Photo: Ximonic , Simo Räsänen derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 08 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Cabo Verde: Gender & Equality
How wide is the gap between women's and men's lives?
Cabo Verde is placed joint 34th of 183 countries on gender & equality in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 4 key statistics. Readings behind it: Women, Business and the Law 86.25 (2025); Women's Political Empowerment Index 0.855 (2025).
Share
Gender & Equality
joint34th
of 183 countries placed
Placed from 3 of 4 key statistics
- 86.25Women, Business and the Law, 2025WBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity)
- 0.855Women's Political Empowerment Index, 2025Women's political empowerment index (0–1)
- 26.67Firms with a Female Top Manager, 2025Firms with a female top manager (%)
- —Social Institutions and Gender Index, 2023No reading for this country
01The evidence
The 4 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Cabo Verde on gender & equality — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used — or, for a survey-based key, each country’s latest reading; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
86.25
WBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity)
Higher is better
Cabo Verde: 86.25. Across the 190 countries in this edition, values run from 3.125 (Afghanistan) to 100 (Sweden); the world median is 81.25.
- World median
- 81.25
- Best in Western Africa
- 97.5 Togo
Key 2 of 4
Women's Political Empowerment Index
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY-SA 4.0
0.855
Women's political empowerment index (0–1)
Higher is better
Cabo Verde: 0.855. Across the 176 countries in this edition, values run from 0.028 (Afghanistan) to 0.954 (Denmark); the world median is 0.772.
- World median
- 0.772
- Best in Western Africa
- 0.882 Benin
Key 3 of 4
Firms with a Female Top Manager
World Bank Group
Latest reading per country, 2016–2025 · Cabo Verde’s is from 2024 · CC BY 4.0
26.67
Firms with a female top manager (%)
Higher is better
Cabo Verde: 26.67. Across the 179 countries at their latest reading, values run from 1.429 (Qatar) to 62.9 (Kiribati); the world median is 19.16.
- World median
- 19.16
- Best in Western Africa
- 26.67 Cabo Verde
Key 4 of 4
Social Institutions and Gender Index
OECD
2023 edition · data for 2023 · OECD Terms and Conditions — data clause
No reading
SIGI score (0 = no discrimination, 100 = absolute)
Lower is better
OECD publishes no 2023 figure for Cabo Verde, so the standing rests on the other keys.
Across the 140 countries in this edition, values run from 6.7 (Norway) to 67.4 (Mauritania); the world median is 25.2.
- World median
- 25.2
- Best in Western Africa
- 17.3 Côte d’Ivoire
02Over time
Which way Cabo Verde is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Women, Business and the Law
WBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity) · higher is better
Cabo VerdeWorld median
Cabo Verde rose from 63.13 in 2000 to 86.25 in 2025; the world median went from 63.13 to 81.25.
Every year’s figures
Year Cabo Verde World median 2025 86 81.3 2023 86 81.3 2022 86 80.3 2021 86 80.0 2020 86 79.7 2019 86 78.8 2018 86 77.5 2017 86 77.5 2016 86 76.9 2015 86 75.9 2014 86 75.6 2013 86 75.0 2012 86 73.8 2011 86 73.1 2010 86 73.1 2009 86 72.5 2008 86 71.3 2007 78 69.7 2006 78 68.8 2005 78 67.2 2004 78 66.9 2003 63 64.7 2002 63 63.8 2001 63 63.8 2000 63 63.1 Women's Political Empowerment Index
Women's political empowerment index (0–1) · higher is better
Cabo VerdeWorld median
Cabo Verde rose from 0.72 in 2000 to 0.855 in 2025; the world median went from 0.681 to 0.772.
