Guinea-Bissau

Semi-Presidential RepublicPop2.2MGDP (PPP)$5.9BCI25Beta CP0.0→Beta

Some figures reconciled across multiple sources via Civica's methodology (v0.2 BETA). Methodology →

Guinea-Bissau

⌘K

Overview

Background: For much of its history, Guinea-Bissau was under the control of the Mali Empire and the Kaabu Kingdom. In the 16th century, Portugal began establishing trading posts along Guinea-Bissau’s shoreline. Initially, the Portuguese were restricted to the coastline and islands. However, the slave and gold trades were lucrative to local African leaders, and the Portuguese were slowly able to expand their power and influence inland. Starting in the 18th century, the Mali Empire and Kingdom of Kaabu slowly disintegrated into smaller local entities. By the 19th century, Portugal had fully incorporated Guinea-Bissau into its empire.

Since gaining independence in 1974, Guinea-Bissau has experienced considerable political and military upheaval. In 1980, a military coup established General Joao Bernardo 'Nino' VIEIRA as president. VIEIRA's regime suppressed political opposition and purged political rivals. Several coup attempts through the 1980s and early 1990s failed to unseat him, but a military mutiny and civil war in 1999 led to VIEIRA's ouster. In 2000, a transitional government turned over power to opposition leader Kumba YALA. In 2003, a bloodless military coup overthrew YALA and installed businessman Henrique ROSA as interim president. In 2005, VIEIRA was reelected, pledging to pursue economic development and national reconciliation; he was assassinated in 2009. Malam Bacai SANHA was then elected president, but he passed away in 2012 from a long-term illness. A military coup blocked the second round of the election to replace him, but after mediation from the Economic Community of Western African States, a civilian transitional government assumed power. In 2014, Jose Mario VAZ was elected president in a free and fair election, and in 2019, he became the first president in Guinea-Bissau’s history to complete a full term. Umaro Sissoco EMBALO was elected president in 2019, but he did not take office until 2020 because of a prolonged challenge to the election results.

Geography

Area

Land: 28,120 sq km
Water: 8,005 sq km
Total: 36,125 sq km

Climate: tropical; generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds
Terrain: mostly low-lying coastal plain with a deeply indented estuarine coastline rising to savanna in east; numerous off-shore islands including the Arquipelago Dos Bijagos consisting of 18 main islands and many small islets

Land Use

Other: 0% (2023 est.)
Forest: 75% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: 29.9% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 14.1% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 8.9% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 6.9% (2023 est.)

Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Senegal
Coastline: 350 km

Elevation

Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Highest point: Dongol Ronde 277 m
Mean elevation: 70 m

Irrigated land: 250 sq km (2012)
Major aquifers: Senegalo-Mauritanian Basin
Map references: Africa

Land Boundaries

Total: 762 km
Border countries: Guinea 421 km; Senegal 341 km

Maritime Claims

Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season; brush fires
Geography note: this small country is swampy along its western coast and is low-lying inland
Natural resources: fish, timber, phosphates, bauxite, clay, granite, limestone, unexploited deposits of petroleum
Area comparative: slightly less than three times the size of Connecticut
Geographic coordinates: 12 00 N, 15 00 W
Population distribution: approximately one fifth of the population lives in the capital city of Bissau along the Atlantic coast; the remainder is distributed among the eight mainly rural regions, as shown in this population distribution map

People & Society

Literacy

Male: 77.3% (2022 est.)
Female: 52.2% (2022 est.)
Total population: 63.9% (2022 est.)

Languages: Portuguese-based Creole, Portuguese (official; largely used as a second or third language), Pular (a Fula language), Mandingo
Religions: Muslim 46.1%, folk religions 30.6%, Christian 18.9%, other or unaffiliated 4.4% (2020 est.)

Sex Ratio

At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0 14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15 64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female

Birth rate: 35.82 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate: 6.99 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Median Age

Male: 17.8 years
Total: 18.5 years (2025 est.)
Female: 18.9 years

Population

Male: 1,042,910
Total: 2,132,325 (2024 est.)
Female: 1,089,415

Nationality

Noun: Bissau-Guinean(s)
Adjective: Bissau-Guinean

Tobacco Use

Male: 13.2% (2025 est.)
Total: 6.7% (2025 est.)
Female: 0.5% (2025 est.)

