🇨🇻 Cabo Verde (Africa)

Visiting: Recommend CautionLGBT+ visiting: Recommend Caution

Ten islands, each doing its own thing. Hike the knife-edge ridges of Santo Antão, windsurf off Sal, or just follow the music — this is the country that gave the world Cesária Évora, and you'll hear morna everywhere. It's relaxed, genuinely LGBT+ friendly, and easy to like. Watch your pockets in the towns and that's about the extent of the worry.

Homicide

Intentional homicides per 100,000 people — lower is better.

64.3(worst)
0.0(best)

Cabo Verde: 7.0

Ranked 52nd in the world for the highest homicide rate.

6.99 homicides per 100,000 people in 2020 — an elevated rate by world standards.

Higher than 70% of the 230 countries and territories measured.

Source: UNODC intentional homicide statistics (UN SDG database, indicator 16.1.1) · published 2026

Peace

How peaceful the country is — lower is better.

3.4(worst)
1.0(best)

Cabo Verde: 1.6

Ranked 34th most peaceful country in the world.

Not covered by the Global Peace Index — 1.57 is our own estimate, built with the index's published method.

Stable and barely militarised; urban violent crime and a homicide rate of 7 per 100,000 are what the score reflects. No safety survey covers Cabo Verde, so the perception input is our judgment — flagged in our data.

Source: The Wander List estimate using the GPI 2025 methodology — data from Gallup, UNODC, World Prison Brief, SIPRI/World Bank, UNHCR and the Political Terror Scale · published July 2026

Freedom

Personal and economic freedom — higher is better.

2.5(worst)
9.3(best)

Cabo Verde: 8.4

Ranked 28th freest country in the world.

Freer than 84% of the 165 countries measured — 8.41 out of 10.

Day-to-day life (speech, movement, religion) scores 9.14; doing business and owning property, 7.39.

Source: Human Freedom Index 2025, Cato Institute / Fraser Institute · published December 2025

LGBT

LGBT+ equality in law and daily life — higher is better.

0.0(worst)
9.3(best)

Cabo Verde: 6.8

Ranked 31st most equal in the world for LGBT+ people.

Better for LGBT+ equality than 84% of the 197 countries scored — 68 out of 100.

Public opinion runs ahead of the law — attitudes score 80 out of 100, legal protections 55.

Source: Equaldex LGBT Equality Index · published 2026 (live index)