Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Cabo Verde instead of United States, you would:

Health

be 67.4% less likely to be obese

In United States, 36.2% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Cabo Verde, that number is 11.8% of people as of 2016.

live 6.8 years less

In United States, the average life expectancy is 81 years (78 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2022. In Cabo Verde, that number is 74 years (71 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 88.9% less money

United States has a GDP per capita of $73,600 as of 2023, while in Cabo Verde, the GDP per capita is $8,200 as of 2023.

be 3.3 times more likely to be unemployed

In United States, 3.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Cabo Verde, that number is 12.0% as of 2023.

be 2.3 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In United States, 15.1% live below the poverty line as of 2010. In Cabo Verde, however, that number is 35.2% as of 2015.

Life

have 46.7% more children

In United States, there are approximately 12.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Cabo Verde, there are 17.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 100.0% more likely to die during childbirth

In United States, approximately 21.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Cabo Verde, 42.0 women do as of 2020.

be 4.6 times more likely to die during infancy

In United States, approximately 5.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Cabo Verde, on the other hand, 23.5 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 23.9% less likely to have internet access

In United States, approximately 92.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Cabo Verde, about 70.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 68.1% less on healthcare

United States spends 18.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Cabo Verde, that number is 6.0% of GDP as of 2020.

spend 24.6% more on education

United States spends 6.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Cabo Verde spends 7.6% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

Geography

see 95.2% less coastline

United States has a total of 19,924 km of coastline. In Cabo Verde, that number is 965 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

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 United States? See an in-depth size comparison.

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