Total access
98.6%
World Bank, 2023.
Infrastructure
Electricity
98.6%
Cabo Verde has reached a very high level of electricity access for a small archipelagic state. The World Bank estimates that 98.6% of the population had access to electricity in 2023, bringing the country close to universal coverage and strengthening an essential base for housing, services, tourism, education and economic activity.
Source: World Bank, indicator EG.ELC.ACCS.ZS, 2023
Data reviewed in July 2026
98.6%
Electricity
Access in 2022
97.1%
World Bank, main indicator.
Access in 2021
95.5%
World Bank, main indicator.
Renewables in consumption
21.8%
Renewable energy in final consumption, World Bank, 2022.
Overview
Electricity access is nearly universal in Cabo Verde. With 98.6% access in 2023, Cabo Verde is among the African countries closest to universal electricity coverage, according to the World Bank. For a territory distributed across several islands, this result is especially relevant because it requires networks, generation and operation adapted to island systems.
Importance for development
Electrification supports public services, schools, health facilities, communications, food storage, small businesses and tourism. In Cabo Verde, high electricity coverage strengthens the country's competitiveness and improves living conditions, especially when combined with digital expansion, mobility, water supply and urban services.
Energy transition
The next challenge is not only connecting more people to the grid, but improving supply quality, resilience and cost. As an island country that imports fuels, Cabo Verde has a strategic interest in raising energy efficiency and the share of renewable sources, including solar and wind, while preserving power-system stability.
Historical background
Electricity expansion in Cabo Verde followed urbanization, service-sector growth and institutional consolidation after independence. The archipelagic geography made the process more complex than in continental territories, because each island requires generation, grid and maintenance solutions suited to its scale. In recent decades, improved electricity coverage has become one of the foundations of the country's economic and social modernization.
Methodological notes
This page uses World Bank indicators to allow international comparison. The main indicator measures the share of the population with access to electricity. Values may differ from national administrative sources because of methodology, update timing or the definition of access.