Every year’s figures
Year Cabo Verde World median 2025 0.855 0.7715 2024 0.838 0.7745 2023 0.841 0.7755 2022 0.826 0.7825 2021 0.826 0.7785 2020 0.808 0.7755 2019 0.809 0.7665 2018 0.802 0.7715 2017 0.795 0.7710 2016 0.804 0.7780 2015 0.806 0.7755 2014 0.805 0.7795 2013 0.805 0.7730 2012 0.802 0.7740 2011 0.802 0.7650 2010 0.793 0.7610 2009 0.797 0.7515 2008 0.797 0.7505 2007 0.789 0.7380 2006 0.778 0.7290 2005 0.759 0.7350 2004 0.757 0.7205 2003 0.757 0.7160 2002 0.757 0.7150 2001 0.729 0.6950 2000 0.720 0.6810
03In context
Cabo Verde beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 183 countries on gender & equality, never a place within the region.
Cabo Verde and Western Africa
Cabo Verde has no land border, so the table compares it with its sub-region. Standing among all 183; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | Women, Business and the LawWBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity) | Women's Political Empowerment IndexWomen's political empowerment index (0–1) | Firms with a Female Top ManagerFirms with a female top manager (%) | Social Institutions and Gender IndexSIGI score (0 = no discrimination, 100 = absolute) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabo Verde | =34th | 86.25 | 0.855 | 26.67 | — |
 Benin | 70th | 83.75 | 0.882 | 24.39 | 34.4 |
 Côte d’Ivoire | 83rd | 95 | 0.696 | 11.56 | 17.3 |
 Liberia | =97th | 81.25 | 0.823 | 21.48 | 38.3 |
 Togo | 109th | 97.5 | 0.692 | 13.18 | 36.8 |
 Sierra Leone | 112th | 92.5 | 0.801 | 12.96 | 47.8 |
 Ghana | 114th | 80.63 | 0.767 | 19.82 | 38.2 |
 Burkina Faso | 120th | 85.63 | 0.602 | 13.46 | 25.4 |
 Senegal | =125th | 69.38 | 0.855 | 15.78 | 40.3 |
 Nigeria | 138th | 69.38 | 0.732 | 14.27 | 39.5 |
 Gambia | 141st | 72.5 | 0.813 | 8.246 | 47.7 |
 Guinea | =151st | 76.25 | 0.532 | 5.421 | 34 |
 Mali | 153rd | 72.5 | 0.706 | 7.852 | 52.8 |
 Niger | =155th | 53.75 | 0.709 | 14.64 | 60.1 |
 Mauritania | 164th | 51.25 | 0.541 | 12.1 | 67.4 |
 Guinea-Bissau | 170th | 51.88 | 0.502 | 7.527 | — |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Western Africa
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 183.
Placed either side on gender & equality
The countries immediately above and below Cabo Verde in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Cabo Verde is ahead of the world, and behind
17 more statistics filed under gender & equality, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Ahead of the world median9
Statistics on which Cabo Verde does better than the middle country measured.
Length of Paid Paternity LeaveWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 3143▲ Improved since 2015
Cabo Verde: 14 · world median 3 · Paid paternity leave set in law (calendar days). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 196; higher is better.
Women Who Think a Husband Is Justified in Hitting or Beating His WifeUNICEF · 2025 · world median 22.46.122.4No earlier reading
Cabo Verde: 6.1 · world median 22.4 · Women aged 15-49 who say a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 1.2 to 80.2; lower is better.
Position 99th of 125 · derived, 1st = worst.
Firms with Female Participation in OwnershipWorld Bank Group · 2026 · world median 35.1248.4235.12No earlier reading
Cabo Verde: 48.42 · world median 35.12 · Firms with at least one woman among the owners (%). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 1.273 to 86.78; higher is better.
Position 41st of 181 · derived.
Child MarriageUNICEF · 2025 · world median 17.18.417.1No earlier reading
Cabo Verde: 8.4 · world median 17.1 · Women 20–24 married before 18 (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 76.3; lower is better.
Position 104th of 143 · derived, 1st = worst.
