Military profile
Cape Verde Military Strength
Cape Verde is not covered by the Global Firepower ranking. It spent $20 million on its military in 2025 (0.7% of GDP).
Cape Verde armed forces in numbers
Finance
- Military spending
- $20 million#152 of 156
- Military spending as % of GDP
- 0.7%#136 of 156
Equipment and personnel: Global Firepower 2023 military strength ranking (2023). Spending: World Bank / SIPRI military expenditure data (CC BY 4.0).
Cape Verde military spending 2010–2025
Military spending of Cape Verde grew by 144% between 2010 and 2025, from $8 million to $20 million (current US dollars), and stood at 0.7% of GDP in 2025.
Armed forces of Cape Verde
Branches and forces
Cabo Verdean Armed Forces (FACV): National Guard (GN), Cabo Verde Coast Guard (Guardia Costeira de Cabo Verde, GCCV) (2025)
Personnel
the FACV has approximately 1,000-1,500 active personnel (2025)
Service age and conscription
17 years of age for voluntary service (with parental consent); 18-35 years of age for selective compulsory service (14-month service obligation) (2025)
Equipment and suppliers
the FACV has a limited amount of mostly dated or secondhand equipment, largely from China, some European countries, and the former Soviet Union (2025)
Good to know
the FACV is responsible for external defense; it also has an internal security role in collaboration with the police if required; its duties include monitoring and patrolling the country's air and maritime spaces, participating in training exercises, conducting search and rescue, countering narcotics and other forms of illicit trafficking, and supporting the police and civil society (2025)
Military expenditure (% of GDP)
2024: 0.6% · 2023: 0.6% · 2022: 0.5% · 2021: 0.5% · 2020: 0.5%
Forces and service: CIA World Factbook (public domain).