Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Cape Verde
Cape Verde: Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) was 57.0% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Cape Verde, 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Cape Verde stood at 57.0%.
That represents a change of down 3.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Cape Verde peaked at 60.9% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 53.4%, in 2020.
Cape Verde ranks 129th of 187 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Cape Verde, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 60.9% | — |
| 1991 | 60.6% | -0.4% |
| 1992 | 60.4% | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 60.1% | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 59.8% | -0.4% |
| 1995 | 59.6% | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 59.3% | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 59.1% | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 58.8% | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 58.5% | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 58.3% | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 58.0% | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 57.7% | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 57.5% | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 57.2% | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 56.9% | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 56.6% | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 56.4% | -0.5% |
| 2008 | 56.1% | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 55.8% | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 59.1% | +5.9% |
| 2011 | 59.1% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 59.1% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 59.1% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 59.2% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 59.2% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 59.2% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 59.2% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 55.6% | -6.1% |
| 2019 | 57.4% | +3.4% |
| 2020 | 53.4% | -7.0% |
| 2021 | 54.2% | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 57.2% | +5.6% |
| 2023 | 57.1% | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 57.0% | -0.2% |
| 2025 | 57.0% | -0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 59.7% | 58.5% | 60.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 57.1% | 55.8% | 58.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 58.6% | 55.6% | 59.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 56.0% | 53.4% | 57.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Cape Verde
- 126 Kyrgyzstan 57.4% compare
- 127 Fiji 57.2% compare
- 128 Lesotho 57.1% compare
- 130 Honduras 56.6% compare
- 131 New Caledonia 56.4% compare
- 132 Hong Kong, China 56.4% compare
- 132 Channel Islands 56.4% compare
More work & labour data for Cape Verde
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 176.12 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 57.01 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 233.52 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 29,137 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 13,162 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 50.08 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.57 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 1.53 % change on previous year (2027)
- Legislation on sexual harassment in employment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Criminal sanctions or compensation for workplace sexual harassment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Cape Verde?
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Cape Verde was 57.0% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) recorded in Cape Verde?
- The highest recorded value was 60.9% in 1990.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) recorded in Cape Verde?
- The lowest recorded value was 53.4% in 2020.
- How does Cape Verde rank for labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+)?
- Cape Verde ranks 129th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) rising or falling in Cape Verde?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Cape Verde data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Labor force participation rate is the proportion of the population ages 15 and older that is economically active: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.