Guinea-Bissau Overview People
- People - Health - Crime - Age Structure - Education - Population Comparisons
Government - Politics Geography Economy News - Weather History National Symbols Photos Travel and Tourism Link-to-CountryReports Sources   United States Edition

Guinea-Bissau Demographics

What is the population of Guinea-Bissau?

Population 1,927,104
Population Growth Rate 1.95%
Urban Population 43.9%
Population in Major Urban Areas BISSAU (capital) 423,000
Nationality Noun Guinean(s)
Nationality Adjective Guinean
Ethnic Groups African 99% (Balanta 30%, Fula 20%, Manjaca 14%, Mandinga 13%, Papel 7%), European and mulatto less than 1%
Languages Spoken Portuguese (official), Crioulo, African languages

Guinea-Bissau Health Information

What are the health conditions in Guinea-Bissau?

Animal Contact Disease (s) rabies
Contraceptive Prevalence Rate - female 15-49 14%
Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population 14.77
Drinking Water Source - percent of rural population improved 55.5%
Drinking Water Source - percent of total population unimproved 26.4%
Drinking Water Source - percent of urban population improved 96.1%
Food or Waterborne Disease (s) bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Health Expenditures - percent of GDP 6.3%
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate 2.5%
HIV/Aids Deaths 2,300
Hospital Bed Density - beds/1,000 population 1
Infant Mortality Rate - female deaths/1,000 live births 82.61
Infant Mortality Rate - male deaths/1,000 live births 102.42
Infant Mortality Rate - total deaths/1,000 live births 92.66
Major Infectious Diseases - degree of risk very high
Maternal Mortality Rate - deaths/100,000 live births 790
Obesity - adult prevalence rate 4.9%
People Living with HIV/AIDS 22,000
Physicians Density - physicians/1,000 population .07
Sanitation Facility Access - percent of total population unimproved 80.3%
Sanitation Facility Access - percent of urban population improved 33.5%
Sanitation Facility Access - percent of rural population improved 8.5%
Total Fertility Rate - children born/woman 4.37
Underweight - percent of children under five years 16.6%
Vectorborne Disease (s) malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever
Water contact disease (s) schistosomiasis

Guinea-Bissau Life Expectancy

How long do people live in Guinea-Bissau?

Life Expectancy at Birth 49 Years
Life Expectancy at Birth - female 51 Years
Life Expectancy at Birth - male 47 Years
Median Age 19 Years
Median Age - female 20 Years
Median Age - male 19 Years

Guinea-Bissau Infant Mortality - per 1,000 live births

Guinea-Bissau median age, birth rate and death rates

Birth Rate - births/1,000 population 34
Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population 14.77
Median Age 19 Years
Median Age - female 20 Years
Median Age - male 19 Years
Population Growth Rate 1.95%
Sex Ratio 0-14 Years - male/female 1.02
Sex Ratio 15-24 Years - male/female 1.02
Sex Ratio 25-54 Years - male/female 1.01
Sex Ratio 55-64 Years - male/female 1
Sex Ratio at Birth - male/female 1.03
Sex Ratio of Total Population - male/female 1
Sex Ratio Over 64 Years - male/female .79

Guinea-Bissau Medical Information

What are the health conditions in Guinea-Bissau?

Medical Facilities and Health Information

Modern medical facilities are virtually nonexistent in Guinea-Bissau, and travelers should not rely on them. More acceptable levels of medical care are available in Dakar, Senegal; however, as of this writing, there are extremely limited air travel options available between Dakar and Bissau. In addition, malaria, a serious and sometimes fatal disease, is a risk for travelers to Guinea-Bissau. Guinea-Bissau has a high HIV/AIDS infection rate.

Guinea-Bissau Education

What is school like in Guinea-Bissau?

Literacy - female 27.4%
Literacy - male 58.1%
Literacy - total population 42.4%
Literacy Definition age 15 and over can read and write
Total School Life Expectancy - (primary to tertiary) 9 Years

Guinea-Bissau Literacy

Can people in Guinea-Bissau read?

Literacy - female 27.4%
Literacy - male 58.1%
Literacy - total population 42.4%
Literacy Definition age 15 and over can read and write
Predominant Language Portuguese (official), Crioulo, African languages

Guinea-Bissau Crime

Is Guinea-Bissau a safe place to visit?

