2024 Edition Primary

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.

Area

land

28,120 sq km

total

36,125 sq km

water

8,005 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly less than three times the size of Connecticut

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

Coastline

350 km

Elevation

highest point

Dongol Ronde 277 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

mean elevation

70 m

Geographic coordinates

12 00 N, 15 00 W

Geography - note

this small country is swampy along its western coast and low-lying inland

Irrigated land

250 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

Guinea 421 km; Senegal 341 km

total

762 km

Land use

agricultural land

44.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 8.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 6.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 29.7% (2018 est.)

forest

55.2% (2018 est.)

other

0% (2018 est.)

Location

Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Senegal

Major aquifers

Senegalo-Mauritanian Basin

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season; brush fires

Natural resources

fish, timber, phosphates, bauxite, clay, granite, limestone, unexploited deposits of petroleum

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 other, mainly rural, regions as shown in this population distribution map

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

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)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

0.41 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

1.28 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.54 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

3.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.98 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

36 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Child marriage

men married by age 18

2.2% (2019 est.)

women married by age 15

8.1%

women married by age 18

25.7%

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

18.8% (2019)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

20.6% (2018/19)

Current health expenditure

8.4% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

56.7% (2023 est.)

Death rate

7.2 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Demographic profile

Guinea-Bissau’s young and growing population is sustained by high fertility; approximately 60% of the population is under the age of 25 as of 2020. Its large reproductive-age population and total fertility rate of more than 4 children per woman offsets the country’s high infant and maternal mortality rates. The latter is among the world’s highest because of the prevalence of early childbearing, a lack of birth spacing, the high percentage of births outside of health care facilities, and a shortage of medicines and supplies. Guinea-Bissau’s history of political instability, a civil war, and several coups (the latest in 2012) have resulted in a fragile state with a weak economy, high unemployment, rampant corruption, widespread poverty, and thriving drug and child trafficking. With the country lacking educational infrastructure, school funding and materials, and qualified teachers, and with the cultural emphasis placed on religious education, parents frequently send boys to study in residential Koranic schools (daaras) in Senegal and The Gambia. They often are extremely deprived and are forced into street begging or agricultural work by marabouts (Muslim religious teachers), who enrich themselves at the expense of the children. Boys who leave their marabouts often end up on the streets of Dakar or other large Senegalese towns and are vulnerable to even worse abuse. Some young men lacking in education and job prospects become involved in the flourishing international drug trade. Local drug use and associated violent crime are growing.

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

5

potential support ratio

20.1 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

76.6

youth dependency ratio

71.6

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 59.1% of population

improved: total

total: 73.1% of population

improved: urban

urban: 90.6% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 40.9% of population

unimproved: total

total: 26.9% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 9.4% of population

Education expenditures

2.7% of GDP (2020 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Gross reproduction rate

2.28 (2024 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

40.6 deaths/1,000 live births

male

52 deaths/1,000 live births

total

46.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

Languages

Portuguese-based Creole, Portuguese (official; largely used as a second or third language), Pular (a Fula language), Mandingo

Life expectancy at birth

female

66.8 years

male

62.2 years

total population

64.5 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

39.9% (2021)

male

67%

total population

52.9%

Major urban areas - population

664,000 BISSAU (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

725 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

18.9 years

male

17.8 years

total

18.4 years (2024 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Bissau-Guinean

noun

Bissau-Guinean(s)

Net migration rate

-3.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

9.5% (2016)

Physician density

0.2 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Population

female

1,089,415 (2024 est.)

male

1,042,910

total

2,132,325

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 other, mainly rural, regions as shown in this population distribution map

Population growth rate

2.54% (2024 est.)

Religions

Muslim 46.1%, folk religions 30.6%, Christian 18.9%, other or unaffiliated 4.4% (2020 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 7.6% of population

improved: total

total: 31.8% of population

improved: urban

urban: 62.4% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 92.4% of population

unimproved: total

total: 68.2% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 37.6% of population

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.93 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.71 male(s)/female

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

female

0.9% (2020 est.)

male

17% (2020 est.)

total

9% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.62 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

3.22% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

45.5% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

9 regions (regioes, singular - regiao); Bafata, Biombo, Bissau, Bolama/Bijagos, Cacheu, Gabu, Oio, Quinara, Tombali

Capital

etymology

the meaning of Bissau is uncertain, it might be an alternative name for the Papel people who live in the area of the city of Bissau

geographic coordinates

11 51 N, 15 35 W

name

Bissau

time difference

UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

yes

citizenship by descent only

yes

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

5 years

Constitution

amendments

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; amended 1991, 1993, 1996

history

promulgated 16 May 1984; note - constitution suspended following military coup April 2012, restored 2014; note - in May 2020, President EMBALO established a commission to draft a revised constitution

