Rural population in Cape Verde
Cape Verde: Rural population was 22.4% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Rural population in Cape Verde, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for rural population in Cape Verde is 22.4%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.7% on the previous year and down 32.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Cape Verde peaked at 93.5% in 1960 and was at its lowest, 22.4%, in 2025.
That places Cape Verde 151st out of 217 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Rural population in Cape Verde, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 93.5% | — |
| 1961 | 93.4% | -0.1% |
| 1962 | 92.8% | -0.7% |
| 1963 | 91.7% | -1.2% |
| 1964 | 90.2% | -1.6% |
| 1965 | 88.5% | -1.9% |
| 1966 | 86.7% | -2.1% |
| 1967 | 84.8% | -2.1% |
| 1968 | 83.1% | -2.0% |
| 1969 | 81.7% | -1.7% |
| 1970 | 80.7% | -1.3% |
| 1971 | 80.0% | -0.8% |
| 1972 | 79.5% | -0.6% |
| 1973 | 79.2% | -0.5% |
| 1974 | 78.8% | -0.4% |
| 1975 | 78.6% | -0.4% |
| 1976 | 78.3% | -0.4% |
| 1977 | 78.0% | -0.4% |
| 1978 | 77.6% | -0.5% |
| 1979 | 77.1% | -0.6% |
| 1980 | 76.5% | -0.8% |
| 1981 | 75.5% | -1.3% |
| 1982 | 73.9% | -2.1% |
| 1983 | 71.9% | -2.8% |
| 1984 | 69.5% | -3.3% |
| 1985 | 67.0% | -3.7% |
| 1986 | 64.4% | -3.9% |
| 1987 | 61.8% | -3.9% |
| 1988 | 59.5% | -3.8% |
| 1989 | 57.5% | -3.4% |
| 1990 | 55.9% | -2.8% |
| 1991 | 54.6% | -2.3% |
| 1992 | 53.4% | -2.1% |
| 1993 | 52.4% | -2.0% |
| 1994 | 51.4% | -1.9% |
| 1995 | 50.4% | -1.8% |
| 1996 | 49.5% | -1.8% |
| 1997 | 48.6% | -1.8% |
| 1998 | 47.8% | -1.8% |
| 1999 | 46.9% | -1.8% |
| 2000 | 46.1% | -1.8% |
| 2001 | 45.2% | -1.8% |
| 2002 | 44.4% | -1.8% |
| 2003 | 43.7% | -1.7% |
| 2004 | 42.9% | -1.7% |
| 2005 | 42.2% | -1.7% |
| 2006 | 41.5% | -1.7% |
| 2007 | 40.7% | -1.8% |
| 2008 | 39.9% | -1.9% |
| 2009 | 39.1% | -2.1% |
| 2010 | 38.2% | -2.3% |
| 2011 | 37.3% | -2.5% |
| 2012 | 36.3% | -2.6% |
| 2013 | 35.3% | -2.8% |
| 2014 | 34.2% | -3.0% |
| 2015 | 33.1% | -3.2% |
| 2016 | 32.0% | -3.4% |
| 2017 | 30.8% | -3.6% |
| 2018 | 29.6% | -3.9% |
| 2019 | 28.4% | -4.1% |
| 2020 | 27.1% | -4.4% |
| 2021 | 25.8% | -4.7% |
| 2022 | 25.0% | -3.4% |
| 2023 | 24.1% | -3.5% |
| 2024 | 23.2% | -3.6% |
| 2025 | 22.4% | -3.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 88.6% | 81.7% | 93.5% | 10 |
| 1970s | 78.8% | 77.1% | 80.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 67.7% | 57.5% | 76.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 51.1% | 46.9% | 55.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 42.6% | 39.1% | 46.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 33.5% | 28.4% | 38.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 24.6% | 22.4% | 27.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Cape Verde
More agriculture & rural data for Cape Verde
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 14.7 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0504 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 291.98 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -3.24 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.2237 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 5.0% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 5.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.0% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.6% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Cape Verde?
- Rural population in Cape Verde was 22.4% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Cape Verde?
- The highest recorded value was 93.5% in 1960.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Cape Verde?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.4% in 2025.
- How does Cape Verde rank for rural population?
- Cape Verde ranks 151st out of 217 countries with data for 2025.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Cape Verde?
- Over the last ten years it is down 32.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Cape Verde data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.