Cape Verde has a population density of 340 people per square mile compared to 690 people in Nigeria. Cape Verde has 82,707 sq ft of land per person vs 42,734 sq ft in Nigeria. Cape Verde and Nigeria rank 73rd and 41st by population density, respectively.
Population density is calculated as the ratio of population to land area. Cape Verde has 0.006% of the world's population and 0.003% of all countries' land area, compared to 2.86% of the population and 0.61% of the land area for Nigeria, making the population density in Cape Verde 50.6% lower than in Nigeria.
Population density by year
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
Cape Verde
|
Nigeria
|
|
| 2026 | 340 | 690 |
| 2025 | 339 | 676 |
| 2024 | 337 | 662 |
| 2023 | 336 | 648 |
| 2022 | 334 | 635 |
| 2021 | 332 | 621 |
| 2020 | 331 | 609 |
| 2019 | 330 | 596 |
| 2018 | 330 | 583 |
| 2017 | 330 | 569 |
| 2016 | 329 | 556 |
| 2015 | 329 | 542 |
| 2014 | 329 | 529 |
| 2013 | 329 | 515 |
| 2012 | 329 | 501 |
| 2011 | 329 | 487 |
| 2010 | 328 | 474 |
| 2009 | 325 | 461 |
| 2008 | 322 | 448 |
| 2007 | 319 | 436 |
| 2006 | 315 | 424 |
| 2005 | 312 | 412 |
| 2004 | 308 | 401 |
| 2003 | 304 | 390 |
| 2002 | 300 | 380 |
| 2001 | 295.8 | 369 |
| 2000 | 291.3 | 359 |
| 1999 | 287 | 350 |
| 1998 | 282.6 | 341 |
| 1997 | 278.1 | 332 |
| 1996 | 273.5 | 323 |
| 1995 | 268.7 | 315 |
| 1994 | 263.6 | 307 |
| 1993 | 258.3 | 298.9 |
| 1992 | 252.8 | 291.1 |
| 1991 | 247.2 | 283.6 |
| 1990 | 241.3 | 276.2 |
| 1989 | 236.4 | 268.8 |
| 1988 | 232.9 | 261.7 |
| 1987 | 229.6 | 254.8 |
| 1986 | 226.4 | 248.1 |
| 1985 | 223.2 | 241.4 |
| 1984 | 220.1 | 234.7 |
| 1983 | 217 | 228.7 |
| 1982 | 213.8 | 222.9 |
| 1981 | 210.7 | 216.3 |
| 1980 | 207.8 | 209.8 |
| 1979 | 205.3 | 203.3 |
| 1978 | 203.2 | 197.1 |
| 1977 | 201.1 | 191.2 |
| 1976 | 198.9 | 185.6 |
| 1975 | 196.6 | 180.3 |
| 1974 | 194.5 | 175.4 |
| 1973 | 192.7 | 170.9 |
| 1972 | 191.1 | 166.6 |
| 1971 | 189 | 162.7 |
| 1970 | 185 | 158.9 |
| 1969 | 179.5 | 155.4 |
| 1968 | 173.6 | 151.9 |
| 1967 | 168 | 148.7 |
| 1966 | 162.6 | 145.6 |
| 1965 | 157.4 | 142.4 |
| 1964 | 152.3 | 139.4 |
| 1963 | 147.4 | 136.4 |
| 1962 | 142.6 | 133.6 |
| 1961 | 138.2 | 130.8 |
Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (2025–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10).
GeoRank.org/population-density/cape-verde/nigeria | CC BY 
From 2006 to 2026, population density in Cape Verde increased by 7.96%, compared to a 62.7% growth in Nigeria.
In 2006, Cape Verde ranked 66th by population density and is 73rd now. Nigeria was 53rd in 2006 and ranks 41st out of 197 currently.