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Guinea-Bissau

conventional short form

Guinea-Bissau

etymology

the country is named after the Guinea region of West Africa that lies along the Gulf of Guinea and stretches north to the Sahel; "Bissau," the name of the capital city, distinguishes the country from neighboring Guinea

former

Portuguese Guinea

local long form

Republica da Guine-Bissau

local short form

Guine-Bissau

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Michael RAYNOR (since 20 April 2022)

email address and website

dakarACS@state.govhttps://gw.usmission.gov/

mailing address

2080 Bissau Place, Washington DC  20521-2080

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

918 16th Street, NW (Mezzanine Suite)Washington DC 20006

chief of mission

Ambassador Maria Da Conceição NOBRE CABRAL (since 18 September 2024)

FAX

[1] (202) 872-4226

telephone

[1] (202) 872-4222

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet nominated by the prime minister, appointed by the president

chief of state

President Umaro Sissoco EMBALO (since 27 February 2020)

election results

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%2014: Jose Mario VAZ elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Jose Mario VAZ (PAIGC) 41%, Nuno Gomez NABIAM (independent) 25.1%, other 33.9%; percent of vote in second round - Jose Mario VAZ 61.9%, Nuno Gomez NABIAM 38.1%  (2019)

elections/appointments

president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for up to 2 consecutive 5-year terms; election last held on 24 November 2019 with a runoff on 29 December 2019 (next to be held in 2024); prime minister appointed by the president after consultation with party leaders in the National People's Assembly; note - the president cannot apply for a third consecutive term; note - President EMBALO was declared winner of the 29 December 2019 runoff presidential election by the electoral commission; in late February 2020, EMBALO inaugurated himself with only military leadership present, even though the Supreme Court of Justice had yet to rule on an electoral litigation appeal lodged by his political rival Domingos Simoes PEREIRA

head of government

Prime Minister Rui Duarte DE BARROS (since 20 December 2023)

Flag description

two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and green with a vertical red band on the hoist side; there is a black five-pointed star centered in the red band; yellow symbolizes the sun; green denotes hope; red represents blood shed during the struggle for independence; the black star stands for African unity

note

note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia; the flag design was heavily influenced by the Ghanaian flag

Government type

semi-presidential republic

Independence

24 September 1973 (declared); 10 September 1974 (from Portugal)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

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

Judicial branch

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); note - the Supreme Court has both appellate and constitutional jurisdiction

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

subordinate courts

Appeals Court; regional (first instance) courts; military court

Legal system

mixed legal system of civil law, which incorporated Portuguese law at independence and influenced by Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), African Francophone Public Law, and customary law

Legislative branch

description

unicameral National People's Assembly or Assembleia Nacional Popular (102 seats; 100 members directly elected in 27 multi-seat constituencies by closed party-list proportional representation vote and 2 elected in single-seat constituencies for citizens living abroad (Africa 1, Europe 1); all members serve 4-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - PAIGC 39.4%, Madem G-15 21.1%, PRS 14.9%, other 12.5%; seats by party - PAIGC 54, Madem G-15 29, PRS- 12, other 7; composition - men 92, women 10, percentage women 9.8%

elections

last held on 4 June 2023 (next to be held on 30 June 2027); note - on 4 December 2023 the president dissolved the parliament with new elections to be held at a future date

National anthem

lyrics/music

Amilcar Lopes CABRAL/XIAO He

name

"Esta e a Nossa Patria Bem Amada" (This Is Our Beloved Country)

note

note: adopted 1974; a delegation from then 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 struggle for independence

National holiday

Independence Day, 24 September (1973)

National symbol(s)

black star; national colors: red, yellow, green, black

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 

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

rice, groundnuts, cashews, root vegetables, oil palm fruit, plantains, cassava, vegetables, sweet potatoes, coconuts (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Budget

expenditures

$210.858 million (2019 est.)

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

$220.219 million (2019 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2020

-$38.683 million (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

-$14.128 million (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

-$146.64 million (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Debt - external

Debt - external 2022

$808.187 million (2022 est.)

note

note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

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

Exchange rates

Currency

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2019

585.911 (2019 est.)

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.)

Exports

Exports 2020

$232.536 million (2020 est.)

Exports 2021

$334.904 million (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$280.065 million (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

coconuts/Brazil nuts/cashews, fish, fish oil, palm oil, dried fruits (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

India 92%, Cote d'Ivoire 2%, Togo 2%, Netherlands 1%, South Korea 1% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

17.9% (2023 est.)

government consumption

19% (2023 est.)

household consumption

66.6% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-28.3% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

23.8% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

0.2% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

33.7% (2023 est.)

industry

16.1% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

45.1% (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$1.966 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2021

33.4 (2021 est.)

note

note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

26.1% (2021 est.)

lowest 10%

3.4% (2021 est.)

note

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports

Imports 2020

$439.386 million (2020 est.)

Imports 2021

$518.162 million (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$577.899 million (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, steel, rice, flavored water, beer (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

Portugal 34%, Senegal 22%, China 14%, Netherlands 6%, Spain 3% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

4% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

agricultural products processing, beer, soft drinks

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

1.14% (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

2.24% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

9.39% (2022 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

726,000 (2023 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Population below poverty line

47.7% (2018 est.)

note

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt

Public debt 2017

53.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$4.694 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$4.892 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$5.099 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2021

6.4% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

4.2% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

4.25% (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2021

$2,300 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$2,300 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$2,400 (2023 est.)