Urbanization

Urban population: 45.5% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 3.22% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Age Structure

0 14 years: 42.3% (male 453,513/female 448,514)
15 64 years: 54.6% (male 561,868/female 602,280)
65 years and over: 3.1% (2024 est.) (male 27,529/female 38,621)

Ethnic groups: Balanta 30%, Fulani 30%, Manjaco 14%, Mandinga 13%, Papel 7%, unspecified smaller ethnic groups 6% (2015 est.)

Child Marriage

Men married BY age 18: 2.2% (2019)
Women married BY age 15: 8.1% (2019)
Women married BY age 18: 25.7% (2019)

Dependency Ratios

Total dependency ratio: 83.2 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 77.5 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 17.6 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 5.7 (2024 est.)

Physician density: 0.25 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Health Expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP): 8.2% of GDP (2021)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 5.2% of national budget (2022 est.)

Net migration rate: -3.36 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.59 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Drinking Water Source

Improved: rural: rural: 52.5% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: total: total: 61.8% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: urban: urban: 73.1% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: rural: rural: 47.5% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: total: total: 38.2% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: urban: urban: 26.9% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure: 2.7% of GDP (2020 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

Male: 52 deaths/1,000 live births
Total: 45.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
Female: 40.6 deaths/1,000 live births

Population growth rate: 2.55% (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate: 2.26 (2025 est.)
Population distribution: approximately one fifth of the population lives in the capital city of Bissau along the Atlantic coast; the remainder is distributed among the eight mainly rural regions, as shown in this population distribution map

Life Expectancy at Birth

Male: 62.2 years
Female: 66.8 years
Total population: 64.5 years (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 505 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

Improved: rural: rural: 23.8% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: total: total: 45.6% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: urban: urban: 72.2% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: rural: rural: 76.2% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: total: total: 54.4% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: urban: urban: 27.8% of population (2022 est.)

Alcohol Consumption Per Capita

Beer: 0.41 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine: 0.98 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Total: 3.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Spirits: 0.54 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Other alcohols: 1.28 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Major urban areas population: 664,000 BISSAU (capital) (2023)
Obesity adult prevalence rate: 9.5% (2016)
Currently married women (ages 15 49): 59% (2019 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 18.8% (2019 est.)

Government

Civica · structure

How power is organised

ExecutiveLegislative

Flag: description: two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and green, with a vertical red band on the left side; a five-pointed black star is centered in the red band

meaning: yellow stands for the sun, green for hope, red for blood shed during the struggle for independence; the black star stands for African unity

history: uses the colors of the Pan-African movement; the Ghanaian flag heavily influenced the design

Capital

Name: Bissau
Etymology: the name is derived from the local Bijuga people and is used to distinguish the country from neighboring Guinea
Time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Geographic coordinates: 11 51 N, 15 35 W

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Citizenship

Citizenship BY birth: yes
Citizenship BY descent only: yes
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Constitution

History: promulgated 16 May 1984
Amendment process: proposed by the National People’s Assembly if supported by at least one third of its members, by the Council of State (a presidential consultant body), or by the government; passage requires approval by at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly; constitutional articles on the republican and secular form of government and national sovereignty cannot be amended

Country Name

Former: Portuguese Guinea
Etymology: the country is partly named after the Guinea region of West Africa that lies along the Gulf of Guinea; the name itself is derived from the Tuareg word aginaw, meaning "black people;" Bissau, the name of the capital city, distinguishes the country from neighboring Guinea and is derived from the local Bijuga people
Local long form: Republica da Guine-Bissau
Local short form: Guine-Bissau
Conventional long form: Republic of Guinea-Bissau
Conventional short form: Guinea-Bissau

Independence: 24 September 1973 (declared); 10 September 1974 (from Portugal)
Legal system: mixed system of civil law, which incorporated Portuguese law at independence; influenced by Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), African Francophone Public Law, and customary law
Government type: semi-presidential republic

Judicial Branch

Note: note: the Supreme Court has both appellate and constitutional jurisdiction
Highest court(s): Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal de Justica (consists of 9 judges and organized into Civil, Criminal, and Social and Administrative Disputes Chambers)
Subordinate courts: Appeals Court; regional (first instance) courts; military court
Judge selection and term of office: judges nominated by the Higher Council of the Magistrate, a major government organ responsible for judge appointments, dismissals, and judiciary discipline; judges appointed by the president for life

Executive Branch

Note: note: elections were held on 23 November 2025; a military coup on 26 November suspended the election process, arrested the sitting president, swore in a transitional president, and appointed a cabinet for one year
Cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the prime minister, appointed by the president
Chief of state: Interim President Gen. Horta Nta Na MAN (since 27 November 2025)
Election results: 2025: Umaro Sissoco EMBALO (Madem G15) and Fernando DIAS da Costa (PRS) both claimed victory in first round; a coup prevented the release of election results after ballots were destroyed