Population density comparison
|
Cape Verde
|
Nigeria
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 340 ppl/mi² | 690 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 73/197 | 41/197 |
| Population |
530391
|
243824469
|
| Land area | 1,556 sq mi | 351,650 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 82,645 sq ft | 42,133 sq ft |
| Rural population | 23.2% | 37% |
| Urban population | 76.8% | 63% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 0% | 13.8% |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
Cape Verde
|
Nigeria
|
|
| 2024 | 76.8% | 63% |
| 2023 | 75.9% | 62.2% |
| 2022 | 75% | 61.4% |
| 2021 | 74.2% | 60.6% |
| 2020 | 72.9% | 59.8% |
| 2019 | 71.6% | 59% |
| 2018 | 70.4% | 58.2% |
| 2017 | 69.2% | 57.3% |
| 2016 | 68% | 56.5% |
| 2015 | 66.9% | 55.7% |
| 2014 | 65.8% | 54.9% |
| 2013 | 64.7% | 54.1% |
| 2012 | 63.7% | 53.3% |
| 2011 | 62.7% | 52.5% |
| 2010 | 61.8% | 51.7% |
| 2009 | 60.9% | 50.9% |
| 2008 | 60.1% | 50.1% |
| 2007 | 59.3% | 49.2% |
| 2006 | 58.5% | 48.4% |
| 2005 | 57.8% | 47.6% |
| 2004 | 57.1% | 46.7% |
| 2003 | 56.3% | 45.8% |
| 2002 | 55.6% | 45% |
| 2001 | 54.8% | 44.1% |
| 2000 | 53.9% | 43.3% |
| 1999 | 53.1% | 42.4% |
| 1998 | 52.2% | 41.6% |
| 1997 | 51.4% | 40.8% |
| 1996 | 50.5% | 40% |
| 1995 | 49.6% | 39.1% |
| 1994 | 48.6% | 38.3% |
| 1993 | 47.6% | 37.5% |
| 1992 | 46.6% | 36.7% |
| 1991 | 45.4% | 36% |
| 1990 | 44.1% | 35.2% |
| 1989 | 42.5% | 34.4% |
| 1988 | 40.5% | 33.6% |
| 1987 | 38.2% | 32.8% |
| 1986 | 35.6% | 32.1% |
| 1985 | 33% | 31.3% |
| 1984 | 30.5% | 30.5% |
| 1983 | 28.1% | 29.7% |
| 1982 | 26.1% | 28.9% |
| 1981 | 24.5% | 28.2% |
| 1980 | 23.5% | 27.4% |
| 1979 | 22.9% | 26.7% |
| 1978 | 22.4% | 25.9% |
| 1977 | 22% | 25.2% |
| 1976 | 21.7% | 24.4% |
| 1975 | 21.4% | 23.7% |
| 1974 | 21.2% | 23% |
| 1973 | 20.8% | 22.3% |
| 1972 | 20.5% | 21.6% |
| 1971 | 20% | 20.9% |
| 1970 | 19.3% | 20.2% |
| 1969 | 18.3% | 19.6% |
| 1968 | 16.9% | 18.9% |
| 1967 | 15.2% | 18.3% |
| 1966 | 13.3% | 17.7% |
| 1965 | 11.5% | 17.1% |
| 1964 | 9.81% | 16.5% |
| 1963 | 8.33% | 15.9% |
| 1962 | 7.22% | 15.4% |
| 1961 | 6.6% | 14.8% |
| 1960 | 6.5% | 14.2% |
Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).
GeoRank.org/population-density/cape-verde/nigeria | CC BY
From 2004 to 2024, the share of urban population changed from 57.1% to 76.8% in Cape Verde and from 46.7% to 63% in Nigeria.
Densely populated cities
|
Cape Verde
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| Praia | 159K |
| Mindelo | 70.5K |
|
Nigeria
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| Lagos | 15.1M |
| Kano | 4.35M |
| Port Harcourt | 3.32M |
| Ibadan | 2.55M |
| Benin | 1.78M |
| Abuja | 1.69M |
| Onitsha | 1.48M |
| Maiduguri | 1.2M |
| Aba | 1.16M |
| Enugu | 1.03M |
Compare countries by 7 more topics
Population density in other countries
Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10); U.S. Census Bureau (1961–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20).
GeoRank.org/population-density/cape-verde/nigeria | CC BY
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Data sources:
- World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06)
- United Nations | World Population Prospects (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10)
- U.S. Census Bureau (1961–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08)
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20)
- Wikidata (2006–2024, retrieved 2026-02-08)
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