Remittances

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

11.95% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

12.02% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

9.38% of GDP (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016

$349.4 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$356.4 million (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

9.16% (of GDP) (2019 est.)

note

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Unemployment rate

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

3.63% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

3.2% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

3.18% (2023 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

4.2% (2023 est.)

male

3.9% (2023 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

4% (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from petroleum and other liquids

362,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

362,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Electricity

consumption

78.87 million kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

28,000 kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

6 million kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

15.8%

electrification - total population

37.4% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

61%

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels

97.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

2.4% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

2.372 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption

2,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

0.1 (2020 est.)

total

2,383 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

1 state-owned TV station, Televisao da Guine-Bissau (TGB) and a second station, Radio e Televisao de Portugal (RTP) Africa, is 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

Internet users

percent of population

35% (2021 est.)

total

735,000 (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line teledensity less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile cellular teledensity is just over 109 per 100 persons (2021)

general assessment

small system including a combination of microwave radio relay, open-wire lines, radiotelephone, and mobile cellular communications; 2 mobile network operators; one of the poorest countries in the world and this is reflected in the country's telecommunications development; radio is the most important source of information for the public (2020)

international

country code - 245; ACE submarine cable connecting Guinea-Bissau with 20 landing points in Western and South Africa and Europe (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2018 est.) less than 1

total subscriptions

4,800 (2009 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

126 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

2.652 million (2022 est.)

Airports

7 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

J5

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 3, general cargo 12, other 5

total

20 (2023)

Ports

key ports

Bissau, Rio Cacheu

ports with oil terminals

1

total ports

2 (2024)

very small

2

Roadways

paved

453 km

total

4,400 km

unpaved

3,947 km (2016)

Waterways

1,367 km (2022) major rivers Geba- 550km, Corubal 560 km, Cacheu 257 km (rivers are partially navigable; many inlets and creeks provide shallow-water access to much of interior)

Military - note

the FARP is focused on external security, but also has some internal security duties, and it has been influential in the country’s politics since independence was gained in 1974, having staged at least nine coup attempts as well as several mutinies; FARP members were suspected of coup plotting as recently as 2021, and it put down an attempted coup in 2022, while the National Guard attempted a coup in December 2023; since the 2000s, the FARP has undergone various attempts at defense and security sector reforms with limited success under the auspices of the African Union, the EU, the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS), and the UN from 2012-2020, ECOWAS deployed a security force to Guinea-Bissau to manage the post-coup transition, including protecting key political figures and public buildings, restoring civil institutions, and re-establishing the rule of law; at the height of the deployment, the force, known as the ECOWAS Mission in Guinea-Bissau (ECOMIB), deployed nearly 700 military and police personnel from Burkina Faso, Nigeria, and Senegal; as of 2024, ECOMIB remained in Guinea-Bissau (2024)

Military and security forces

People's Revolutionary Armed Force (Forcas Armadas Revolucionarias do Povo or FARP): Army, Navy, Air ForceMinistry of Internal Administration: National Guard (a gendarmerie force), Public Order Police, Border Police, Rapid Intervention Police, Maritime Police (2024)

note

note: the Public Order Police is responsible for maintaining law and order, while the Judicial Police, under the Ministry of Justice, has primary responsibility for investigating drug trafficking, terrorism, and other transnational crimes

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 4,000 active troops, including a few hundred air and naval personnel (2023)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the FARP is outfitted mostly with Soviet-era weapons and equipment, along with a handful of secondhand items from France and Spain (2024)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2019

1.9% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military Expenditures 2020

1.7% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

1.8% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

1.6% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

1.4% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-25 years of age for selective compulsory military service for men and women (Air Force service is voluntary); 16 years of age or younger, with parental consent, for voluntary service (2023)

Illicit drugs

important transit country for South American cocaine en route to Europe; enabling environment for trafficker operations due to pervasive corruption; archipelago-like geography near the capital facilitates drug smuggling

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

7,757 (Senegal) (2022)

Trafficking in persons

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List — The Government of Guinea-Bissau does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so, therefore Guinea-Bissau was upgraded to Tier 2 Watch List; for more details, go to:  https://www.state.gov/reports/2024-trafficking-in-persons-report/guinea-bissau/

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

0.29 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

1.46 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

34.85 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

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

Environment - current issues

deforestation (rampant felling of trees for timber and agricultural purposes); soil erosion; overgrazing; overfishing

Environment - international 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

Land use

agricultural land

44.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 8.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 6.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 29.7% (2018 est.)

forest

55.2% (2018 est.)

other

0% (2018 est.)

Major aquifers

Senegalo-Mauritanian Basin

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

9.24% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

31.4 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

140 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

10 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

30 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

3.22% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

45.5% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

289,514 tons (2015 est.)