Guinea-Bissau

Code: PU | Region: Africa

Introduction

Background

text

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

Location

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

Geographic coordinates

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12 00 N, 15 00 W

Map references

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Africa

Area

total

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36,125 sq km

land

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28,120 sq km

water

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8,005 sq km

Area - comparative

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slightly less than three times the size of Connecticut

Land boundaries

total

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762 km

border countries

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Guinea 421 km; Senegal 341 km

Coastline

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350 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea

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12 nm

exclusive economic zone

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200 nm

Climate

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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

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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

Elevation

highest point

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Dongol Ronde 277 m

lowest point

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Atlantic Ocean 0 m

mean elevation

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70 m

Natural resources

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

Land use

agricultural land

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29.9% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

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arable land: 14.1% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

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permanent crops: 8.9% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

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permanent pasture: 6.9% (2023 est.)

forest

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75% (2023 est.)

other

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0% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land

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250 sq km (2012)

Major aquifers

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Senegalo-Mauritanian Basin

Population distribution

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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

Natural hazards

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

Geography - note

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

People and Society

Population

total

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2,132,325 (2024 est.)

male

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1,042,910

female

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1,089,415

Nationality

noun

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Bissau-Guinean(s)

adjective

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Bissau-Guinean

Ethnic groups

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

Languages

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

Religions

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

Age structure

0-14 years

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42.3% (male 453,513/female 448,514)

15-64 years

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54.6% (male 561,868/female 602,280)

65 years and over

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3.1% (2024 est.) (male 27,529/female 38,621)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio

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83.2 (2024 est.)

youth dependency ratio

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77.5 (2024 est.)

elderly dependency ratio

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5.7 (2024 est.)

potential support ratio

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17.6 (2024 est.)

Median age

total

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18.5 years (2025 est.)

male

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17.8 years

female

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18.9 years

Population growth rate

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2.55% (2025 est.)

Birth rate

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35.82 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Death rate

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6.99 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Net migration rate

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-3.36 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Population distribution

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Urbanization

urban population

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45.5% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization

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

Major urban areas - population

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664,000 BISSAU (capital) (2023)

Sex ratio

at birth

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1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years

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1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years

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0.93 male(s)/female

65 years and over

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0.71 male(s)/female

total population

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

Maternal mortality ratio

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505 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total

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45.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

male

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52 deaths/1,000 live births

female

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40.6 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth

total population

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64.5 years (2024 est.)

male

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62.2 years

female

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66.8 years

Total fertility rate

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4.59 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

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2.26 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: urban

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urban: 73.1% of population (2022 est.)

improved: rural

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rural: 52.5% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

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total: 61.8% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

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urban: 26.9% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

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rural: 47.5% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

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total: 38.2% of population (2022 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

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8.2% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

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5.2% of national budget (2022 est.)

Physician density

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0.25 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban

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urban: 72.2% of population (2022 est.)

improved: rural

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rural: 23.8% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

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total: 45.6% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

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urban: 27.8% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

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rural: 76.2% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

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total: 54.4% of population (2022 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

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9.5% (2016)

Alcohol consumption per capita

total

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3.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer

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0.41 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

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0.98 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

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0.54 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

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1.28 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use

total

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6.7% (2025 est.)

male

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13.2% (2025 est.)

female

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0.5% (2025 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

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18.8% (2019 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

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59% (2019 est.)

Child marriage

women married by age 15

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8.1% (2019)

women married by age 18

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25.7% (2019)

men married by age 18

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2.2% (2019)

Education expenditure

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2.7% of GDP (2020 est.)

Literacy

total population

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63.9% (2022 est.)

male

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77.3% (2022 est.)

female

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52.2% (2022 est.)

Environment

Environmental issues

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

International environmental agreements

party to

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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

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none of the selected agreements

Climate

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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

agricultural land

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29.9% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

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arable land: 14.1% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

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permanent crops: 8.9% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

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permanent pasture: 6.9% (2023 est.)

forest

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75% (2023 est.)

other

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0% (2023 est.)

Urbanization

urban population

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45.5% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization

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

Carbon dioxide emissions

total emissions

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366,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from coal and metallurgical coke

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1 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

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366,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

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42.6 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

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289,500 tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

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10.1% (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

municipal

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34.1 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial

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11.9 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

agricultural

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144 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total renewable water resources

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31.4 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Government

Country name

conventional long form

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Republic of Guinea-Bissau

conventional short form

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Guinea-Bissau

local long form

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Republica da Guine-Bissau

local short form

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Guine-Bissau

former

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Portuguese Guinea

etymology

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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

Government type

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semi-presidential republic

Capital

name

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Bissau

geographic coordinates

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11 51 N, 15 35 W

time difference

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

etymology

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the name is derived from the local Bijuga people and is used to distinguish the country from neighboring Guinea

Administrative divisions

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

Legal system

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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

Constitution

history

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promulgated 16 May 1984

amendment process

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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

International law organization participation

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

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

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yes

citizenship by descent only

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yes

dual citizenship recognized

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residency requirement for naturalization

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5 years

Suffrage

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18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state

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Interim President Gen. Horta Nta Na MAN (since 27 November 2025)

head of government

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Interim Prime Minister Ilídio Vieira TE (since 28 November 2025)

cabinet

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Cabinet nominated by the prime minister, appointed by the president

election/appointment process

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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

most recent election date

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23 November 2025

election results

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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)

expected date of next election

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2025

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

Legislative branch

legislature name

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People's National Assembly (Assembleia Nacional Popular)

legislative structure

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unicameral

number of seats

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102 (all directly elected)

electoral system

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proportional representation

scope of elections

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full renewal

term in office

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4 years

most recent election date

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11/23/2025

parties elected and seats per party

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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)

percentage of women in chamber

text

9.8%

expected date of next election

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November 2029

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

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Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal de Justica (consists of 9 judges and organized into Civil, Criminal, and Social and Administrative Disputes Chambers)

judge selection and term of office

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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