Crime Information

Guinea-Bissau is rated high for crime due to the frequency of crimes committed and lack of law enforcement resources and capabilities. Foreigners are primarily the targets of crimes of opportunity to include, petty-theft, pick-pocketing, theft of valuables from vehicles, and minor assaults. In particular, low-level criminal activity occurs in crowded areas such as the Bandim Market and port in central Bissau. Criminals take advantage of foreigners attempting to navigate through the crowded markets. Exercise good personal security practices to reduce the risk of being victimized. Keep a low profile, remain vigilant, and avoid potential conflict situations. Do not wear flashy clothing or jewelry, and be cautious about displaying any amount of currency in public.

To avoid theft do not walk alone in isolated areas, particularly at night, and lock all doors and close all windows when driving. Do not walk on dark streets at night, even in groups. To minimize inconvenience in the event of theft, carry copies, rather than originals, of your passport and other identification documents. While some of the larger hotels may accept credit cards, Bissau is largely a cash based economy and it is therefore recommended that travelers plan for and bring appropriate amounts of currency. Valuables should be stored in hotel safes.

In conjunction with the high crime rate, the poor infrastructure and lack of lighting at night also present a more opportune environment for criminals to exploit. It is recommended to arrange for transportation and limit walking around Bissau at night to reduce the risk of being a victim of a crime. In addition, banditry also occurs with some regularity on the main highways throughout the country after dark. The U.S. Embassy recommends that travel be completed during daylight hours only and, if possible, in convoy.

The unstable security environment and high rates of unemployment strongly influence criminals to go to extreme measures to achieve their goals. While most criminals in Guinea-Bissau seek crimes of opportunity with low risk of confrontation, they are not afraid to exert violence. In many cases, criminal elements in Bissau operate in small, loosely affiliated groups to perpetrate a crime. Criminals use one or two individuals to cause a distraction or remain on lookout, while the others commit the crime.

While violent crime towards foreigners are not common in Guinea-Bissau, the increase in narcotics trafficking has contributed to an increase in criminal activity and aggressive assaults among the local population in more rural areas of Guinea-Bissau.

The Bandim market and other vendors in Bissau offer a wide variety of illicit and counterfeit goods. While the items are widely available, all travelers are urged to not purchase any illicit items to prevent breaking local laws and U.S. laws if brought back to the United States.

Guinea-Bissau Penalties for Crime

Criminal Penalties

While you are traveling in Guinea-Bissau, you are subject to its laws even if you are a U.S. citizen. Foreign laws and legal systems can be vastly different than our own. In some places, you may be taken in for questioning if you don’t have your passport with you. In some places, it is illegal to take pictures of certain buildings. In some places, driving under the influence could land you immediately in jail. These criminal penalties will vary from country to country. There are also some things that might be legal in the country you visit, but still illegal in the United States, and you can be prosecuted under U.S. law if you buy pirated goods. Engaging in sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime prosecutable in the United States. If you break local laws in Guinea-Bissau, your U.S. passport won’t help you avoid arrest or prosecution. It’s very important to know what’s legal and what’s not wherever you go.

Persons violating Bissau-Guinean laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested, or imprisoned. Penalties for possessing, using, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Guinea-Bissau are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines. Drug trafficking is endemic in Guinea-Bissau.

The United States does not have an agreement with Guinea-Bissau requiring notification of the U.S. Embassy of your arrest. If you are arrested in Guinea-Bissau, you should use whatever means of communication available to alert the U.S. Embassy in Dakar, Senegal.

Guinea-Bissau Population Comparison

World Regions
Africa Asia Central America Europe Middle East North America Oceania South America The Caribbean
Most Popular
United States of America China France Italy Canada Spain India Brazil Mexico
All Countries
Afghanistan Akrotiri Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory British Virgin Islands Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Clipperton Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Cook Islands Coral Sea Islands Costa Rica Cote d’Ivoire Croatia Cuba Curacao Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Dhekelia Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Gabon Gambia, The Gaza Strip Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Holy See Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Jan Mayen Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, North Korea, South Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Macedonia Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Islands Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Reunion Romania Russia Rwanda Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Sudan, South Suriname Svalbard Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States (US) Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Virgin Islands Wake Island Wallis and Futuna West Bank Western Sahara World Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe