The electric field gradients (EFG) caused by group V acceptors, group Ib acceptors and the cadmium vacancy in CdTe are calculated using the linearised augmented plane wave method and compared to the corresponding experimental values. Experimentally, the EFG are determined by the perturbed γγ-angular correlation spectroscopy with the radioactive probe isotopes 111In and 77Br. Besides the chemical nature, information about the charge state and the lattice relaxation associated with each defect is obtained.