🇨🇻 Cape Verde
Parliamentary republicElectoral democracy
Francisco Carvalho
Prime Minister · 120 days in office
How the political system works in Cape Verde
Cape Verde is governed as a parliamentary republic. Its prime minister, Francisco Carvalho, has led the country since Jun 19, 2026. Cape Verde has had 6 prime ministers since 1975. Under the Regimes of the World classification, it counts as an electoral democracy.
Tenure records
Longest-serving
Pedro Pires
5,749 days
Shortest-serving
Gualberto do Rosário
187 days
Average tenure
3,102 days
Francisco Carvalho: 96% below average
Female leaders
0 of 6
All male to date
Recent prime ministers by days in office
Is a leader's tenure getting longer or shorter in Cape Verde?
Across 6 completed terms, the average prime minister of Cape Verde has served 3,102 days (about 8.5 years). Terms are getting shorter: the last five completed terms averaged just 2,572 days. The last leader to beat the average was Ulisses Correia e Silva, who left office in 2026.
One completed term Average tenure per decade
All prime ministers of Cape Verde
| # | Name | Took office | Left office | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 |  Francisco Carvalho | Jun 19, 2026 | Incumbent | 120 |
| 6 |  Ulisses Correia e Silva | Apr 22, 2016 | Jun 19, 2026 | 3,710 |
| 5 |  José Maria Neves | Feb 1, 2001 | Apr 22, 2016 | 5,559 |
| 4 | Gualberto do Rosário | Oct 5, 2000 | Feb 1, 2001 | 119 |
| 3 | Gualberto do Rosário | Jul 29, 2000 | Oct 5, 2000 | 68 |
| 2 |  Carlos Veiga | Apr 4, 1991 | Jul 29, 2000 | 3,404 |
| 1 |  Pedro Pires | Jul 8, 1975 | Apr 4, 1991 | 5,749 |
Officeholder history via Wikidata. Multiple rows for one person indicate separate terms.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is the Prime Minister of Cape Verde?
- Francisco Carvalho has been Prime Minister of Cape Verde since Jun 19, 2026.
- How is the leader of Cape Verde chosen?
- Cape Verde is governed as a parliamentary republic. Its prime minister, Francisco Carvalho, has led the country since Jun 19, 2026. Cape Verde has had 6 prime ministers since 1975. Under the Regimes of the World classification, it counts as an electoral democracy.
- Who is the longest-serving Prime Minister of Cape Verde?
- Pedro Pires, with 5,749 days in office.
- Are leaders serving longer or shorter terms in Cape Verde?
- Across 6 completed terms, the average prime minister of Cape Verde has served 3,102 days (about 8.5 years). Terms are getting shorter: the last five completed terms averaged just 2,572 days. The last leader to beat the average was Ulisses Correia e Silva, who left office in 2026.
- Has Cape Verde ever had a female prime minister?
- No. All 6 prime ministers of Cape Verde to date have been men.