Cape Verde

Current head of state

José Maria Neves President of Cape Verde In office 2021–present · 4.8y PartyAfrican Party for the Independence of Cape Verde Born 1960 · took office at 61 Ricardo Stuckert of Palácio do Planalto (Palace of Planalto, workplace of Brazilian president) · CC BY 2.0

José Maria Neves

President of Cape Verde

Since 2021 4.8 years in office

Governance indicator

0.56

−2.50+2.5

World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, composite of six dimensions · 2024

Chamber

Member of the National Assembly of Cape Verde

Seats

—

Speaker

—

Active alliances

37

1980 1990 2000 2010 2020

Aristides Pereira Aristides Pereira President of Cape Verde In office 1975–1991 · 15.7y PartyAfrican Party for the Independence of Cape Verde Born 1923 · took office at 51 SSGT Maria Briestline · Public domain

Antonio Mascarenhas Monteiro Antonio Mascarenhas Monteiro President of Cape Verde In office 1991–2001 · 10y PartyMovement for Democracy Born 1944 · took office at 47 Álvaro Ludgero Andrade (VOA) · Public domain

Pedro Pires Pedro Pires President of Cape Verde In office 2001–2011 · 10.5y PartyAfrican Party for the Independence of Cape Verde Born 1934 · took office at 66 Ron Bennett--HUD · Public domain

Jorge Carlos Fonseca Jorge Carlos Fonseca President of Cape Verde In office 2011–2021 · 10.2y PartyMovement for Democracy Born 1950 · took office at 60 Olaf Kosinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0 de

José Maria Neves José Maria Neves President of Cape Verde In office 2021–present · 4.8y PartyAfrican Party for the Independence of Cape Verde Born 1960 · took office at 61 Ricardo Stuckert of Palácio do Planalto (Palace of Planalto, workplace of Brazilian president) · CC BY 2.0

Term Began with a realized coup In office

The scale spans every dated record held for this country, so it may begin before the first leader on file — a gap at the left means coups are recorded for years where no office-holder is. Coup markers link to the Cline Center source.

1. 2021– José Maria Neves President of Cape Verde In office 2021–present · 4.8y PartyAfrican Party for the Independence of Cape Verde Born 1960 · took office at 61 Ricardo Stuckert of Palácio do Planalto (Palace of Planalto, workplace of Brazilian president) · CC BY 2.0 José Maria Neves In office 4.8y
2. 2011–2021 Jorge Carlos Fonseca President of Cape Verde In office 2011–2021 · 10.2y PartyMovement for Democracy Born 1950 · took office at 60 Olaf Kosinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0 de Jorge Carlos Fonseca 10.2y
3. 2001–2011 Pedro Pires President of Cape Verde In office 2001–2011 · 10.5y PartyAfrican Party for the Independence of Cape Verde Born 1934 · took office at 66 Ron Bennett--HUD · Public domain Pedro Pires 10.5y
4. 1991–2001 Antonio Mascarenhas Monteiro President of Cape Verde In office 1991–2001 · 10y PartyMovement for Democracy Born 1944 · took office at 47 Álvaro Ludgero Andrade (VOA) · Public domain Antonio Mascarenhas Monteiro 10y
5. 1975–1991 Aristides Pereira President of Cape Verde In office 1975–1991 · 15.7y PartyAfrican Party for the Independence of Cape Verde Born 1923 · took office at 51 SSGT Maria Briestline · Public domain Aristides Pereira 15.7y

• 2026
  Cabo Verde National Assembly May 2026 Election African Party for the Independence of Cabo Verde (PAICV)3751.4% Movement for Democracy (MpD)3345.8% Union for an Independent Democratic Cape Verde (UCID)22.8%

  Seats

  72

  Turnout

  46.5%

  Women

  —

  Parties won

  —

• 2021
  Cabo Verde National Assembly April 2021 Election Movement for Democracy (MpD)3852.8% African Party for the Independence of Cabo Verde (PAICV)3041.7% Union for an Independent Democratic Cape Verde (UCID)45.6%

  Seats

  72

  Turnout

  57.5%

  Women

  37.5%

  Parties won

  3

• 2016
  Cabo Verde National Assembly March 2016 Election Movement for Democracy (MpD)4055.6% African Party for the Independence of Cabo Verde (PAICV)2940.3% Union for an Independent Democratic Cape Verde (UCID)34.2%

  Seats

  72

  Turnout

  66%

  Women

  23.0%

  Parties won

  3

• 2011
  Cabo Verde National Assembly February 2011 Election

  Seats

  —

  Turnout

  not recorded

  Women

  —

  Parties won

  —

• 2006
  Cabo Verde National Assembly January 2006 Election

  Seats

  —

  Turnout

  not recorded

  Women

  —

  Parties won

  —

• 2001
  Cabo Verde National Assembly January 2001 Election

  Seats

  —

  Turnout

  not recorded

  Women

  —

  Parties won

  —

• 1995
  Cabo Verde National Assembly December 1995 Election

  Seats

  —

  Turnout

  not recorded

  Women

  —

  Parties won

  —

• 1991
  Cabo Verde National Assembly January 1991 Election

  Seats

  —

  Turnout

  not recorded

  Women

  —

  Parties won

  —

• 1985
  Cabo Verde National Assembly December 1985 Election

  Seats

  —

  Turnout

  not recorded

  Women

  —

  Parties won

  —

• 1980
  Cabo Verde National Assembly December 1980 Election

  Seats

  —

  Turnout

  not recorded

  Women

  —

  Parties won

  —

Source: ipu_parline.

