Cape Verde 2023 Press Freedom: RSF 75.7 (Rank #33), Free

Cape Verde scores 75.7/100 on the 2023 RSF World Press Freedom Index, ranking #33 globally. Freedom House rates it Free (92/100). Context: pop 484K, GDP $1.98B.

RSF Score75.72Global rank #33

Freedom StatusFreeFH total 92/100

GDP$1.98BWorld Bank data

Population484KNational total

2023 Press Freedom Scorecard

Overall score and global position

In the 2023 World Press Freedom Index, Cape Verde scores 75.72 out of 100 and ranks #33 globally — a broadly open press environment. Of the 25 Freedom House indicators, Cape Verde earns 17 at the maximum 4/4 and 0 at 0/4; its strongest category is Electoral Process (12/12) and its weakest is Personal Autonomy (13/16).

75.7 / 100

Composite index comparison

RSF Overall (Reporters Without Borders)75.7 / 100

Press freedom score — higher is freer.

Political Rights (Freedom House)38 / 40

Elections, political pluralism, government functioning.

Civil Liberties (Freedom House)54 / 60

Freedom of expression, association, rule of law, personal autonomy.

Freedom of Expression (V-Dem 2025)85.7 / 100

Academic press-freedom index from the Varieties of Democracy project (0–1 rescaled to 0–100).

Five-year RSF trend

Over 2019–2023, Cape Verde moved from 80.19 to 75.72 on the RSF scale (a decline of 4.47 points). The lowest recorded score was 75.37 and the highest was 80.19.

Year-over-year RSF movement

Cape Verde's biggest single-year RSF movement in the 2019–2023 window was a loss of 4.54 points between 2021 (79.91) and 2022 (75.37).

Years	From	To	Δ score
2019 → 2020	80.19	79.85	▼ -0.34
2020 → 2021	79.85	79.91	▲ 0.06
2021 → 2022	79.91	75.37	▼ -4.54
2022 → 2023	75.37	75.72	▲ 0.35

Full socio-economic dashboard

public

Demographics & geography

Population484K

Urban population364K

Density138.0 people / km²

Land area4,033 km²

CapitalPraia

Largest cityPraia

Latitude16.5388°

Longitude-23.0418°

Forested area22.5%

Agricultural land19.6%

CO₂ emissions543 kt

payments

Economy & labour

GDP$1.98B

GDP per capita$4,098

CurrencyCVE

CPI110.50

CPI change (%)1.1%

Minimum wage$0.68 /hr

Unemployment rate12.3%

Labor-force participation60.5%

Tax revenue (% of GDP)20.1%

Total tax rate37.5%

Gasoline price$1.02 /L

medical_services

Health

Life expectancy72.8 years

Birth rate19.49 / 1 000

Fertility rate2.27 births / woman

Infant mortality16.7 / 1 000 live births

Maternal mortality ratio58 / 100 000 live births

Physicians0.77 / 1 000 people

Out-of-pocket health spend23.2%

school

Education

Gross primary enrollment104.0%

Gross tertiary enrollment23.6%

account_balance

Administration

Official languagePortuguese

ISO abbreviationCV

Calling code+238

Armed forces size1,000 personnel

All socio-economic indicators from the World Bank country dataset (2023 snapshot).

Democratic Rights & Civil Liberties

Freedom status explained

Freedom House classifies Cape Verde as Free with a 2024 aggregate score of 92/100 — meaning national institutions reliably protect political rights and civil liberties.

Within Freedom House's Africa region (56 countries), Cape Verde ranks #1 on the latest aggregate score — the 100th percentile. The region leaders are Cape Verde, Mauritius, São Tomé and Príncipe.

Political Rights vs Civil Liberties

Political Rights

38/ 40

Rating 1 of 7 (1 = best)

Civil Liberties

54/ 60

Rating 1 of 7 (1 = best)

Political rights and civil liberties are rated in similar territory, a sign that formal political channels and everyday personal freedoms move together in this country.

Twelve-year Freedom House trend

Between 2013 and 2024, Freedom House moved Cape Verde from Free (Free, 90/100) to Free (Free, 92/100).

Latest A–G indicator scorecard

Electoral Process

Subtotal12 / 12

A1Free and fair head-of-government elections

4/4
A2Free and fair legislative elections

4/4
A3Electoral laws and framework

4/4

Political Pluralism & Participation

Subtotal16 / 16

B1Right to organise in political parties

4/4
B2Opposition can realistically gain power

4/4
B3Free political choice without domination

4/4
B4Political rights of minorities

4/4

Functioning of Government

Subtotal10 / 12

C1Elected officials determine government policy

4/4
C2Safeguards against corruption

3/4
C3Transparency of government

3/4

Freedom of Expression & Belief

Subtotal16 / 16

D1Free and independent media

4/4
D2Freedom of religious expression

4/4
D3Academic freedom

4/4
D4Free private discussion

4/4

Associational & Organisational Rights

Subtotal11 / 12

E1Freedom of assembly

4/4
E2Freedom for NGOs

4/4
E3Free trade unions

3/4

Rule of Law

Subtotal14 / 16

F1Independent judiciary

4/4
F2Due process in civil and criminal matters

3/4
F3Protection from illegitimate force

4/4
F4Equal treatment under the law

3/4

Personal Autonomy & Individual Rights

Subtotal13 / 16

G1Freedom of movement

4/4
G2Property rights

3/4
G3Personal social freedoms

3/4
G4Equality of opportunity

3/4

Each indicator is scored 0–4 by Freedom House analysts; category subtotals combine into the Political Rights (A + B + C = 0–40) and Civil Liberties (D + E + F + G = 0–60) aggregates shown above. 2024 edition.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did Cape Verde see its biggest RSF press-freedom change?

The sharpest single-year shift was an deterioration of 4.54 points between 2021 (79.91) and 2022 (75.37) on the RSF index.

How does Cape Verde rank within its Freedom House region?

Cape Verde holds position #1 of 56 in the Africa region on the latest Freedom House aggregate score. The region's top country is Cape Verde (92/100).

What is Cape Verde's economic context for its press freedom score?

Cape Verde has a GDP of $1.98B across a population of 484K, giving a per-capita GDP of about $4,098. Its capital is Praia; the official language is Portuguese.