2019: Umaro Sissoco EMBALO elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Domingos Simoes PEREIRA (PAIGC) 40.1%, Umaro Sissoco EMBALO (Madem G15) 27.7%, Nuno Gomez NABIAM (APU-PDGB) 13.2%, Jose Mario VAZ (independent) 12.4%, other 6.6%; percent of vote in second round - Umaro Sissoco EMBALO 53.6%, Domingos Simoes PEREIRA 46.5% (2019)
Head of government: Interim Prime Minister Ilídio Vieira TE (since 28 November 2025)
Most recent election date: 23 November 2025
Election/appointment process: president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for up to 2 consecutive 5-year terms; prime minister appointed by the president after consultation with party leaders in the National People's Assembly
Expected date of next election: 2025

National holiday: Independence Day, 24 September (1973)
National color(s): red, yellow, green, black

National Heritage

Total world heritage sites: 1 (natural)
Selected world heritage site locales: Coastal and Marine Ecosystems of the Bijagós Archipelago – Omatí Minhô (n)

Political parties: African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cabo Verde or PAIGC
Democratic Convergence Party or PCD
Movement for Democratic Alternation Group of 15 or MADEM-G15
National People’s Assembly – Democratic Party of Guinea Bissau or APU-PDGB
New Democracy Party or PND
Party for Social Renewal or PRS
Republican Party for Independence and Development or PRID
Union for Change or UM

Legislative Branch

Term in office: 4 years
Number of seats: 102 (all directly elected)
Electoral system: proportional representation
Legislature name: People's National Assembly (Assembleia Nacional Popular)
Scope of elections: full renewal
Legislative structure: unicameral
Most recent election date: 11/23/2025
Expected date of next election: November 2029
Percentage of women in chamber: 9.8%
Parties elected and seats per party: Inclusive Alliance Platform/Terra Coalition (54); Movement for Democratic Alternation (MADEM G.15) (29); Party for Social Renewal (PRS) (12); Bissau-Guinean Workers’ Party (6); Other (1)

National Anthem(s)

Title: "Esta e a Nossa Patria Bem Amada" (This is Our Beloved Country)
History: adopted 1974; a delegation from Portuguese Guinea visited China in 1963 and heard music by XIAO He; Amilcar Lopes CABRAL, the leader of Guinea-Bissau's independence movement, asked the composer to create a piece that would inspire his people to fight for independence
Lyrics/music: Amilcar Lopes CABRAL/XIAO He

National symbol(s): black star
Administrative divisions: 9 regions (regioes, singular - regiao); Bafata, Biombo, Bissau, Bolama/Bijagos, Cacheu, Gabu, Oio, Quinara, Tombali

Diplomatic Representation in the US

Fax: [1] (202) 872-4226
Chancery: 918 16th Street, NW (Mezzanine Suite)
Washington DC 20006
Telephone: [1] (202) 872-4222
Chief of mission: Ambassador Maria Da Conceição NOBRE CABRAL (since 18 September 2024)

Diplomatic Representation from the US

Mailing address: 2080 Bissau Place, Washington DC  20521-2080
Chief of mission: Ambassador Michael RAYNOR (since 20 April 2022)
Email address and website: dakarACS@state.gov

https://gw.usmission.gov/

International organisations: ACP, AfDB, AOSIS, AU, CPLP, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; non-party state to the ICCt

Legislature

GUINEA-BISSAU · LEGISLATURE

People's National Assembly

66 seats · hover a seat for the party

Total seats

Majority line

Largest party

African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde

Parties

All political parties5 parties · 66 seats · click to dim in hemicycle

Leaders

Current

RB
Rui Duarte de Barros
- Head of GovernmentSince 2023

Economy

Budget

Note: note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
Revenues: $269.794 million (2023 est.)
Expenditures: $450.953 million (2023 est.)

Exports

Civica canonical (reconciled): $262.8M

Note: note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Exports 2021: $334.904 million (2021 est.)
Exports 2022: $280.065 million (2022 est.)
Exports 2023: $284.5 million (2023 est.)

Imports

Civica canonical (reconciled): $598.1M

Note: note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Imports 2021: $518.162 million (2021 est.)
Imports 2022: $577.899 million (2022 est.)
Imports 2023: $592.095 million (2023 est.)

Industries: agricultural products processing, beer, soft drinks
Labor force: 845,300 (2024 est.)

