How many households in Cabo Delgado get social assistance?

The Basic Social Subsidy Programme (PSSB), a monthly cash transfer for poor households, served 107,481 beneficiary households in Cabo Delgado in 2025 (50% of them in its older-people group), 37 per 1,000 residents, 2nd highest of the 11 provinces (Mozambique: 21).

Cabo Delgado: population, spending, jobs, schools, health, water and electricity

Cabo Delgado is a province of Mozambique, number 4 of 11 by population. Mozambique's National Statistics Institute (INE) projects the population of Cabo Delgado at about 2,900,000 for 2025 (1,415,000 men and 1,486,000 women), 8.5% of Mozambique's 34.09 million; 4th largest of the 11 provinces. The figure is a projection from the 2017 census, the last one held.

Population (INE projection)

2,900,000

2025

Household spending per person per month (current meticais)

1,150 meticais

2022

Unemployment rate (age 15+)

15.9%

2022

Households lit by grid electricity

21.8%

2022

Households using a safe drinking water source

45.4%

2022

Illiteracy rate

61.1%

2022

Under-five deaths per 1,000 live births (IDS 2022-23)

2022-23

Children under 5 stunted

45%

2022-23

In depth

Economy, jobs and prices in Cabo Delgado: Households in Cabo Delgado spent an average of 1,150 meticais per person per month in 2022 (5,213 meticais per household), according to the INE Household Budget Survey (IOF 2022); the lowest of the 11 provinces (Mozambique: 1,893 meticais per person).
Health in Cabo Delgado: The 2022-23 Demographic and Health Survey measured 89 deaths before age five for every 1,000 babies born in Cabo Delgado, and 55 before their first birthday; the highest of the 11 provinces for under-five deaths (Mozambique: 60 and 39).
Education in Cabo Delgado: 61.1% of adults in Cabo Delgado could not read or write in 2022 (74.5% of women and 46.8% of men), the highest of the 11 provinces (Mozambique: 38.3%); in 2019/20 the rate was 52.4%.

How fast is Cabo Delgado's population growing?

The projections add about 78,000 people to Cabo Delgado between 2024 and 2025, growth of 2.8% in a year (Mozambique: 2.5%).

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estatistica (INE), Mozambique · saved copy

How densely populated is Cabo Delgado?

Cabo Delgado covers 82,625 square kilometres, giving 34 people per square kilometre in 2025, 5th least densely populated of the 11 provinces (Mozambique: 42).

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estatistica (INE), Mozambique · saved copy

How many children do women in Cabo Delgado have?

Women in Cabo Delgado have 6.2 children each on average, according to the 2022-23 Demographic and Health Survey (IDS), 2nd highest of the 11 provinces (Mozambique: 4.9).

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estatistica (INE) and Ministry of Health (with ICF, The DHS Program) · saved copy

How many families in Cabo Delgado go hungry?

32.2% of households in Cabo Delgado usually ate only one meal a day or none in 2022, the highest of the 11 provinces; 11.2% ate three or more (Mozambique: 12.4% and 30.1%).

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estatistica (INE), Mozambique · saved copy

Do families in Cabo Delgado have enough food?

58.7% of households in Cabo Delgado said the food they ate in the last month was less than adequate in 2022, 2nd highest of the 11 provinces (Mozambique: 50.2%; in 2019/20 58.5% in Cabo Delgado).

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estatistica (INE), Mozambique · saved copy

How common is violence against women in Cabo Delgado?

18% of women aged 15 to 49 in Cabo Delgado had suffered physical violence in the 12 months before the 2022-23 survey and 10% sexual violence; joint 2nd highest of the 11 provinces for physical violence (Mozambique: 15% and 4%).

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estatistica (INE) and Ministry of Health (with ICF, The DHS Program) · saved copy

How provinces are governed in Mozambique

Provinces (10 + Maputo City). Provincial assembly elected by proportional representation; since 2019 the governor is the head of the winning list. A Secretary of State appointed by the President represents central government. Decentralised provincial services; central ministries keep their own provincial offices.

Every tier of government in Mozambique

Other provinces of Mozambique

Nampula 6,984,000
Zambezia 6,314,000
Tete 3,368,000
Sofala 2,828,000
Maputo Province 2,662,000
Manica 2,429,000
Niassa 2,349,000
Inhambane 1,616,000
Gaza 1,500,000
Maputo City 1,140,000

Up a level: Mozambique · government and power in Mozambique · cities

Sources

Instituto Nacional de Estatistica (INE) and Ministry of Health (with ICF, The DHS Program): Mocambique Inquerito Demografico e de Saude 2022-23, Relatorio Resumo: "Principais indicadores por provincia" (page 23), read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 01467bf8c29b…)
Instituto Nacional de Estatistica (INE), Mozambique: Relatorio Final do Inquerito sobre Orcamento Familiar - IOF 2022 (Household Budget Survey 2022 final report): Quadros 4.2, 4.11, 6.3, 6.8, 7.5, 7.6, 7.9, 8.2, 11.2, 12.1, 12.2, read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 70a1687d340c…)
Instituto Nacional de Estatistica (INE), Mozambique: Anuario Estatistico 2025 (Statistical Yearbook 2025): Quadros 2.1.1, 2.2.2, 2.2.4, 2.3.6, 2.3.16, 2.4.1, 5.1.6 and 5.6.1 by province, read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 25e1129ec762…)
Instituto Nacional de Estatistica (INE), Mozambique: Anuario Estatistico 2024 (Statistical Yearbook 2024): Quadro 2.1.1, population by province, 2024, read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 afd1afb283cd…)

Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.