Guinea-Bissau — Country Profile
Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Guinea-Bissau: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna Power score (--/100, ranked #-- of 195).
Last updated: October 2026
Guinea-Bissau — in Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Senegal. Political status: semi-presidential republic. It covers 36,125 sq km. 10 September 1974 (from Portugal). 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. 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. Populati…
| Capital | Bissau |
|---|---|
| Population | 2,132,325 (2024 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $5.912 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $2,700 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 4.8% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 3.8% (2024 est.) |
| Unemployment | 2.7% (2024 est.) |
| Public debt | 57.9% of GDP (2016 est.) |
| Exports | $284.5 million (2023 est.) |
| Imports | $592.095 million (2023 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 64.5 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 18.5 years (2025 est.) |
| Urbanization | 45.5% of total population (2023) |
| Government | semi-presidential republic |
| Independence | 24 September 1973 (declared); 10 September 1974 (from Portugal) |
| Languages | Portuguese-based Creole, Portuguese (official; largely used as a second or third language), Pular (a Fula language), Mandingo |
Guinea-Bissau’s GDP is $5.912 billion (2024 est.) in purchasing-power-parity terms. At official exchange rates it stands at $2.12 billion (2024 est.). Real GDP grew 4.8% (2024 est.). See where Guinea-Bissau ranks among all 195 countries by GDP.
POWER --/100 — The Magna Power score is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — nine components, 135 indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
An uneventful quarter, recorded without embellishment: no breakthrough to celebrate, no setback to mourn.
The longer forces — demographics, trade routes, regional balances — kept doing what they do, and the country rode them steadily.
- What our model rewards: inflation tamed at 3.8%; unemployment near 2.7% — work for whoever wants it
- What drags it down: a median age of 18 — a nation of children, its workforce still in the classroom; fertility of 4.6 children per woman — far above replacement, a cradle overflowing faster than schools can keep up
Timber, Phosphates, Bauxite, Oil.
Energy is the physical base of economic power — what a country can generate, move and burn decides what it can build, sell and defend.
| Electricity access | 37.4% (2022 est.) |
|---|---|
| Installed capacity mix (CIA) | fossil fuels: 96.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 3.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) |
| Energy consumption per capita (CIA) | 2.351 million Btu/person (2023 est.) |
| Primary energy consumption (OWID) | 1.5 TWh (2023) |
| Energy per capita (OWID) | 689 kWh per person (2023) |
Sources: CIA World Factbook, Energy section; Our World in Data (IEA/Ember), 2023.
Trade shows what the world buys from a country and what the country must buy from the world — the balance between the two is a direct measure of economic leverage.
| Exports | $284.5 million (2023 est.) |
|---|---|
| Imports | $592.095 million (2023 est.) |
| Trade balance (calculated) | Deficit of $307.6 million (2023), calculated from the CIA export and import figures above. |
| Key industries | agricultural products processing, beer, soft drinks |
Source: CIA World Factbook, Economy section.
Horta Inta-a — Transitional President. Interim President Gen. Horta Nta Na MAN (since 27 November 2025)
Guinea-Bissau maintains 20 embassies and 3 consulates abroad, hosts 18 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York, AU Addis Ababa. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 20 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 3 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 18 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, AU Addis Ababa |
Source: Consular Affairs Center, Diplomatic and Consular Networks Database and Rankings, January 2026 (Zenodo, CC BY 4.0). https://zenodo.org/records/18109976
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 350 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 7 (registration prefix J5) |
| Major seaports | Bissau, Rio Cacheu |
Major airports
Osvaldo Vieira International Airport (OXB) — Bissau.
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28)
| Political system | semi-presidential republic |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
POWER --/100 Ranked #-- of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Guinea-Bissau.
Historical timeline of Guinea-Bissau
This profile covers the population, economy, natural resources, leaders, and history of Guinea-Bissau — with the Bureau’s live national-power score of --/100, ranking #-- of 195 countries.
What is Guinea-Bissau's power score?
Guinea-Bissau has a Magna Power score of --/100. The score measures structural power — the proven capacity to shape events — across nine components.