Guinea-Bissau (Republic of Guinea-Bissau)

https://www.humantruth.info/guinea-bissau.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2025

Guinea-Bissau Republic of Guinea-Bissau
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	173rd best
Capital	Bissau
Land Area	28 120km²₁
Location	Africa
Population	1.9m₂
Life Expectancy	59.65yrs (2017)₃
GNI	$1 908 (2017)₄
ISO3166-1 Codes	GW, GNB, 624₅
Internet Domain	.gw₆
Currency	Franc (XOF)₇
Telephone	+245₈

1. Overview

“Since independence from Portugal in 1974, Guinea-Bissau has experienced considerable political and military upheaval. In 1980, a military coup established authoritarian dictator Joao Bernardo 'Nino' VIEIRA as president. Despite setting a path to a market economy and multiparty system, VIEIRA's regime was characterized by the suppression of political opposition and the purging of political rivals. Several coup attempts through the 1980s and early 1990s failed to unseat him. In 1994 VIEIRA was elected president in the country's first free elections. A military mutiny and resulting civil war in 1998 eventually led to VIEIRA's ouster in May 1999. In February 2000, a transitional government turned over power to opposition leader Kumba YALA after he was elected president in transparent polling. In September 2003, after only three years in office, YALA was overthrown in a bloodless military coup, and businessman Henrique ROSA was sworn in as interim president. In 2005, former President VIEIRA was re-elected president pledging to pursue economic development and national reconciliation; he was assassinated in March 2009. Malam Bacai SANHA was elected in an emergency election held in June 2009, but he passed away in January 2012 from an existing illness. A military coup in April 2012 prevented Guinea-Bissau's second-round presidential election - to determine SANHA's successor - from taking place.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“One of Africa´s most forgotten corners, Guinea-Bissau is one of its most beautiful and diverse, infused with Portuguese influence and home to little visited island idylls. For a country that consistently elicits frowns from heads of state and news reporters, Guinea-Bissau will pull a smile from even the most world-weary traveller. The jokes here, like the music, are loud but tender. The bowls of grilled oysters are served with a lime sauce spicy enough to give a kick, but not so strong as to mask the bitterness. The buildings are battered and the faded colonial houses bowed by sagging balconies, but you´ll see beauty alongside the decay.
Here, bare silver trees spring up like antler horns between swathes of elephant grass, and cashew sellers tease each other with an unmistakably Latin spirit. Board a boat for the Bijagós, where you can watch hippos lumber through lagoons full of fish and spot turtles nesting. Despite painful wars, coups and cocaine hauls, Guinea-Bissau buzzes with joy, even when daily life is tough and the future bleak. There must be magic in that cashew juice.”
"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Guinea-Bissau National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better Value₁₁
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
174	Gambia	0.500
175	Ethiopia	0.498
176	Eritrea	0.492
177	Guinea-Bissau	0.483
178	Liberia	0.481
179	Congo, DR	0.479
180	Afghanistan	0.478
181	Sierra Leone	0.477
	Africa Avg	0.56
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $₁₁
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
175	Togo	$2 167
176	Mali	$2 133
177	Burkina Faso	$2 118
178	Guinea-Bissau	$1 908
179	Afghanistan	$1 824
180	Eritrea	$1 729
181	Sierra Leone	$1 622
182	Madagascar	$1 484
	Africa Avg	$5 339
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index₁₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₂
1	Denmark	27.3
2	Norway	30.5
3	Switzerland	32.2
	...
170	Burundi	117.8
171	Djibouti	118.1
172	Solomon Islands	118.3
173	Guinea-Bissau	118.3
174	Syria	118.3
175	Myanmar	118.7
176	Haiti	118.7
177	Liberia	118.7
	Africa Avg	119.0
	World Avg	88.8
q=199.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

Progress is always going to be difficult in a country where the richest 10% hold 42% of the country's entire income₁₃.

