Cabo Verde
Publications
Situation and Priorities
Social protection situation
Cabo Verde has made significant efforts to improve its social protection system. It was one of the first Portuguese-speaking countries to ratify C102, which came into force in January 2020. The Social Protection registered a coverage rate of 60.3 per cent in 2023, compared to 43.6 per cent in 2016. Although this figure is high for the region, the government is focused on eradicating extreme poverty by 2026 through a national strategy (2022-2026) and expanding coverage by linking it to the formalization of the economy. Social insurance covers all branches. In addition, in August 2023 Cabo Verde increased Maternity Leave from 60 to 90 days and Paternity Leave from three to ten days. Health coverage is near-universal and available to all residents through both contributory and non-contributory means.
In social assistance (SA), the Social Pension is the most consolidated benefit, having been paid regularly for more than ten years through the State Budget to 69.8 per cent (2020) of people over the age of 60. In 2023, the Social Pension was enlarged to include more than 3,000 additional people, reaching 26,000 beneficiaries. To improve families’ income and reduce poverty levels, the Social Inclusion Income (RSI) was created in 2020. 1,086 extremely poor households, in particular those with minors in their care, received this cash transfer for a time frame of two years. The Single Social Registry (CSU)— the management tool the government has decided to create— is fully in place. This tool has helped support the implementation of a new cash transfer programme for the poorest and most vulnerable families. By the end of 2023, the CSU covered 64 per cent of the resident population and 56 per cent of households, to support the targeting of social benefits. The government considers the CSU the single gateway to all social benefits. Thus, this concern has encouraged the government to look for complementary sources of funding, namely the tourist tax, part of which is now earmarked for financing poverty-targeted social benefits.
In the contributory scheme, institutional capacity has been developed to allow the responsible national institution to formulate the necessary measures to extend social protection coverage, notably conducting actuarial studies. For workers who are not registered in the Social Security system or who have stopped contributing, a diagnosis study was carried out to identify the factors that make it difficult to increase Social Security enrolment and contributions. This study is deeply aligned with the established national strategic plans (PEDS II, 2022-2026), and specific coverage targets (e.g. 66 per cent of the employed population registered and covered by the contributory regime; 56,8 per cent coverage of Social Pension by 2026). As a result, measures will be launched to address identified challenges.
Government and social partner priorities
Ensuring that the social protection system is even more prepared for future shocks—whether economic, natural, or health-related—has emerged as a government priority in light of COVID-19:
- Improving the harmonization of the social assistance programmes by reinforcing the Single Social Registry with improved management information systems.
- Formalizing workers in the informal economy by expanding coverage of social insurance.
- Committing, with the support of all development partners, to eradicating extreme poverty by 2026.
Results
- 2025, April: The tripartite Board of Directors of the National Social Protection Institute (INPS) adopted a communication plan for the extension of social protection to informal economy workers from 2025-2030, based on an ILO assessment of coverage gaps.
- 2024, February: Following approval by the Council of Ministers in September 2024 of the amendment to Law 38/VIII/2013 of 7 August, which develops the general social protection regime at the level of the safety net, the respective Decree-Law was published in Cabo Verde's Official Bulletin, Series I, no. 6, of 3 February; once the SDG SEEDS funding has been received and the internal appraisal and approval process has been completed, the necessary conditions are in place to implement the activities planned under the Global Accelerator.
- 2024, January: The ILO has assured technical support to Cabo Verde to become a pioneer country in the Global Employment and Social Protection Accelerator for Just Transitions initiative.
- 2024, May: The Diagnostic Study on the Extension of Social Security to hard-to-cover Workers was made available, with a view to promoting formalisation campaigns.
- 2024, July: A Seminar on mechanisms for the coercive collection of social security debts was promoted (aimed in particular at INPS technicians and senior staff).
- 2024, September: Training course forwarded to journalists and communication technicians on Social Protection (two dozen participants, over one week).
- 2024, November: A draft version of a Technical Note on the Single Social Registry (CSU) was presented at the CSU experience sharing webinar. The final version will be published soon.
- 2024, December: The Statistical Bulletin on Social Protection, 2021-2023, was presented and released; in addition to the training that has been provided to the INPS over the last few years on the ILO/Pensions and ILO/Health tools, a study on the creation of an early pension scheme was also finalised and made available, which was recently published.
- 2024: The ILO assured technical support to Cabo Verde to become a pioneer country in the Global Employment and Social Protection Accelerator for Just Transitions initiative.
- 2023: The ILO signed the national Decent Work Country Programme (2023-2027) with Cabo Verde.
- 2023: The ILO provided technical and financial support for the diagnostic study on workers who are difficult to cover by social protection (including drivers, artists, artisans, street vendors, domestic labour, fishermen, farmers).
- 2022: The ILO launched the first National Statistical Bulletin on Social Protection, covering the period from 2016 to 2020.
- 2022: The ILO provided technical advice and, with financial support from the EU, it was possible to update the data in the Single Social Register (this data is scheduled to be updated every two years).
The ILO supported the reinforcement of the National Centre for Social Pensions, helping improve coverage of the social pension, supporting the design and implementation of (i) the interoperability of a computer application linking it to the Ministry of Finance, the Post Office and Pharmacies, to facilitate and guarantee greater rigour in the payment of benefits to the respective pensioners, and (ii) a review and update of the legislation on Social Pensions, bringing it into line with the current reality.
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Le conseil d’Administration de l’Institut National de la Protection Sociale du Cap Vert a adopté le 29 avril 2025, le plan de communication pour l’extension de la protection sociale aux travailleurs de l’économie informelle.
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1. Le Gouvernement, à travers le Ministère de la Famille, l’Inclusion et le développement social, a adopté, à la suite d’un processus participatif incluant les partenaires sociaux, l’étude actuarielle de la branche protection sociale en santé de la Cais...
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