Demand for Family Planning Satisfied by Modern MethodsUN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 71.257771.25▼ Worsened since 2013
Cabo Verde: 77 · world median 71.25 · Share of women aged 15–49 wanting to avoid pregnancy who use a modern method (%). UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 8.4 to 92.4; higher is better.
Position 66th of 196 · derived.
Antenatal Care Coverage, At Least Four VisitsUNICEF · 2025 · world median 8185.681No earlier reading
Cabo Verde: 85.6 · world median 81 · Women with a live birth who had 4+ antenatal visits (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 22.6 to 100; higher is better.
Position 62nd of 153 · derived.
Gender Inequality IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.3510.2980.351No real change since 2015
Cabo Verde: 0.298 · world median 0.351 · GII (0 = full equality, 1 = maximum inequality). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.003 to 0.838; lower is better.
Ranked 77th of 172 by UNDP Human Development Report Office.
Maternal Mortality RatioMMEIG · 2023 · world median 46.6540.0446.65No real change since 2013
Cabo Verde: 40.04 · world median 46.65 · Maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (MMEIG), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.11 to 992.83; lower is better.
Position 104th of 195 · derived, 1st = worst.
Institutional DeliveriesUNICEF · 2025 · world median 96.99796.9No earlier reading
Cabo Verde: 97 · world median 96.9 · Live births delivered in a health facility (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 11.5 to 100; higher is better.
Behind the world median4
Statistics on which Cabo Verde does worse than the middle country measured.
Gender Development IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.9710.9640.971▼ Worsened since 2013
Cabo Verde: 0.964 · world median 0.971 · Gender Development Index (1.000 = parity). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.407 to 1.038; higher is better.
Position 96th of 184 · derived.
Adolescent Birth Rate (Ages 15–19)UN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 27.4638.7627.46▲ Improved since 2013
Cabo Verde: 38.76 · world median 27.46 · Live births per 1,000 women aged 15–19. UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.465 to 163.09; lower is better.
Position 87th of 222 · derived, 1st = worst.
Female Labour Force Participation RateILO · 2025 · world median 53.3650.4753.36▼ Worsened since 2015
Cabo Verde: 50.47 · world median 53.36 · Women aged 15+ in the labour force (%). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 4.663 to 82.91; higher is better.
Position 116th of 182 · derived.
Length of Paid Maternity LeaveWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 989098▲ Improved since 2015
Cabo Verde: 90 · world median 98 · Paid maternity leave set in law (calendar days). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 410; higher is better.
No better end4
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Female Share of ResearchersUIS · 2024 · world median 38.1745.7538.17No earlier reading
Cabo Verde: 45.75 · world median 38.17 · Researchers who are women (% of headcount; 50 = parity). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 76.54.
Caesarean Section RateUNICEF · 2025 · world median 20.6523.920.65No earlier reading
Cabo Verde: 23.9 · world median 20.65 · Live births delivered by caesarean section (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.6 to 72.2.
Mean Age at First Marriage, WomenUN DESA Population Division · 2019 · world median 24.6522.824.65No earlier reading
Cabo Verde: 22.8 · world median 24.65 · Singulate mean age at marriage, women (years). UN DESA Population Division, 2019 edition, data for 2019.
Published values in that edition run from 17 to 34.
Sex Ratio at BirthUN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 105.1103.3105.1No real change since 2013
Cabo Verde: 103.3 · world median 105.1 · Male births per 100 female births. UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 101.1 to 116.3.
