Social conditions
Despite good economic development since independence in 1975, approximately one in four cut values remain below the national poverty line. There are major regional differences; the cities of Praia and Mindelo are relatively prosperous, while the countryside has been neglected. Poverty is greatest on the barren islands of Fogo, Brava and Santo Antão.
Health is a priority area; almost all cutting values now have access to basic health care. The UN agency UNDP’s Development Index, which takes into account such things as income, literacy, average life expectancy and child mortality, ranked 2015 in Cape Verde as 122 of 188 countries. Life expectancy has increased from 52 in 1960 to 75 in 2014.
- Countryaah Official Site: Official statistics for population in Cape Verde, including population growth, density, and estimation in next 50 years.
A remaining health problem is the lack of clean water which has led to repeated outbreaks of cholera. Malaria is also a problem. By contrast, less than half a percent of the population is infected with HIV – a low figure with African dimensions measured.
Cape Verde also has a basic social insurance system that covers over a third of the population.
A few years into the 2000s, Cape Verde began to develop into a transit country for drug smuggling and trafficking from Latin America to Europe and West Africa. There were also signs that the island nation was about to become a center for so-called money laundering. A number of laws have been passed to address these issues.
Despite stricter laws against gender discrimination, women have worse conditions in the labor market than men, and violence against women in the home is not uncommon. Despite prohibitions, child labor exists, especially in agriculture. Malnutrition is common among children. Many girls are forced to quit school prematurely due to sexual abuse and teenage pregnancies. Prostitution is only illegal for minors. Sex tourism is a problem.
Homosexuality was illegal until 2007. In the Cape Verdean society there is a conservative view of homosexuality and the discrimination against LGBT people (homosexual, bisexual and transsexual) is widespread.
- AbbreviationFinder Website: Provides commonly used acronyms, history, politics and geography of country Cape Verde.
FACTS – SOCIAL CONDITIONS
Infant Mortality: 17 per 1000 births (2018)
Percentage of HIV infected: 0.6 percent (2018)
Proportion of HIV infected among young women
0.2 percent (2018)
Proportion of HIV infected among young men: 0.1 percent (2018)
Proportion of population with access to clean water: 86.5 percent (2015)
Proportion of the population having access to toilets: 73.9 percent (2017)
Public expenditure on health care as a percentage of GDP: 4.8 percent (2015)
Public expenditure on health care per person: US $ 159 (2016)
Proportion of women in parliament: 24 percent (2018)
2011
December
The nation mourns Cesária Évora
Two days of country mourning are announced when the world famous mother-singer Cesária Évora dies at age 70.
October
Ex-President Pires receives the Mo Ibrahim Award
Pedro Pires from PAICV receives Mo Ibrahim’s African Leadership Award. The prestigious award goes to African leaders who uphold the democratic principles.
August
MPD’s Fonseca is elected president
In the first round of the presidential election on August 7, Attorney General and former Foreign Minister Carlos Fonseca receives 38 percent of the vote, while PAICV’s Manuel Inocencio Sousa receives support from 32 percent of voters. The support for PAICV is split by a PAICV MP, Aristides Lima, standing as independent and receiving 28 percent. The result means that a second round of elections is held between the two candidates who received the most votes: Fonseca and Sousa. In the second round of August 21, Fonseca wins with 55 percent of the vote. The turnout is 54 percent in the first round and 60 percent in the second.
February
PAICV wins the third election in a row
Prime Minister Neves talks about a historic election victory when the ruling party gets 38 of the 72 seats, while MPD wins 32 seats. Christian Democratic Ucid retains its two mandates. Despite a 3-mandate decline, PAICV retains its majority in Parliament. The turnout is 76 percent.