Small nation, large diaspora.
Cape Verde counts about 491,000 residents per the 2021 census - and is at the same time regarded as one of Africa's more stable multi-party democracies. The official language is Portuguese, while in daily life practically the entire population speaks Kriolu. An overview of the political system, the languages, and the current balance of power.
Population & state at a glance.
- Population
- ✓ Verified
491,233 (2021 census, INE Cabo Verde) - current estimates put the figure at around 520,000-530,000 - Capital
- Praia, on Santiago - about 30% of the national population lives in the capital region
- Political system
- Semi-presidential parliamentary republic
- Official language
- Portuguese (administration, schools, media)
- Everyday language
- Cape Verdean Kriolu, spoken by practically the entire population
- Major parties
- MpD (Movimento para a Democracia) & PAICV, alternating democratically since 1991
- Culture
- Predominantly creole/Mestiço culture, shaped by centuries of mixing between European and West African population groups
- Diaspora
- Larger than the population living in the country - over a million people worldwide
Who currently governs Cape Verde?
Political offices change - these figures reflect the status as of August 2026 and are updated as needed.
José Maria Neves
In office since November 9, 2021. The next presidential election is scheduled for November 15, 2026 (Presidential Decree No. 22/2026), with a possible runoff on November 29, 2026, if no one wins the required majority in the first round. The Constitutional Court approved 5 candidacies, including that of incumbent Neves, who announced his bid for a second term on September 14, 2026 - the outcome was still open as of this review (10/15/2026).
PAICVFrancisco Carvalho
In office since June 19, 2026, following the PAICV's win in the parliamentary election on May 17, 2026 - replacing the roughly ten-year MpD government under Ulisses Correia e Silva.
PAICVSince the peaceful transfer of power in 1991, Cape Verde has been regarded as one of Africa's more stable democracies, with regular, democratic alternation between MpD and PAICV. More on the historical background in the chapter History.
Portuguese on paper, Kriolu in everyday life.
Portuguese
The official language since the colonial era: the sole language of administration, school instruction, legal texts, and most media. Since it's the language of instruction from elementary school on, most Cape Verdeans understand Portuguese at least functionally - though solid data on actual proficiency levels across the whole population (e.g. older or rural generations) isn't available.
Kriolu (Cape Verdean Creole)
The real everyday and native language of almost all Cape Verdeans - which emerged during the colonial and slave-trade era as one of the world's first creole languages. Under the constitution it's intended to eventually be put on equal footing with Portuguese, but it's currently not an official language.
More Cape Verdeans abroad than at home.
Cape Verde has one of the highest emigration rates in the world: the Cape Verdean diaspora is estimated at well over a million people - more than live on the islands themselves today. Historically, this emigration culture is rooted mainly in recurring droughts and famines during the colonial era, which forced families into migration for generations.
The largest communities live in the USA (especially Massachusetts and Rhode Island), Portugal, as well as other countries such as the Netherlands, Senegal, and São Tomé and Príncipe. Remittances from the diaspora play an important role for many families and for the Cape Verdean economy as a whole.
This close connection abroad also shapes the culture: longing for home and the pain of separation - called sodade in Kriolu - is one of the central themes of Cape Verdean music. More on this in the chapter Music & Art.
For context
Population figures, the president, and the prime minister change - we update this page regularly. The most reliable source for the current population figure is the Instituto Nacional de Estatística (INE) Cabo Verde; for ethnic-cultural questions, we deliberately avoid blanket percentage figures, since older classifications dating from the colonial era are themselves considered outdated by many Cape Verdeans today.
Sources & status of this page
- Population (491,233): the official result of the 2021 census (RGPH-2021) by the Instituto Nacional de Estatística (INE) Cabo Verde, confirmed by multiple news agency reports on the census release. The 520,000-530,000 range cited here for 2026 is a projection, not a new official count - no more recent census exists.
- Praia's population share (~30%): per the 2021 census, 29.6% of the national population lived in Praia - consistent with the figure on this page.
- President José Maria Neves (in office since 11/9/2021, PAICV) & election date (updated 10/15/2026): confirmed by contemporary news reports on his 2021 inauguration. The presidential election is scheduled for 11/15/2026 by Presidential Decree No. 22/2026, with a possible runoff on 11/29/2026 - confirmed via RTP Portugal and forbesafricalusofona.com. The Constitutional Court approved 5 candidacies (including incumbent Neves, who announced his bid for re-election on 9/14/2026); the outcome was still open as of this review.
- Prime Minister Francisco Carvalho & the 2026 change of government: confirmed by multiple international news sources (incl. Africanews) - the PAICV won the parliamentary election on 5/17/2026 with a narrow absolute majority (37 of 72 seats), with Carvalho replacing Ulisses Correia e Silva after ten years of MpD government and taking office on 6/19/2026.
- Diaspora (>1 million): consistently cited across several independent sources; this is an estimate without an official individual count, not an exact tally. The Religion & Daily Life guide cites the same uncertainty as a range of 700,000 to over a million - both figures come from the same body of sources; here we deliberately omit the lower, more cautious figure, since "over a million" is consistently cited by more sources (added 10/17/2026).
- Status of Kriolu: under the constitution, Portuguese is the sole official language; constitutional equal status for Kriolu is being pursued but, as of this review, hasn't yet been implemented - phrased accordingly and cautiously as "intended to eventually be put on equal footing."
Questions about population & politics.
How many people live in Cape Verde?
About 491,000, per the last official census (2021). Current estimates for 2026 put the figure at roughly 520,000 to 530,000 - a new count hasn't yet been taken.
What language do people speak in Cape Verde?
The official language is Portuguese. In everyday life, the large majority of the population speaks Kriolu, a distinct creole language that emerged during the colonial era.
Is Cape Verde a democracy?
Yes. Since the first free multi-party elections in 1991, Cape Verde has been regarded as one of Africa's more stable democracies, with regular peaceful transfers of power between the two major parties, MpD and PAICV.
Why do so many Cape Verdeans live abroad?
Historically driven by recurring droughts and economic hardship, especially during the colonial era. Estimates of diaspora size range from 700,000 to over a million people - in any case more than live on the islands themselves today. The largest communities are in the USA and Portugal.
More about Culture & People.
Want to learn more about Cape Verde?
Discover the history, culture, and daily life of the archipelago - or plan your trip directly with our 360° Check.