Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Cape Verde
Cape Verde: Do more people live in urban or rural areas? was 77.6% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Cape Verde, 1600–2025
Source: HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Cape Verde is 77.6%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 102 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.1% on the previous year and up 16.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Cape Verde peaked at 77.6% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.4%, in 1600.
Cape Verde ranks 81st of 238 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Cape Verde, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1600 | 0.4% | — |
| 1700 | 1.2% | +200.0% |
| 1710 | 1.3% | +12.7% |
| 1720 | 1.4% | +9.5% |
| 1730 | 1.6% | +9.5% |
| 1740 | 1.7% | +9.5% |
| 1750 | 1.9% | +9.5% |
| 1760 | 2.1% | +9.5% |
| 1770 | 2.3% | +9.5% |
| 1780 | 2.5% | +9.5% |
| 1790 | 2.7% | +9.5% |
| 1800 | 3.0% | +9.5% |
| 1810 | 3.3% | +9.5% |
| 1820 | 3.6% | +9.5% |
| 1830 | 3.9% | +9.5% |
| 1840 | 4.3% | +9.5% |
| 1850 | 4.7% | +9.5% |
| 1860 | 5.1% | +9.5% |
| 1870 | 5.6% | +9.5% |
| 1880 | 6.2% | +9.5% |
| 1890 | 6.8% | +9.5% |
| 1900 | 7.4% | +9.5% |
| 1910 | 8.1% | +9.5% |
| 1920 | 8.9% | +9.5% |
| 1930 | 9.7% | +9.5% |
| 1940 | 10.6% | +9.5% |
| 1950 | 6.8% | -36.0% |
| 1951 | 6.7% | -1.1% |
| 1952 | 6.7% | -1.0% |
| 1953 | 6.6% | -0.8% |
| 1954 | 6.6% | -0.6% |
| 1955 | 6.5% | -0.4% |
| 1956 | 6.5% | -0.3% |
| 1957 | 6.5% | -0.2% |
| 1958 | 6.5% | -0.1% |
| 1959 | 6.5% | -0.0% |
| 1960 | 6.5% | -0.0% |
| 1961 | 6.6% | +1.5% |
| 1962 | 7.2% | +9.5% |
| 1963 | 8.3% | +15.4% |
| 1964 | 9.8% | +17.7% |
| 1965 | 11.5% | +17.4% |
| 1966 | 13.3% | +15.9% |
| 1967 | 15.2% | +13.6% |
| 1968 | 16.9% | +11.2% |
| 1969 | 18.3% | +8.6% |
| 1970 | 19.3% | +5.7% |
| 1971 | 20.0% | +3.4% |
| 1972 | 20.5% | +2.3% |
| 1973 | 20.8% | +1.8% |
| 1974 | 21.2% | +1.5% |
| 1975 | 21.4% | +1.3% |
| 1976 | 21.7% | +1.3% |
| 1977 | 22.0% | +1.4% |
| 1978 | 22.4% | +1.7% |
| 1979 | 22.9% | +2.1% |
| 1980 | 23.5% | +2.6% |
| 1981 | 24.5% | +4.4% |
| 1982 | 26.1% | +6.5% |
| 1983 | 28.1% | +7.8% |
| 1984 | 30.5% | +8.4% |
| 1985 | 33.0% | +8.3% |
| 1986 | 35.6% | +7.9% |
| 1987 | 38.2% | +7.1% |
| 1988 | 40.5% | +6.1% |
| 1989 | 42.5% | +5.0% |
| 1990 | 44.1% | +3.7% |
| 1991 | 45.4% | +2.9% |
| 1992 | 46.6% | +2.6% |
| 1993 | 47.6% | +2.3% |
| 1994 | 48.6% | +2.1% |
| 1995 | 49.6% | +1.9% |
| 1996 | 50.5% | +1.8% |
| 1997 | 51.4% | +1.7% |
| 1998 | 52.2% | +1.7% |
| 1999 | 53.1% | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 53.9% | +1.6% |
| 2001 | 54.8% | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 55.6% | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 56.3% | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 57.1% | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 57.8% | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 58.5% | +1.3% |
| 2007 | 59.3% | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 60.1% | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 60.9% | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 61.8% | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 62.7% | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 63.7% | +1.6% |
| 2013 | 64.7% | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 65.8% | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 66.9% | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 68.0% | +1.7% |
| 2017 | 69.2% | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 70.4% | +1.7% |
| 2019 | 71.6% | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 72.9% | +1.8% |
| 2021 | 74.2% | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 75.0% | +1.2% |
| 2023 | 75.9% | +1.2% |
| 2024 | 76.8% | +1.1% |
| 2025 | 77.6% | +1.1% |
Cape Verde compared with similar countries
- Cape Verde's 77.6% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 65.5%, 1.2× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Cape Verde's 77.6% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 44.9%, 1.7× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Cape Verde changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1700 | +200.0% | 0.4% | 1.2% |