Public Debt

Civica canonical (reconciled): 57.9% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2016: 57.9% of GDP (2016 est.)

Remittances

Note: note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Remittances 2021: 11% of GDP (2021 est.)
Remittances 2022: 10.3% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances 2023: 9.8% of GDP (2023 est.)

Exchange Rates

Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar -
Exchange rates 2020: 575.586 (2020 est.)
Exchange rates 2021: 554.531 (2021 est.)
Exchange rates 2022: 623.76 (2022 est.)
Exchange rates 2023: 606.57 (2023 est.)
Exchange rates 2024: 606.345 (2024 est.)

Debt External

Note: note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
Debt external 2023: $896.812 million (2023 est.)

Economic overview: extremely poor West African economy; ethnically diverse labor force; increasing government expenditures; slight inflation due to food supply disruptions; major cashew exporter; systemic banking instabilities and corruption; vulnerable to oil price shocks

Unemployment Rate

Civica canonical (reconciled): 2.7%

Note: note: % of labor force seeking employment
Unemployment rate 2022: 2.7% (2022 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023: 2.7% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2024: 2.7% (2024 est.)

Exports partners: India 66%, Chile 9%, Cote d'Ivoire 5%, Ghana 4%, Netherlands 3% (2023)
Imports partners: Senegal 28%, Portugal 24%, China 11%, Gambia, The 10%, Pakistan 4% (2023)

Real GDP Per Capita

Civica canonical (reconciled): $3,119

Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita 2022: $2,600 (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023: $2,600 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2024: $2,700 (2024 est.)

Real GDP Growth Rate

Civica canonical (reconciled): 4.1%

Note: note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 5.6% (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2023: 4.5% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2024: 4.8% (2024 est.)

Agricultural products: rice, groundnuts, cashews, root vegetables, oil palm fruit, plantains, cassava, coconuts, vegetables, sweet potatoes (2023)
Exports commodities: coconuts/brazil nuts/cashews, fish, fish oil, processed crustaceans, malt extract (2023)
Imports commodities: refined petroleum, iron bars, rice, plastics, flavored water (2023)

Current Account Balance

Civica canonical (reconciled): -$161.7M

Note: note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
Current account balance 2021: -$14.128 million (2021 est.)
Current account balance 2022: -$146.64 million (2022 est.)
Current account balance 2023: -$160.169 million (2023 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 8.8% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): $2.12 billion (2024 est.)

GDP Composition, BY End Use

Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
Household consumption: 77% (2024 est.)
Government consumption: 17.8% (2024 est.)
Investment in inventories: -1.9% (2024 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 22.8% (2024 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 12.5% (2024 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -28.2% (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line: 50.5% (2021 est.)

Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)

Civica canonical (reconciled): 3.8%

Note: note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 9.4% (2022 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 7.1% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024: 3.8% (2024 est.)

Industrial production growth rate: 8% (2024 est.)

Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Civica canonical (reconciled): $5.912 billion (2024 est.)

Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $5.399 billion (2022 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $5.64 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024: $5.912 billion (2024 est.)

Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)

Male: 3.4% (2024 est.)
Note: note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
Total: 2.8% (2024 est.)
Female: 2% (2024 est.)

GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin

Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
Industry: 16.6% (2024 est.)
Services: 42.1% (2024 est.)
Agriculture: 36.8% (2024 est.)

Note: note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
Lowest 10%: 3.4% (2021 est.)
Highest 10%: 26.1% (2021 est.)

Gini Index Coefficient Distribution of Family Income

Note: note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
Gini index coefficient distribution of family income 2021: 33.4 (2021 est.)

Energy

Coal

Imports: 1 metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum

Refined petroleum consumption: 2,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Electricity

Consumption: 79.8 million kWh (2023 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 29,000 kW (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 6 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity Access

Electrification rural areas: 15.8%
Electrification urban areas: 61%
Electrification total population: 37.4% (2022 est.)

Energy Consumption Per Capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 2.351 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Electricity Generation Sources

Solar: 3.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Fossil fuels: 96.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Communications

Internet Users

Percent of population: 33% (2023 est.)

