Cabo Verde: crime and justice

How many criminal cases go through Cabo Verde's courts?

8,613 new criminal cases entered Cabo Verde's first-instance courts in the judicial year 2025/26 (August 2025 to July 2026), 60% of the 14,414 new cases, according to the report on the state of justice 2025/26 by the Superior Council of the Judicial Magistracy. In all, 14,318 criminal cases were handled during the year, counting those carried over.

The courts resolved 13,749 cases of all kinds and 12,334 remained pending, so the backlog grew slightly because new cases outnumbered decisions by 665. Most cases are in the courts of Praia and São Vicente. Court cases are not a crime rate: they reflect prosecutions, not all reported offences.

Official sources: CSMJ: Report on the state of justice 2025/26 (Portuguese)

What is the crime rate in Cabo Verde?

No official recorded-crime figures for Cabo Verde were found on the websites of the National Statistics Institute and the Government of Cabo Verde, checked on 15 October 2026. The National Police website blocked automated access, and the Ministry of Internal Administration site could not be reached.

INE's statistical yearbook covers health, education, the economy and transport but has no crime chapter. The nearest official measure is the number of criminal cases entering the courts, published each year by the Superior Council of the Judicial Magistracy.

Official sources: National Statistics Institute (INE) · Government of Cabo Verde · National Police

What is the murder rate in Cabo Verde?

In 2020, the intentional homicide rate in Cabo Verde was 7.0 per 100,000, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. Its high point since 2005 was 2014, at 12.7 per 100,000; its low point was 2018, at 6.0 per 100,000. It is 6th highest of 15 in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the median is 4.6 per 100,000. Of 121 countries with 2020 data, 34th highest.

How many women are murdered in Cabo Verde?

According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the homicide rate for women in Cabo Verde was 3.6 per 100,000 in 2020. The peak was 5.9 per 100,000 in 2014 and the low 2.0 per 100,000 in 2019. It is 3rd highest of 9 in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the median is 1.8 per 100,000. Worldwide: 20th of 107.

How many men are killed in Cabo Verde?

In 2020, the homicide rate for men in Cabo Verde was 10.3 per 100,000, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. Its high point since 2011 was 2014, at 19.3 per 100,000; its low point was 2018, at 8.8 per 100,000. Sub-Saharan Africa median: 6.4 per 100,000; Cabo Verde is 2nd highest of 8. Worldwide: 29th of 106.