| 1950 | -36.0% | 10.6% | 6.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1600s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 1 |
| 1700s | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1 |
| 1710s | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1 |
| 1720s | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1 |
| 1730s | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1 |
| 1740s | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1 |
| 1750s | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1 |
| 1760s | 2.1% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 1 |
| 1770s | 2.3% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 1 |
| 1780s | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 1 |
| 1790s | 2.7% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 1 |
| 1800s | 3.0% | 3.0% | 3.0% | 1 |
| 1810s | 3.3% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 1 |
| 1820s | 3.6% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 1 |
| 1830s | 3.9% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 1 |
| 1840s | 4.3% | 4.3% | 4.3% | 1 |
| 1850s | 4.7% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 1 |
| 1860s | 5.1% | 5.1% | 5.1% | 1 |
| 1870s | 5.6% | 5.6% | 5.6% | 1 |
| 1880s | 6.2% | 6.2% | 6.2% | 1 |
| 1890s | 6.8% | 6.8% | 6.8% | 1 |
| 1900s | 7.4% | 7.4% | 7.4% | 1 |
| 1910s | 8.1% | 8.1% | 8.1% | 1 |
| 1920s | 8.9% | 8.9% | 8.9% | 1 |
| 1930s | 9.7% | 9.7% | 9.7% | 1 |
| 1940s | 10.6% | 10.6% | 10.6% | 1 |
| 1950s | 6.6% | 6.5% | 6.8% | 10 |
| 1960s | 11.4% | 6.5% | 18.3% | 10 |
| 1970s | 21.2% | 19.3% | 22.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 32.3% | 23.5% | 42.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 48.9% | 44.1% | 53.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 57.4% | 53.9% | 60.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 66.5% | 61.8% | 71.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 75.4% | 72.9% | 77.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Cape Verde
More reference data data for Cape Verde
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.0737 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) (AR5) - Manure left on Pasture 33.15 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5) - Manure left on 33.15 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5) - Manure Management 53.16 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5) - Manure applied 39.35 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) (AR5) - Manure applied to Soils 39.35 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5) - IPCC Agriculture 127.77 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 (AR5) - Burning - Crop 2.69 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 (AR5) - Manure Management 15.25 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 (AR5) - IPCC Agriculture 92.15 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Cape Verde?
- Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Cape Verde was 77.6% in 2025, according to HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest do more people live in urban or rural areas? recorded in Cape Verde?
- The highest recorded value was 77.6% in 2025.
- What is the lowest do more people live in urban or rural areas? recorded in Cape Verde?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.4% in 1600.
- How does Cape Verde rank for do more people live in urban or rural areas??
- Cape Verde ranks 81st out of 238 countries with data for 2025.
- Is do more people live in urban or rural areas? rising or falling in Cape Verde?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Cape Verde data come from?
- The figures come from HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Do more people live in urban or rural areas?. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, combining UN estimates with modeled historical data.