3. Guinea-Bissau's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population Datasets:

Guinea-Bissau's population is predicted to rise to 2.263 million by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 3.93. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₄

Population₂
Pos.		2018 Population₂
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
146	Macedonia	2.1m
147	Slovenia	2.1m
148	Latvia	1.9m
149	Guinea-Bissau	1.9m
150	Bahrain	1.6m
151	Trinidad & Tobago	1.4m
152	Estonia	1.3m
153	Equatorial Guinea	1.3m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
177	Cameroon	60.3
178	Sierra Leone	60.1
179	Benin	59.8
180	Guinea-Bissau	59.7
181	Mozambique	59.3
182	Burkina Faso	59.3
183	Namibia	59.3
184	Zimbabwe	59.3
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₅
Pos.		2022₁₅
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
176	Sierra Leone	3.88
177	Comoros	3.91
178=	Solomon Islands	3.93
178=	Guinea-Bissau	3.93
180	Liberia	4.02
181	Ethiopia	4.06
182	Congo, (Brazzaville)	4.10
183	Equatorial Guinea	4.17
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better₁₆
Pos.		2016 Per 100₁₆
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
25=	Liberia	05.9
26	Iraq	06.0
27=	Guinea	06.1
27=	Guinea-Bissau	06.1
27=	Lesotho	06.1
27=	Kenya	06.1
31=	S. Sudan	06.2
31=	Tanzania	06.2
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants₁₇
Pos.		2017 %₁₇
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
146	Tuvalu	1.3%
147	Malawi	1.3%
148	Sierra Leone	1.3%
149	Guinea-Bissau	1.3%
150	Vanuatu	1.2%
151	Ethiopia	1.2%
152	Sao Tome & Principe	1.1%
153	Congo, DR	1.1%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants₁₈
Pos.		2010 %₁₈
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
86	Austria	7.1%
87	Uzbekistan	7.0%
88	Bolivia	6.8%
89	Guinea-Bissau	6.8%
90	Slovenia	6.5%
91	Kiribati	6.5%
92	Bhutan	6.3%
93	Tunisia	6.3%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Guinea-Bissau's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #freethought #gender #gender_equality #homosexuality #human_rights #international_law #mass_media #misogyny #morals #politics #prejudice #religious_tolerance #slavery #tolerance #women

Compared to Africa (2025)₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₉
1	Mauritius	60.0
2	S. Africa	60.4
3	Cape Verde	64.6
	...
33	S. Sudan	118.1
34	Comoros	118.2
35	Egypt	118.7
36	Guinea-Bissau	119.7
37	Congo, (Brazzaville)	125.8
38	Central African Rep.	126.3
39	Cameroon	126.5
40	Zimbabwe	127.5
41	Guinea	127.5
	Africa Avg	110.04
q=54.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₉
1	Sweden	5.9
2	Norway	8.0
3	Denmark	8.1
	...
159	Comoros	118.2
160	Egypt	118.7
161	Qatar	119.7
162	Guinea-Bissau	119.7
163	Cambodia	120.5
164	Cuba	122.3
165	Oman	122.3
166	UAE	122.9
	World Avg	86.35
q=198.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Norway and Denmark₂₀. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are N. Korea, Somalia and Eritrea₂₀.

25 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, combatting modern slavery, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₂₀, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia₂₀.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets:

Press Freedom Higher is better₂₁
Pos.		2025₂₁
1	Norway	92.31
2	Estonia	89.46
3	Netherlands	88.64
	...
106	Lesotho	52.07
107	Chad	51.89
108	S. Sudan	51.63
109	Guinea-Bissau	51.36
110	Haiti	51.06
111	Israel	51.06
112	Madagascar	50.80
113	Georgia	50.53
	Africa Avg	52.30
	World Avg	54.65
q=179.

