (FIFA World Cup 2026 debut noted)
The diaspora is not merely a demographic fact — it is a structural pillar of the Cabo Verdean state. With 500,000 people of Cabo Verdean origin in the United States alone — almost equal to the entire resident population — and 260,000 in Portugal, the flow of remittances, social capital, and political attention from those communities shapes economic planning, public policy, and cultural life on the islands in ways that few other nations experience. The 12.3% remittance-to-GDP ratio would collapse living standards, government revenues, and import capacity if it were to fall significantly — making diaspora relations a matter of national economic security rather than sentiment.
Cabo Verde’s debut at the FIFA World Cup 2026 — marking the first time the country has qualified for the men’s World Cup — carries particular cultural weight for a diaspora spread across North America and Europe. The team drew its opening game goalless against Spain, a result reported by Wikipedia with evident national pride. The combination of that sporting moment, one of the world’s most celebrated music traditions (embodied by the late Cesária Évora, born in Mindelo), and a democratic governance record that has seen peaceful transfers of power between its two main parties since independence in 1975 — make Cabo Verde one of the most culturally consequential small nations in the Atlantic world, wholly disproportionate to its resident population of just over half a million people.
Disclaimer: The data research report we present here is based on information found from various sources. We are not liable for any financial loss, errors, or damages of any kind that may result from the use of the information herein. We acknowledge that though we try to report accurately, we cannot verify the absolute facts of everything that has been represented.