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

note

note: the Supreme Court has both appellate and constitutional jurisdiction

Political parties

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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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission

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

chancery

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

telephone

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[1] (202) 872-4222

FAX

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[1] (202) 872-4226

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

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Ambassador Michael RAYNOR (since 20 April 2022)

mailing address

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2080 Bissau Place, Washington DC  20521-2080

email address and website

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

International organization participation

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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

Independence

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

National holiday

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Independence Day, 24 September (1973)

Flag

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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

National symbol(s)

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black star

National color(s)

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red, yellow, green, black

National anthem(s)

title

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

lyrics/music

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Amilcar Lopes CABRAL/XIAO He

history

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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

National heritage

total World Heritage Sites

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1 (natural)

selected World Heritage Site locales

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Coastal and Marine Ecosystems of the Bijagós Archipelago – Omatí Minhô (n)

Economy

Economic overview

text

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

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

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$5.912 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

text

$5.64 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

text

$5.399 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2024

text

4.8% (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

text

4.5% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

text

5.6% (2022 est.)

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2024

text

$2,700 (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

text

$2,600 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

text

$2,600 (2022 est.)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

GDP (official exchange rate)

text

$2.12 billion (2024 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

text

3.8% (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

text

7.1% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

text

9.4% (2022 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

text

36.8% (2024 est.)

industry

text

16.6% (2024 est.)

services

text

42.1% (2024 est.)

note

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

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption

text

77% (2024 est.)

government consumption

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17.8% (2024 est.)

investment in fixed capital

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22.8% (2024 est.)

investment in inventories

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-1.9% (2024 est.)

exports of goods and services

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12.5% (2024 est.)

imports of goods and services

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-28.2% (2024 est.)

note

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

Agricultural products

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rice, groundnuts, cashews, root vegetables, oil palm fruit, plantains, cassava, coconuts, vegetables, sweet potatoes (2023)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Industries

text

agricultural products processing, beer, soft drinks

Industrial production growth rate

text

8% (2024 est.)

note

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

Labor force

text

845,300 (2024 est.)

note

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

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2024

text

2.7% (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

text

2.7% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

text

2.7% (2022 est.)

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total

text

2.8% (2024 est.)

male

text

3.4% (2024 est.)

female

text

2% (2024 est.)

note

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

Population below poverty line

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50.5% (2021 est.)

note

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2021

text

33.4 (2021 est.)

note

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

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%

text

3.4% (2021 est.)

highest 10%

text

26.1% (2021 est.)

note

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

Remittances

Remittances 2023

text

9.8% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances 2022

text

10.3% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2021

text

11% of GDP (2021 est.)

note

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

Budget

revenues

text

$269.794 million (2023 est.)

expenditures

text

$450.953 million (2023 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

Public debt

Public debt 2016

text

57.9% of GDP (2016 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

text

8.8% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

note

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Current account balance

Current account balance 2023

text

-$160.169 million (2023 est.)

Current account balance 2022

text

-$146.64 million (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2021

text

-$14.128 million (2021 est.)

note

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

Exports

Exports 2023

text

$284.5 million (2023 est.)

Exports 2022

text

$280.065 million (2022 est.)

Exports 2021

text

$334.904 million (2021 est.)

note

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

Exports - partners

text

India 66%, Chile 9%, Cote d'Ivoire 5%, Ghana 4%, Netherlands 3% (2023)

note

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

Exports - commodities

text

coconuts/brazil nuts/cashews, fish, fish oil, processed crustaceans, malt extract (2023)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports

Imports 2023

text

$592.095 million (2023 est.)

Imports 2022

text

$577.899 million (2022 est.)

Imports 2021

text

$518.162 million (2021 est.)

note

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

Imports - partners

text

Senegal 28%, Portugal 24%, China 11%, Gambia, The 10%, Pakistan 4% (2023)

note

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

Imports - commodities

text

refined petroleum, iron bars, rice, plastics, flavored water (2023)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Debt - external

Debt - external 2023

text

$896.812 million (2023 est.)

note

note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

Exchange rates

Currency

text

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2024

text

606.345 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

text

606.57 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

text

623.76 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

text

554.531 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

text

575.586 (2020 est.)

Energy

Electricity access

electrification - total population

text

37.4% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

text

61%

electrification - rural areas

text

15.8%

Electricity

installed generating capacity

text

29,000 kW (2023 est.)

consumption

text

79.8 million kWh (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

text

6 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels

text

96.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar

text

3.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal

imports

text

1 metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption

text

2,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

text

2.351 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Communications

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions

text

0 (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

text

(2022 est.) less than 1

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions

text

2.76 million (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

text

126 (2022 est.)

Broadcast media

text

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

text

.gw

Internet users

percent of population

text

33% (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total

text

7,000 (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

text

(2023 est.) less than 1

Transportation

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

text

Airports

text

7 (2025)

Merchant marine

total

text

20 (2023)

by type

text

bulk carrier 3, general cargo 12, other 5

Ports

total ports

text

2 (2024)

large

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medium

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small

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very small

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ports with oil terminals

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key ports

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Bissau, Rio Cacheu

Military and Security

Military and security forces

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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)

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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 expenditures

Military Expenditures 2024

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1.2% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

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1.2% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

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1.4% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

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1.5% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2020

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1.5% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military and security service personnel strengths

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estimated 4,000 active FARP (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

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the FARP is outfitted mostly with Soviet-era weapons and equipment (2025)

Military service age and obligation

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18-25 years of age for selective compulsory military service for men and women (Air Force service is voluntary) (2025)

Military - note

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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)