Demographics & population — Cape Verde
Population size, age structure, migration, ethnicity, language, education, and health indicators.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Demographics & population at a glance
Population size, age structure, migration, ethnicity, language, education, and health indicators. Key figure for Cape Verde: 583,255
Immigration rules and fees change frequently — confirm current requirements on official government or embassy websites.
Population overview
- Population
583,255
- Population Growth Rate
1.41%
- Urban Population
- Population in Major Urban Areas
PRAIA (capital) 132,000
Age & family
- Age Structure
- Median Age
- Birth Rate - births/1,000 population
21
- Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population
6.22
- Total Fertility Rate - children born/woman
2.39
- Contraceptive Prevalance Rate - female 12-49
61.3%
- Contraceptive Prevalence Rate - female 12-49
61.3%
- Mean Age for Mother's First Birth (age 25-49)
19.5
- Mother's mean age at first birth
19.5
- Sex Ratio at Birth - male/female
Migration
- Net Migration Rate - migrant(s)/1,000 population
-0.65
Ethnicity & language
- Ethnic Groups
Creole (mulatto) 71%, African 28%, European 1%
- Nationality Noun
Cape Verdean(s)
Education
- Literacy - total population
76.6%
- Literacy - male
85.8%
- Literacy - female
69.2%
- Literacy Definition
Age 15 and over can read and write
- Education Expenditures - percent of GDP
5%
- Total School Life Expectancy - (primary to tertiary)
Health & living conditions
- Life Expectancy at Birth
- Infant Mortality Rate
- Infant Mortality Rate - total deaths/1,000 live births
- Maternal Mortality Rate - deaths/100,000 live births
79
- Physicians Density - physicians/1,000 population
.3
- Health Expenditures - percent of GDP
4.8%
- Obesity - adult prevalence rate
10%
- Drinking Water Source - percent of urban population improved
- Sanitation Facility Access - percent of urban population improved