No current reading for Cabo Verde
Account Ownership Among Women, Births Attended by Skilled Health Staff (last 2022), Female Genital Mutilation Prevalence, Female Share of Senior and Middle Management, Female Share of STEM Graduates (last 2018), Female-Headed Households, Gender Parity Index, Tertiary Enrolment (last 2018), Gender Social Norms Index, Global Gender Parity Index, Legal Guarantees of Women's Equal Rights to Land, Social Institutions and Gender Index, Women's Empowerment Index and Women's Share of Agricultural Landowners. Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Gender & Equality among Cabo Verde’s 16 topics
Gender & Equality is Cabo Verde’s 2nd best-placed topic of 16. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Peace & Security6th of 1774/4 keys
- Gender & Equalityjoint 34th of 1833/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties37th of 1984/4 keys
- Governance & Institutions48th of 1944/4 keys
- Risk & Resilience54th of 1933/4 keys
- Health & Wellbeing80th of 2004/4 keys
- Energy80th of 1652/3 keys
- Development & Human Capital109th of 1963/3 keys
- Digital & Technologyjoint 123rd of 1984/4 keys
- Environment & Sustainability125th of 1862/4 keys
- Education & Knowledge142nd of 1983/4 keys
- Economy & Innovation129th of 1762/4 keys
- Poverty & Inequalityjoint 128th of 1593/3 keys
- Work & Labour161st of 1824/4 keys
- Food & Agriculture165th of 1843/4 keys
- Mobility & Trade163rd of 1772/4 keys
06The top of the list
Who leads on gender & equality
The three countries placed highest of 183, and the leaders Cabo Verde can most readily be measured against.
1
LatviaNorthern Europe
1st of 183 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Marcin Szala · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2
TaiwanEastern Asia
2nd of 183 · 3 of 4 keys
Photo: xiangyang17 · CC BY-SA 2.0, greyscale
3
ItalySouthern Europe
3rd of 183 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Francisco Antunes · CC BY 2.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest in Africa
Cabo Verde=34th3/4 keys
Positions out of 183 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Questions
Cabo Verde on gender & equality: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does Cabo Verde rank on gender & equality?
Cabo Verde is placed joint 34th of 183 countries on Gender & Equality in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 4 key statistics (Women, Business and the Law, Women's Political Empowerment Index and Firms with a Female Top Manager). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest Women, Business and the Law figure for Cabo Verde?
86.25 in 2025 (wBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity)), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 81.25.
What is the latest Women's Political Empowerment Index figure for Cabo Verde?
0.855 in 2025 (women's political empowerment index (0–1)), according to V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg. The world median in the same edition was 0.772.
How have Cabo Verde’s gender & equality figures changed?
Women, Business and the Law rose from 63.13 in 2000 to 86.25 in 2025; Women's Political Empowerment Index rose from 0.72 in 2000 to 0.855 in 2025.
Which gender & equality statistics are missing for Cabo Verde?
No current reading is published for Cabo Verde on Account Ownership Among Women, Births Attended by Skilled Health Staff, Female Genital Mutilation Prevalence, Female Share of Senior and Middle Management, Female Share of STEM Graduates, Female-Headed Households, Gender Parity Index, Tertiary Enrolment, Gender Social Norms Index, Global Gender Parity Index, Legal Guarantees of Women's Equal Rights to Land, Social Institutions and Gender Index, Women's Empowerment Index and Women's Share of Agricultural Landowners. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
08Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
Violence against women is not a key here, because comparable data covers too few countries. The Gender Inequality Index is published here as context rather than as a key: its reading is driven largely by maternal and adolescent health, which moves with a country’s overall development and is already measured under Development and Health. Women’s labour force participation, women in management and child marriage are published here as context too.
How the Gender & Equality standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 4 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 4 keys to be placed.
The gender & equality method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- Women, Business and the Law — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Women's Political Empowerment Index — V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Firms with a Female Top Manager — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Social Institutions and Gender Index — OECD, OECD Terms and Conditions — data clause
The other 17 statistics on this page come from 7 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
Cabo Verde’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Cabo Verde (banner) — Ximonic , Simo Räsänen derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Latvia — Marcin Szala, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Taiwan — xiangyang17, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Italy — Francisco Antunes, CC BY 2.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Cabo Verde: Gender & Equality — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/cabo-verde/gender