How many people live in Cape Verde right now?
Right now, according to UN estimates
530,339
| Today | In 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Births | · | · |
| Deaths | · | · |
| Net migration | · | · |
| Growth | · | · |
2026 figures
- Rank by population
- 175 of 237
- Share of world population
- 0.0064%
- Median age
- 29.5 years
- Children per woman
- 1.49
- Life expectancy
- 76.6 years
- People per km²
- 131
According to UN estimates, about 530,339 people live in Cape Verde right now. It ranks 175th out of 237 countries and territories by population, between the Maldives and Brunei, and it is home to one in every 15,700 people on the planet.
Every day, about 17 people are born there and about 8 die. More people leave than arrive: net migration reduces the population by about 1,300 people a year. Overall, the population grows by about 6 people a day (0.42% a year).
In 1950, about 184,972 people lived there. Today there are 2.9 times as many. The UN expects it to peak around 2051, at about 566,201, and then begin to fall. By 2050 it is projected to have about 566,134 people (7% more than today), and by 2100 about 416,940.
Half of its people are younger than 30 (worldwide, 31). Women have an average of 1.49 children each, below the 2.1 needed for each generation to replace the one before, and life expectancy at birth is 77 years (worldwide, 74). There are 131 people per square kilometer.
UN estimates up to today and projections (medium variant) from today onward.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the population of Cape Verde in 2026?
- Cape Verde has about 530,339 people right now, according to the UN's World Population Prospects 2024. On July 1, 2026, there were 529,630.
- How many people are born each day in Cape Verde?
- About 17 a day (6,300 a year). About 8 people die each day (2,800 a year).
- Is the population of Cape Verde growing?
- Yes: it grows by 0.42% a year, or about 2,200 people.
- What will the population of Cape Verde be in 2050?
- According to the UN projection (medium variant), about 566,134, with a peak around 2051 at about 566,201.
- Why doesn't this figure match the country's official statistics?
- The UN estimates the population of every country with the same method, based on censuses, surveys and registers, and projects it year by year. Each national statistics office uses its own censuses and registers, which may be more up to date or count foreign residents differently. That is why the figures can differ slightly.
Countries with a similar population
More countries in Africa
- Nigeria 243,985,740
- Ethiopia 139,989,176
- Egypt 120,651,342
- Democratic Republic of the Congo 117,604,073
- Tanzania 73,203,819
- South Africa 65,670,724
- Kenya 58,985,363
- Sudan 53,734,916
- Uganda 53,195,376
- Algeria 48,206,512
- Angola 40,591,251
- Morocco 38,862,725
All countries and territories →
Where these figures come from
The figures are estimates from the United Nations Population Division, published in World Population Prospects 2024 (medium variant): the reference used by international organizations and by most population counters. The UN estimates how many people there are on July 1 of each year and how many are born, die and migrate; between one date and the next, this counter spreads the change continuously, second by second.
It is not a real-time headcount: nobody can count every person in a country at once. It is the best available estimate, and it may differ slightly from the figures of each country's statistics office, which use their own censuses and population registers.