Literacy rates among adults in Cape Verde

Cape Verde: Literacy rates among adults was 88.5% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
88.5%
World rank
50th
of 89 countries
All-time high
88.5%
in 2024
All-time low
62.8%
in 1990
Years of data
5
1990–2024

Literacy rates among adults in Cape Verde, 1990–2024

0204060801990200720241990: 62.8 %2009: 82.2 %2012: 85.3 %2015: 86.8 %2024: 88.5 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Cape Verde recorded 88.5% for literacy rates among adults in 2024. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.

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

Over the whole period, literacy rates among adults in Cape Verde peaked at 88.5% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 62.8%, in 1990.

Cape Verde ranks 50th of 89 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
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. 47 Lesotho 90.5% compare
  2. 48 El Salvador 89.8% compare
  3. 49 Iran 88.9% compare
  4. 51 Honduras 88.2% compare
  5. 52 Vanuatu 88.0% compare
  6. 53 Namibia 87.6% compare

See the full ranking of 89 places →

More education data for Cape Verde

All data for Cape Verde →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rates among adults in Cape Verde?
Literacy rates among adults in Cape Verde was 88.5% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest literacy rates among adults recorded in Cape Verde?
The highest recorded value was 88.5% in 2024.
What is the lowest literacy rates among adults recorded in Cape Verde?
The lowest recorded value was 62.8% in 1990.
How does Cape Verde rank for literacy rates among adults?
Cape Verde ranks 50th out of 89 countries with data for 2024.
Is literacy rates among adults 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 Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Literacy rates among adults. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rates among adults
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
89 places, 916 data points, 1975–2024
Last refreshed

Share of the population aged 15 years and older who can read and write.