Fertility rate

1.5 2024

Life expectancy at birth

76.2 2024

Population growth

0.5 2024

Total population

524,877 2024

Urban population percent

76.8 2024

Adult literacy rate

88.5 2024

Government expenditure on education percent of GDP

4.3 2023

Primary net enrollment ratio

93.4 2018

Secondary net enrollment ratio

70.4 2018

Ethnic groups

Religion

Languages

• Portuguese
• Crioulo

Composition: CIA World Factbook, 2021 estimate. Shares are reproduced as published and are not renormalised, so a country may total slightly under or over 100%.

Regional & continental

• AfCFTA
• African Union
• AFRISTAT 2002
• ECOWAS 1977
• La Francophonie 1996

Global bodies & treaties

• African Development Bank
• Alliance of Small Island States
• Community of Portuguese Language Countries
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
• Group of 77
• Intelsat left 2001
• International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
• International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes
• International Civil Aviation Organization
• International Development Association
• International Finance Corporation
• International Fund for Agricultural Development
• International Maritime Organization
• International Monetary Fund
• International Telecommunication Union
• Interpol
• Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency
• Non-Aligned Movement
• Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
• Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States
• Organisation of African Unity
• Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
• UNESCO
• UNESCO
• United Nations
• United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
• United Nations Industrial Development Organization
• Universal Postal Union
• UN Trade and Development
• World Customs Organization
• World Health Organization
• World Meteorological Organization
• World Trade Organization

Register

Every party the observatory holds for this country, historical and current — the register is not filtered to parties currently holding seats.

• African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde ПАИКВ democratic socialism; left-wing nationalism José Maria Neves
• African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde ПАИГК African nationalism; democratic socialism; left-wing nationalism Domingos Simoes Pereira
• Democratic Alliance for Change ADM
• Democratic and Independent Cape Verdean Union conservatism
• Democratic Convergence Party
• Democratic Renewal Party
• Espaço Democrático
• Modernize São Vicente Movement
• Movement for Democracy Christian democracy
• People Work and Solidarity ПТС Jónica Brito
• Social Democratic Party
• Union of the People of the Cape Verde Islands Maoism; Marxism–Leninism; Pan-Africanism; communism; independentism; left-wing nationalism

Census, population and demographic documents the observatory has located for this country. These are links to the publishers’ own files — the library does not rehost them.

• Cabo Verde - Education Indicators — Demographic and Socio-economic indicator list hdx csv
• Cabo Verde - Education Indicators — Demographic and Socio-economic data hdx csv
• HDX HAPI Data for Cabo Verde — Geography & Infrastructure: Baseline Population for Cabo Verde hdx csv
• CABO VERDE - Population and migration indicators, UNECA — UNECA CABO VERDE - Population and Migration hdx csv
• Cabo Verde - Data on forcibly displaced populations and stateless persons — Demographics and locations of forcibly displaced and stateless people residing in Cabo Verde hdx csv
• Cabo Verde - Data on forcibly displaced populations and stateless persons — Solutions for refugees and IDPs residing in Cabo Verde hdx csv
• Cabo Verde - Data on forcibly displaced populations and stateless persons — Asylum decisions taken on asylum claims of asylum seekers originating from Cabo Verde hdx csv
• Cabo Verde - Data on forcibly displaced populations and stateless persons — Demographics and locations of forcibly displaced people originating from Cabo Verde hdx csv
• Cabo Verde - Data on forcibly displaced populations and stateless persons — End-year stock population figures for forcibly displaced and stateless persons residing in Cabo Verde hdx csv
• Cabo Verde - Data on forcibly displaced populations and stateless persons — End-year stock population figures for forcibly displaced persons originating from Cabo Verde hdx csv
• Cabo Verde - Data on forcibly displaced populations and stateless persons — Asylum applications by asylum seekers originating from Cabo Verde hdx csv
• Cabo Verde - Data on forcibly displaced populations and stateless persons — Solutions for refugees and IDPs originating from Cabo Verde hdx csv
• Cabo Verde - Subnational Population Statistics — cpv_admpop_island_2022B.csv hdx csv
• Cabo Verde - Subnational Population Statistics — cpv_admpop_2022B.xlsx hdx xlsx
• Cabo Verde - Subnational Population Statistics — cpv_admpop_adm1_2022B.csv hdx csv
• Cabo Verde - Subnational Population Statistics — cpv_admpop_adm0_2022.csv hdx csv
• Cabo Verde - Subnational Population Statistics — cpv_admgz_20240611.xlsx hdx xlsx
• Cape verde - Demographic, Health, Education and Transport indicators — Indicators_data_CV hdx csv
• Cabo Verde: Administrative Division with Aggregated Population — kontur_boundaries_CV_20230628.gpkg hdx geopackage
• Cabo Verde: Population Density for 400m H3 Hexagons — kontur_population_CV_20220630.gpkg hdx geopackage
• Cabo Verde: Population Density for 400m H3 Hexagons — kontur_population_CV_20231101.gpkg hdx geopackage
• Cabo Verde: Administrative Division with Aggregated Population — kontur_topology_boundaries_CV_20230628.gpkg hdx geopackage
• Cabo Verde: Administrative Division with Aggregated Population — kontur_boundaries_CV_20220407.gpkg hdx geopackage
• Cape Verde - Risk Assessment Indicators — CPV_ADM2_demographics.csv hdx csv