Cabo Verde reports rising malnutrition and food insecurity

New data from the National Institute of Statistics of Cabo Verde indicates a decline in nutritional health and an increase in food insecurity across the archipelago. According to the seventh statistical report on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), acute malnutrition in children under five rose from 3% in 2015 to 5.9% in 2019, before settling at 4% in 2024. Specifically, for children aged 2 to 5, the indicator saw a “clear degradation” from 2.7% in 2015 to 4.6% in 2024.

Childhood stunting has also seen no progress between 2009 and 2024, with prevalence standing at 12.6% in 2024 compared to 11.8% in 2015. Furthermore, severe food insecurity increased from 5.6% in 2022 to 8.3% in 2024. While moderate or severe food insecurity had previously trended downward, it rose to 32.2% in 2024. The report notes that “almost one third of the population does not have economic access to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food.”

In contrast to these nutritional challenges, the report highlights progress in poverty reduction, noting that the proportion of the population living below the international poverty line decreased from 4.6% in 2015 to 2.3% in 2022.