01
Physical geography
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.
Local timeBissau ·
Africa / Western Africa · Card 024
Guinea-Bissau
Guinea-Bissau is a country in Western Africa. Its capital is Bissau.
Find Guinea-Bissau
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Bissau
- Languages
- Portuguese & Upper Guinea Creole
- Currency
- West African CFA franc (XOF)
- Population
- 2.2 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 36,125 km²13,948 square miles
- Independence
- 1973declared
Guinea-Bissau in context
Africa and its surrounding islands. The dot marks Bissau; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include Portuguese, Upper Guinea Creole.
03
Location
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Senegal.
Flag
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
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived country profile · Government update
History & independence
The PAIGC fought an armed struggle against Portuguese rule and declared Guinea-Bissau independent on 24 September 1973. Portugal recognized independence on 10 September 1974 after its own revolution.
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Independence is declared
-
Portugal recognizes independence
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Civil war disrupts the country
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived country profile · Government update
Economy
Main activities
Cashew production and exports are central to the economy. Rice farming, fishing and commerce also support livelihoods. Dependence on a narrow export base leaves incomes exposed to crop conditions and world prices.
Industry and production
agricultural products processing, beer, soft drinks
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived country profile · Government update
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people2.22025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 584,403 | 0.584 |
| 1980 | 829,303 | 0.829 |
| 1990 | 973,669 | 0.974 |
| 2000 | 1,234,741 | 1.235 |
| 2010 | 1,566,347 | 1.566 |
| 2020 | 2,013,255 | 2.013 |
| 2025 | 2,249,515 | 2.250 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars1.82025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 554,182,864 | 0.554 |
| 1991 | 582,446,190 | 0.582 |
| 1992 | 588,853,098 | 0.589 |
| 1993 | 601,219,013 | 0.601 |
| 1994 | 620,458,021 | 0.620 |
| 1995 | 647,758,174 | 0.648 |
| 1996 | 722,898,123 | 0.723 |
| 1997 | 769,886,501 | 0.770 |
| 1998 | 597,079,878 | 0.597 |
| 1999 | 697,478,986 | 0.697 |
| 2000 | 705,153,195 | 0.705 |
| 2001 | 738,901,627 | 0.739 |
| 2002 | 765,900,620 | 0.766 |
| 2003 | 763,710,673 | 0.764 |
| 2004 | 772,660,533 | 0.773 |
| 2005 | 823,345,296 | 0.823 |
| 2006 | 845,299,839 | 0.845 |
| 2007 | 866,938,048 | 0.867 |
| 2008 | 906,163,311 | 0.906 |
| 2009 | 928,345,745 | 0.928 |
| 2010 | 980,382,895 | 0.980 |
| 2011 | 1,059,647,261 | 1.060 |
| 2012 | 1,041,496,885 | 1.041 |
| 2013 | 1,075,408,773 | 1.075 |
| 2014 | 1,085,781,367 | 1.086 |
| 2015 | 1,152,384,167 | 1.152 |
| 2016 | 1,214,989,491 | 1.215 |
| 2017 | 1,271,652,706 | 1.272 |
| 2018 | 1,319,485,332 | 1.319 |
| 2019 | 1,389,780,857 | 1.390 |
| 2020 | 1,429,966,368 | 1.430 |
| 2021 | 1,501,712,207 | 1.502 |
| 2022 | 1,583,672,069 | 1.584 |
| 2023 | 1,657,004,379 | 1.657 |
| 2024 | 1,730,065,034 | 1.730 |
| 2025 | 1,830,722,598 | 1.831 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.514Low human developmentRank 174 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
20100.452
20200.498
20230.514
64.1 yearsLife expectancy at birth
3.7 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
Military-led transitional government following the November 2025 coup. The previous constitutional system was a semi-presidential republic; it should not be confused with the current transitional arrangements.
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived country profile · Government update
Knowledge check
Three questions about Guinea-Bissau.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Which product is central to Guinea-Bissau’s export economy?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived country profile · Government update
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.