Slavery in the 2020s Lower is better₂₂
Pos.		Total Per 1000₂₂
1=	Switzerland	0.50
1=	Norway	0.50
3=	Germany	0.60
	...
60=	Egypt	4.30
60=	Rwanda	4.30
62	Slovenia	4.40
63=	Guinea-Bissau	4.50
63=	Congo, DR	4.50
65=	Madagascar	4.60
65=	Niger	4.60
67=	Trinidad & Tobago	4.70
	Africa Avg	6.90
	World Avg	7.15
q=160.

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom Lower is better₂₃
Pos.		2014 Rank₂₃
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
	...
116=	Russia	115
117	Qatar	117
118=	UAE	118
118=	Guinea-Bissau	118
120=	Oman	120
120=	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	120
122	Burundi	122
123	Tunisia	123
	Africa Avg	114.2
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
125=	Nigeria	4.5
125=	Togo	4.5
125=	Bangladesh	4.5
125=	Guinea-Bissau	4.5
125=	Maldives	4.5
125=	Lebanon	4.5
125=	Mozambique	4.5
132=	Morocco	5.0
	Africa Avg	4.8
	World Avg	3.7
q=205.

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better₂₄
Pos.		2009 Treaties₂₄
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
169=	St Kitts & Nevis	9
169=	Comoros	9
169=	Cook Islands	9
172=	Guinea-Bissau	8
172=	USA	8
172=	Somalia	8
172=	Eritrea	8
176=	Indonesia	7
	Africa Avg	14.8
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better₂₅
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty₂₅
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
154	Swaziland	13.16
155	Equatorial Guinea	13.18
156	Vanuatu	13.21
157	Guinea-Bissau	13.23
158	Liechtenstein	13.28
159	Ireland	13.38
160	Oman	13.46
161	Uzbekistan	13.53
	Africa Avg	9.88
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

Gender Equality Datasets:

Guinea-Bissau is an unequal country, with male rights dominating those of women. Traditional Islamic beliefs are squarely the cause of this situation.

See:

"Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)
"Islam and Women" by Vexen Crabtree (2011)

Gender Inequality Lower is better₂₆
Pos.		2022₂₆
1	Denmark	0.01
2	Norway	0.01
3	Switzerland	0.02
	...
155	Niger	0.62
156	Haiti	0.62
157	Guinea	0.63
158	Guinea-Bissau	0.63
159	Benin	0.65
160	Liberia	0.66
161	Afghanistan	0.66
162	Somalia	0.67
	Africa Avg	0.53
	World Avg	0.34
q=166.

Data starts in 2018, but in absence of any other data, this is still being used as the 2010s average.

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Total Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
168=	Angola	1975
168=	Mozambique	1975
170	Portugal	1976
171	Guinea-Bissau	1977
172	Zimbabwe	1978
173=	Marshall Islands	1979
173=	Palau	1979
173=	Micronesia	1979
	Africa Avg	1961
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Prejudice Datasets:

LGBT Equality Higher is better₂₇
Pos.		2017 Score₂₇
1	Netherlands	103
2	Belgium	90
3	Sweden	86
	...
86=	Palau	20
86=	Nauru	20
86=	Marshall Islands	20
86=	Guinea-Bissau	20
86=	Micronesia	20
86=	Armenia	20
92	Mozambique	17
93=	Laos	15
	Africa Avg	-10.4
	World Avg	12.6
q=196.

Freedom of Thought Lower is better₂₈
Pos.		2021₂₈
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
10=	Iceland	1.5
10=	Norway	1.5
10=	Congo, (Brazzaville)	1.5
13=	Guinea-Bissau	1.7
13=	Mongolia	1.7
13=	S. Africa	1.7
16=	St Kitts & Nevis	1.8
16=	Namibia	1.8
	Africa Avg	3.1
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

5. Guinea-Bissau's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #vaccines

Compared to Africa (2025)₂₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₉
1	Mauritius	72.2
2	Tunisia	80.2
3	Seychelles	84.8
	...
26	Burundi	127.8
27	Swaziland	128.3
28	Comoros	130.6
29	Guinea-Bissau	131.1
30	Gabon	131.1
31	Tanzania	131.2
32	Benin	131.5
33	Cameroon	131.8
34	Congo, DR	133.9
	Africa Avg	111.13
q=54.

