If you lived in Cabo Verde instead of Senegal, you would:

Health

live 7.3 years longer

In Senegal, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In Cabo Verde, that number is 76 years (73 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 3.0 times more spent on your healthcare

Senegal spends $206 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Cabo Verde spends $617 as of 2023.

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have 6.7 times more doctors per person

Senegal has 1.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Cabo Verde has 7.3 as of 2023.

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have 42.0% more access to essential health services

Senegal scores 50 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Cabo Verde scores 71 as of 2021.

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be 44.3% more likely to be obese

In Senegal, 11.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Cabo Verde, that number is 16.7% of people as of 2024.

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be 2.2 times more likely to die by suicide

Senegal has a suicide rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Cabo Verde, it is 14.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 33.9% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Senegal, 37.5% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Cabo Verde, however, that number is 24.8% as of 2023.

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make 3.0 times more money

Senegal has a GDP per capita of $1,955 as of 2025, while in Cabo Verde, the GDP per capita is $5,796 as of 2025.

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be 4.4 times more likely to be unemployed

In Senegal, 2.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Cabo Verde, that number is 11.9% as of 2025.

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Life

be 83.1% less likely to die during childbirth

In Senegal, approximately 237.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Cabo Verde, 40.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 75.7% more likely to be literate

In Senegal, the literacy rate is 50.4% as of 2023. In Cabo Verde, it is 88.5% as of 2024.

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be 63.3% less likely to die during infancy

In Senegal, approximately 28.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Cabo Verde, on the other hand, 10.6 children do as of 2024.

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have 58.1% fewer children

In Senegal, there are approximately 29.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Cabo Verde, there are 12.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 32.9% more likely to have access to electricity

In Senegal, approximately 74% of people have electricity access (96% in urban areas, and 56% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Cabo Verde, that number is 99% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 97% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 24.3% more likely to have internet access

In Senegal, approximately 60.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Cabo Verde, about 74.7% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 29.4% less on education

Senegal spends 6.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Cabo Verde spends 4.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 35.4% more on healthcare

Senegal spends 4.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Cabo Verde, that number is 5.8% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 81.7% more coastline

Senegal has a total of 531 km of coastline. In Cabo Verde, that number is 965 km.

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Safety

be 20.7% less likely to die in a road accident

In Senegal, road accidents kill 20.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Cabo Verde, they kill 16.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 2.1 times more home broadband

Senegal has 4.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Cabo Verde has 8.3 as of 2024.

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live with 3.7 times more strain on fresh water

Senegal withdraws 16% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Cabo Verde withdraws 60% as of 2022.

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Environment

emit 67.5% more CO2

Senegal emits 0.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Cabo Verde emits 1.3 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

Cabo Verde: At a glance

Cabo Verde is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 4,033 sq km. The uninhabited islands were discovered and colonized by the Portuguese in the 15th century; Cabo Verde subsequently became a trading center for African slaves and later an important coaling and resupply stop for whaling and transatlantic shipping. Following independence in 1975, and a tentative interest in unification with Guinea-Bissau, a one-party system was established and maintained until multi-party elections were held in 1990. Cabo Verde continues to exhibit one of Africa's most stable democratic governments. Repeated droughts during the second half of the 20th century caused significant hardship and prompted heavy emigration. As a result, Cabo Verde's expatriate population is greater than its domestic one. Most Cabo Verdeans have both African and Portuguese antecedents.
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How big is Cabo Verde compared to Senegal? See an in-depth size comparison.

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