Literacy rate in Cape Verde

Cape Verde: Literacy rate was 88.5% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
88.5%
World rank
77th
of 128 countries
All-time high
88.5%
in 2024
All-time low
22.5%
in 1950
Years of data
6
1950–2024

Literacy rate in Cape Verde, 1950–2024

204060801950198720241950: 22.5 %1990: 62.8 %2009: 82.2 %2012: 85.3 %2015: 86.8 %2024: 88.5 %

Source: UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Cape Verde recorded 88.5% for literacy rate in 2024. That is the highest value across all 6 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate in Cape Verde peaked at 88.5% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 22.5%, in 1950.

Cape Verde ranks 77th of 128 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Literacy rate in Cape Verde, year by year

Annual values for Literacy rate in Cape Verde, 1950 to 2024.
Year % Change
1950 22.5% —
1990 62.8% +179.1%
2009 82.2% +30.9%
2012 85.3% +3.8%
2015 86.8% +1.7%
2024 88.5% +1.9%

Cape Verde compared with similar countries

  • Cape Verde's 88.5% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 95.4%, 93% of the median. (38 countries reporting)
  • Cape Verde's 88.5% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 70.9%, 1.2× the median. (36 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 22.5% 22.5% 22.5% 1
1990s 62.8% 62.8% 62.8% 1
2000s 82.2% 82.2% 82.2% 1
2010s 86.1% 85.3% 86.8% 2
2020s 88.5% 88.5% 88.5% 1

Countries ranked near Cape Verde

  1. 74 Lesotho 90.5% compare
  2. 75 El Salvador 89.8% compare
  3. 76 Iran 88.9% compare
  4. 78 Honduras 88.2% compare
  5. 79 Vanuatu 88.0% compare
  6. 80 Belize 87.9% compare

See the full ranking of 128 places →

More education data for Cape Verde

All data for Cape Verde →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rate in Cape Verde?
Literacy rate in Cape Verde was 88.5% in 2024, according to UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest literacy rate recorded in Cape Verde?
The highest recorded value was 88.5% in 2024.
What is the lowest literacy rate recorded in Cape Verde?
The lowest recorded value was 22.5% in 1950.
How does Cape Verde rank for literacy rate?
Cape Verde ranks 77th out of 128 countries with data for 2024.
Is literacy rate rising or falling in Cape Verde?
Over the last ten years it is up 1.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Cape Verde data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Literacy rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Literacy rate in Cape Verde. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 28 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/cross-country-literacy-rates/cabo-verde/

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<a href="https://education.statizoid.com/stat/cross-country-literacy-rates/cabo-verde/">Literacy rate in Cape Verde</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
128 places, 1,272 data points, 1475–2024
Last refreshed

Share of adults who can read and write a simple statement about their everyday life.