Religion in Cabo Verde

Articles 48 and 49 of the Constitution protect freedom of conscience, religion and worship, including the right to profess, change or reject a religion. They prohibit discrimination, protect religious buildings, symbols and rites, and separate churches and religious communities from the State. No one may be compelled to profess a faith, attend worship, receive religious assistance or education, or take a religious oath. Religious practice remains subject to the rights of others and the common good, while public confessional teaching is prohibited. Cabo Verde has two Catholic dioceses, the Diocese de Santiago de Cabo Verde and the Diocese de Mindelo. Access to parishes and cathedrals depends on the island and local community. Smaller Protestant and Evangelical, Muslim, Baha’i and Jewish communities are also present. Among residents aged 15 and over, the 2021 INE census recorded Catholic 72.5%, no religion 15.6%, Adventist 1.9%, Igreja do Nazareno 1.8%, Racionalismo Cristão 1.7%, Muslim 1.3%, Jehovah’s Witnesses 1.2%, Mormons 1.0%, Universal do Reino de Deus 0.8%, Nova Apostólica 0.5%, Assembleia de Deus 0.2%, Deus é Amor 0.1%, another religion 1.2% and no response 0.4%. Among foreign residents aged 15 and over in 2022, 41.3% identified as Christian and 40.1% as Muslim. Religious associations can seek formal recognition through the Ministry of Justice. The process uses a charter or statutes and proof of 500 members. Registered groups receive tax and fee exemptions for worship buildings, religious activities, seminaries, and religious goods or publications. Canonical entities use the Registo Nacional de Pessoas Coletivas. The available rules do not establish one uniform government fee or processing period, so the responsible authority should confirm current details. The Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Parliamentary Affairs and Social Communication is responsible for religious confessions and entities under Decreto-Lei 38/2026. Public and private worship are permitted, and affiliation is voluntary. The State recognizes religious communities as social and spiritual partners and encourages tolerance and interfaith dialogue. Religious assistance is legally available in hospitals, care institutions, prisons and the armed forces. Catholic pastoral care also covers military and police personnel, including missions; arrangements for other communities depend on the institution. Decreto 6/2026 lists 1 January, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, 15 August, 1 November and 25 December as Catholic days in its protocol, with further Catholic days possible through a State–Church agreement. On 2 April 2026, an afternoon tolerância de ponto applied to State, public-service and local-authority staff. The cited protocol does not establish an equivalent official holiday entitlement for Muslim or Jewish holidays. Public schools may offer optional Catholic Moral and Religious Education, known as Educação Moral Religiosa e Católica (EMRC). During the 2025/26 school year, the program is being piloted outside the normal timetable, and a responsible person must submit a written declaration when a minor participates. The Catholic Church defines the curriculum; no equivalent public-school program for other confessions is evidenced. A Catholic marriage produces civil effects after transcription in the civil registry, and the parish priest sends a duplicate within the stated 3 T deadline. Donations and ceremony charges vary by community rather than following one uniform national tariff.