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Unemployment rate in Cape Verde

Cape Verde: Unemployment rate was 11.9% in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
11.9%
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
27th
of 186 countries
All-time high
14.7%
in 2020
All-time low
10.7%
in 2010
Years of data
35
1991–2025

Unemployment rate in Cape Verde, 1991–2025

0510151991200820251991: 13.5 %1992: 13.4 %1993: 13.3 %1994: 12.9 %1995: 12.9 %1996: 12.8 %1997: 13 %1998: 13.1 %1999: 13.1 %2000: 13 %2001: 13.2 %2002: 13.4 %2003: 13.6 %2004: 13.5 %2005: 13.4 %2006: 13.4 %2007: 13.3 %2008: 13.3 %2009: 13.5 %2010: 10.7 %2011: 11 %2012: 11.1 %2013: 11.4 %2014: 11.7 %2015: 11.9 %2016: 12.1 %2017: 12.2 %2018: 12.2 %2019: 12.1 %2020: 14.7 %2021: 13.9 %2022: 12.2 %2023: 11.9 %2024: 11.9 %2025: 11.9 %

Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Cape Verde recorded 11.9% for unemployment rate in 2025.

That represents a change of up 0.5% on the previous year and up 0.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Cape Verde peaked at 14.7% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 10.7%, in 2010.

That places Cape Verde 27th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 13.1% 12.8% 13.5% 9
2000s 13.4% 13.0% 13.6% 10
2010s 11.6% 10.7% 12.2% 10
2020s 12.8% 11.9% 14.7% 6

Countries ranked near Cape Verde

  1. 24 North Macedonia 12.3% compare
  2. 25 Georgia 12.1% compare
  3. 26 Guyana 12.0% compare
  4. 28 French Polynesia 11.7% compare
  5. 29 Algeria 11.6% compare
  6. 30 United States Virgin Islands 11.4% compare

See the full ranking of 186 places →

More work & labour data for Cape Verde

All data for Cape Verde →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment rate in Cape Verde?
Unemployment rate in Cape Verde was 11.9% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in Cape Verde?
The highest recorded value was 14.7% in 2020.
What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Cape Verde?
The lowest recorded value was 10.7% in 2010.
How does Cape Verde rank for unemployment rate?
Cape Verde ranks 27th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Cape Verde?
Over the last ten years it is up 0.1%. 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, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Unemployment rate
Unit
%
Source
ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
186 places, 6,496 data points, 1991–2025
Last refreshed

Share of the labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon.