World Sites & Apps
Africa · #168 · 2025–2026

Cabo Verde: internet and everyday apps

Cabo Verde has about 500 thousand people online — a penetration rate of 94.3% and rank #168 worldwide. This page walks through the local digital scene, the app categories people lean on, and 11 apps worth knowing.

Internet users 500 thousand Penetration 94.3% World rank #168 Updated 2026-11-12
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TL;DR
  • Cabo Verde has roughly 500 thousand internet users (500,000 people) — about 94.3% of the population and rank #168 globally.
  • The apps people open most: WhatsApp, Messenger, Facebook, Instagram. They cover Messaging, Social, Video, Shopping, News, Payments, Travel and more.
  • The one to know first: WhatsApp — The most widely used messenger on earth.

Cabo Verde in numbers

2025–2026
Internet users
500 thousand500,000 · #168
Penetration
94.3%#31
Population
530 thousand530,000 · #172
GDP
$3B#187
GDP growth
+7.0%#17
GDP per person
$5,094#143
Land area
4.0k km²#172
Capital
Praia
Region
Africa
Official languages
Portuguese

How Cabo Verde goes online

In Praia and Mindelo, Facebook works as the public square and WhatsApp as the family post. Anyone with relatives abroad speaks to them daily, and the money that arrives from Portugal or the United States passes through exchange houses and banking apps. Local papers get plenty of visits, and political argument starts in the comments. The connection holds up on the larger islands and slows badly on the small ones. Data is bought in small top-ups, and people watch the balance closely.

Around 94.3%. With a population of about 530 thousand and 500 thousand online, roughly 30 thousand people are still offline — mostly because of rural coverage, device cost and age.

All 11 apps below are grouped by category.

What people actually use

11 Most-used apps

Messaging

2 Most-used apps →
WhatsApp Messaging · Meta · 2009 Messenger Messaging · Meta · 2011

Social

2 Most-used apps →
Facebook Social · Meta · 2004 Instagram Social · Meta · 2010

Video

1 Most-used apps →
YouTube Video · Google · 2005

Shopping

2 Most-used apps →
Jumia Shopping · Jumia Technologies · 2012 Temu Shopping · PDD Holdings · 2022

News

1 Most-used apps →
BBC News · BBC（英国公共广播机构） · 1997

Payments

2 Most-used apps →
Vinti4 Payments · SISP · 1998 PayPal Payments · PayPal · 1998

Travel

1 Most-used apps →
Booking.com Travel · Booking Holdings · 1996

Websites people in Cabo Verde actually use

11

The 11 sites locals open most often — news, shopping, search, banking and government services. Every link goes to the official site.

News3Banking2Transport2Government1Telecom1Education1Utilities1
Expresso das IlhasNewsexpressodasilhas.cvCape Verde’s main weekly, with the sharpest political and economic reporting on the islands. InforpressNewsinforpress.cvThe national news agency — dispatches from every island, recycled by the rest of the media. O PaísNewsopais.cvDaily newspaper online, strong on politics, emigration and the islands’ economy. Banco Comercial do AtlânticoBankingbca.cvOne of Cabo Verde's largest banks — accounts, transfers and the app used for utility bills across the islands. Bank of Cape VerdeBankingbcv.cvThe central bank and the escudo. TACV Cabo Verde AirlinesTransportflytacv.comThe national airline. Ports of Cape VerdeTransportenapor.cvThe island ports. Government of Cape VerdeGovernmentgoverno.cvThe government portal — ministries, tenders, laws and official statements. CV TelecomTelecomcvtelecom.cvThe incumbent operator, fixed lines and internet. University of Cape VerdeEducationunicv.edu.cvThe main public university. ELECTRAUtilitieselectra.cvWater and electricity.

2808 websites →

Frequently asked questions

6 Q&A
How many people in Cabo Verde are online?

About 500 thousand (500,000 people). That works out to roughly 94.3% of the population, which puts Cabo Verde at #168 in the world for total internet users. Figures come from DataReportal’s Digital 2026, which draws on ITU and national statistics.

Which apps do people in Cabo Verde use most?

Mostly WhatsApp, Messenger, Facebook, Instagram — they cover Messaging, Social, Video, Shopping, News, Payments, Travel. The full list, grouped by category, is further down this page.

What is the leading Messaging app in Cabo Verde?

WhatsApp, Messenger dominate this space. The best-known is WhatsApp — The most widely used messenger on earth.

How high is internet penetration in Cabo Verde?

Around 94.3%. With a population of about 530 thousand and 500 thousand online, roughly 30 thousand people are still offline — mostly because of rural coverage, device cost and age.

Where do these app facts come from?

Usage figures come from DataReportal’s Digital 2026 (Kepios, based on ITU and national statistics); app details come from each product’s official site. Updated 2026-11-12.

Which websites are most popular in Cabo Verde?

The everyday ones are Expresso das Ilhas, Inforpress, Government of Cape Verde, plus the other 11 sites listed above. They cover news, shopping, search, banking and official paperwork, and every link points to the official site.

Sources

Updated 2026-11-12
Cite this pageWorld Sites & Apps. “Cabo Verde: internet and everyday apps”. 2026. https://abcvv.com/c/cv-en.html