Share of population living in rural areas in Cape Verde
Cape Verde: Share of population living in rural areas was 28.4% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in rural areas in Cape Verde, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of population living in rural areas in Cape Verde is 28.4%, measured in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 11.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Cape Verde peaked at 42.5% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 25.5%, in 2010.
That places Cape Verde 103rd out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in rural areas in Cape Verde, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 42.5% | — |
| 1955 | 41.6% | -1.9% |
| 1960 | 40.5% | -2.7% |
| 1965 | 37.5% | -7.4% |
| 1970 | 34.2% | -8.8% |
| 1975 | 33.0% | -3.4% |
| 1980 | 34.3% | +3.6% |
| 1985 | 33.5% | -2.2% |
| 1990 | 32.8% | -2.1% |
| 1995 | 29.9% | -8.8% |
| 2000 | 28.1% | -6.0% |
| 2005 | 28.6% | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 25.5% | -10.7% |
| 2015 | 26.7% | +4.8% |
| 2020 | 28.4% | +6.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 42.1% | 41.6% | 42.5% | 2 |
| 1960s | 39.0% | 37.5% | 40.5% | 2 |
| 1970s | 33.6% | 33.0% | 34.2% | 2 |
| 1980s | 33.9% | 33.5% | 34.3% | 2 |
| 1990s | 31.3% | 29.9% | 32.8% | 2 |
| 2000s | 28.3% | 28.1% | 28.6% | 2 |
| 2010s | 26.1% | 25.5% | 26.7% | 2 |
| 2020s | 28.4% | 28.4% | 28.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Cape Verde
More population data for Cape Verde
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -1.01 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -6.15 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -1.01 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.4961 % change on previous year (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.4608 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -1.0% (2100)
- Population density 103.46 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 14,689 people (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -1.0% (2100)
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate 1.59 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in rural areas in Cape Verde?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Cape Verde was 28.4% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Cape Verde?
- The highest recorded value was 42.5% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Cape Verde?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.5% in 2010.
- How does Cape Verde rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Cape Verde ranks 103rd out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Cape Verde?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Cape Verde data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated share of the population living in rural areas. Rural areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.