Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Cabo Verde: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna grade (MCC, ranked #136 of 195).
Cabo Verde is a parliamentary republic in Western Africa, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal. The country's capital is Praia; it covers 4,033 sq km. Independence: 5 July 1975 (from Portugal). Terrain: steep, rugged, rocky, volcanic. Climate: temperate; warm, dry summer; precipitation meager and erratic. Population: 611,000 (2024 estimate). Population growth: +1.12% per year. Median age: 29.3 years. Life expectancy: 74.3 years (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%)…
| Capital | Praia |
|---|---|
| Population | 611,014 (2024 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $5.2 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $9,900 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 7.3% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 1.0% |
| Unemployment | 11.9% |
| Public debt | 127.6% of GDP (2016 est.) |
| Exports | $1.158 billion (2024 est.) |
| Imports | $1.473 billion (2024 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 74.3 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 29.3 |
| Urbanization | 68% of total population (2023) |
| Government | parliamentary republic |
| Independence | 5 July 1975 (from Portugal) |
| Languages | Portuguese (official), Crioulo (a Portuguese-based creole language with two main dialects) |
MCC · 42/100 — The Magna grade is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — five dimensions, 100+ indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
Nothing in Jul–Sep 2026 moved the needle. The institutions functioned, the economy ran its course, and the world looked elsewhere.
That is the honest note: a quarter of normalcy, scored as such.
Salt, Gypsum.
Francisco Carvalho — Prime Minister. President Jose Maria Pereira NEVES (since 9 November 2021)
Cabo Verde maintains 19 embassies and 4 consulates abroad, hosts 15 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York, AU Addis Ababa. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 19 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 4 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 15 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, AU Addis Ababa |
Source: Consular Affairs Center, Diplomatic and Consular Networks Database and Rankings, January 2026 (Zenodo, CC BY 4.0). https://zenodo.org/records/18109976
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 965 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 10 (registration prefix D4) |
| Major seaports | Porto da Praia, Porto Grande |
Amílcar Cabral International Airport (SID) — Espargos; Aristides Pereira International Airport (BVC) — Rabil; Cesaria Evora International Airport (VXE) — São Pedro; Nelson Mandela International Airport (RAI) — Praia; Maio Airport (MMO) — Vila do Maio; Preguiça Airport (SNE) — Preguiça.
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28); theodora.com CIA mirror (CIA World Factbook Transportation section), scraped 2026-10-02
| Political system | parliamentary republic |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
MCC · 42 Ranked #136 of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Cabo Verde.
Historical timeline of Cabo Verde