Broadcast media: 1 state-owned TV station, Televisao da Guine-Bissau (TGB) and a second station, Radio e Televisao de Portugal (RTP) Africa, operated by Portuguese public broadcaster (RTP); 1 state-owned radio station, several private radio stations, and some community radio stations; multiple international broadcasters are available (2019)
Internet country code: .gw

Telephones Fixed Lines

Total subscriptions: 0 (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2022 est.) less than 1

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Total subscriptions: 2.76 million (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 126 (2022 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Total: 7,000 (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2023 est.) less than 1

Transport

Ports

Large: 0
Small: 0
Medium: 0
Key ports: Bissau, Rio Cacheu
Very small: 2
Total ports: 2 (2024)
Ports with oil terminals: 1

Airports: 7 (2025)

Merchant Marine

Total: 20 (2023)
BY type: bulk carrier 3, general cargo 12, other 5

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: J5

Environment

Climate: tropical; generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds

Land Use

Other: 0% (2023 est.)
Forest: 75% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: 29.9% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 14.1% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 8.9% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 6.9% (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Urban population: 45.5% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 3.22% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Waste and Recycling

Municipal solid waste generated annually: 289,500 tons (2024 est.)
Percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 10.1% (2022 est.)

Environmental issues: deforestation (overharvesting of trees for timber and agricultural purposes); soil erosion; overgrazing; overfishing

Total Water Withdrawal

Municipal: 34.1 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Industrial: 11.9 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Agricultural: 144 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Total emissions: 366,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 1 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 366,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions: 42.6 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Total renewable water resources: 31.4 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

International Environmental Agreements

Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
Signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Military & Security

Military note: the Armed Forces (FARP) are focused on external security, but also has some internal security duties; the FARP and the paramilitary National Guard have been influential in the country’s politics since independence and have attempted several coups; since the 2000s, the FARP has undergone various attempts at defense and security sector reforms under the auspices of the African Union, the EU, the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS), and the UN (2025)

Military Expenditures

Civica canonical (reconciled): 1.2% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military expenditures 2020: 1.5% of GDP (2020 est.)
Military expenditures 2021: 1.5% of GDP (2021 est.)
Military expenditures 2022: 1.4% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military expenditures 2023: 1.2% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military expenditures 2024: 1.2% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military and security forces: People's Revolutionary Armed Force (Forcas Armadas Revolucionarias do Povo or FARP): Army, Navy, Air Force

Ministry of Internal Administration: National Guard (a gendarmerie force), Public Order Police, Border Police, Rapid Intervention Police, Maritime Police (2025)
Military service age and obligation: 18-25 years of age for selective compulsory military service for men and women (Air Force service is voluntary) (2025)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions: the FARP is outfitted mostly with Soviet-era weapons and equipment (2025)
Military and security service personnel strengths: estimated 4,000 active FARP (2025)

Transnational Issues

Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons

Refugees: 54 (2024 est.)

Scores & Rankings

ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of

Civica Index25.0 / 100as of 2024-Q4149 / 1902024-Q4

V-Dem Liberal Democracy0.15as of 2024-Q4120 / 1702024-Q4

Freedom House StatusNot Free (42/100)as of 2024-Q4—2024-Q4

Press Freedom (RSF)Partly free (50/100)as of 2024—2024

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Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Guinea-Bissau — vintage 2026-Q1: Guinea-Bissau factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/guinea-bissau

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Sources: FAO FAOSTAT, ILO ILOSTAT, IMF (WEO), UN Statistics Division, UNDP HDR, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, V-Dem, WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, WTO Stats, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata

Guinea-Bissau

Area

Land Use

Elevation

Land Boundaries

Maritime Claims

Literacy

Sex Ratio

Median Age

Population

Nationality

Tobacco Use

Urbanization

Age Structure

Child Marriage

Dependency Ratios

Health Expenditure

Drinking Water Source

Infant Mortality Rate

Life Expectancy at Birth

Sanitation Facility Access

Alcohol Consumption Per Capita

How power is organised

Capital

Citizenship

Constitution

Country Name

Judicial Branch

Executive Branch

National Heritage

Legislative Branch

National Anthem(s)

Diplomatic Representation in the US

Diplomatic Representation from the US

People's National Assembly

Current

Rui Duarte de Barros

Budget

Exports

Imports

Public Debt

Remittances

Exchange Rates

Debt External

Unemployment Rate

Real GDP Per Capita

Real GDP Growth Rate

Current Account Balance

GDP Composition, BY End Use

Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)

Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)

GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin

Household Income or Consumption BY Percentage Share

Gini Index Coefficient Distribution of Family Income

Coal

Petroleum

Electricity

Electricity Access

Energy Consumption Per Capita

Electricity Generation Sources

Internet Users

Telephones Fixed Lines

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Ports

Merchant Marine

Land Use

Urbanization

Waste and Recycling

Total Water Withdrawal

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

International Environmental Agreements

Military Expenditures

Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons

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