Health (2025)₂₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₉
1	Monaco	12.4
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	San Marino	30.6
	...
170	Papua New Guinea	129.9
171	Iraq	130.2
172	Comoros	130.6
173	Guinea-Bissau	131.1
174	Gabon	131.1
175	Tanzania	131.2
176	Benin	131.5
177	Cameroon	131.8
	World Avg	96.86
q=204.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and San Marino₃₀. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₃₀.

36 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate, its immunizations take-up and childhood mortality in the 2020s (so far). The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₃₀, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Melanesia₃₀.

For more, see:

"Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Health Datasets:

Guinea-Bissau is a pretty unhealthy country. Guinea-Bissau comes in the best 20 in its smoking rate₃₁. It does better than average in the prevalence of overweight adults₃₂ and in its alcohol consumption rate₃₃. But unfortunately Guinea-Bissau gets most other things wrong. It does worse than average in its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₄, its immunizations take-up₃₅, its adolescent birth rate₃₆ and in its fertility rate₁₅. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 in its average life expectancy₁₁ and in childhood mortality in the 2020s (so far)₃₇. The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the last 40 years. Life expectancy in Guinea-Bissau in 1990 was 47.1yrs, much lower than the global average of 64.6. It improved by +13.8yrs in the 30 years from then, much better than the global average of +7.9yrs. Guinea-Bissau's peak fertility rate was 6.74 in 1985.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
177	Cameroon	60.3
178	Sierra Leone	60.1
179	Benin	59.8
180	Guinea-Bissau	59.7
181	Mozambique	59.3
182	Burkina Faso	59.3
183	Namibia	59.3
184	Zimbabwe	59.3
	Africa Avg	62.79
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better₃₃
Pos.		2016 Per Capita₃₃
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
73=	Ecuador	4.4
74=	Bolivia	4.8
74=	Costa Rica	4.8
74=	Guinea-Bissau	4.8
74=	Myanmar	4.8
74=	Zambia	4.8
74=	Zimbabwe	4.8
80	Lesotho	5.0
	Africa Avg	4.8
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₅
Pos.		2022₁₅
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
176	Sierra Leone	3.88
177	Comoros	3.91
178=	Solomon Islands	3.93
178=	Guinea-Bissau	3.93
180	Liberia	4.02
181	Ethiopia	4.06
182	Congo, (Brazzaville)	4.10
183	Equatorial Guinea	4.17
	Africa Avg	3.97
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking in the 2020s Lower is better₃₁
Pos.		Total %₃₁
1	Nigeria	3.3%
2	Ghana	3.4%
3	Panama	5.2%
	...
17	Haiti	8.1%
18	Colombia	8.2%
19=	Liberia	8.3%
19=	Guinea-Bissau	8.3%
21	Oman	8.4%
22	Belize	8.8%
23	Ivory Coast	8.8%
24	Costa Rica	8.9%
	Africa Avg	12.4%
	World Avg	20.0%
q=165.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
118	Iran	118
119	Yemen	119
120	Seychelles	120
121	Guinea-Bissau	121
122	Argentina	122
123	Laos	123
124	Antigua & Barbuda	124
125	Burkina Faso	125
	Africa Avg	117.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better₃₂
Pos.		1976 %₃₂
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
25=	Angola	8.5
25=	Pakistan	8.5
27	Kenya	8.8
28=	Guinea-Bissau	8.9
28=	Mali	8.9
28=	Thailand	8.9
31	Tanzania	9.0
32=	Philippines	9.1
	Africa Avg	13.4
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better₃₈
Pos.		2022 %₃₈
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
31	Zambia	9.4%
32	Benin	9.9%
33	Mali	10.0%
34	Guinea-Bissau	10.1%
35	Haiti	10.2%
36	Togo	10.4%
37	Angola	10.5%
38	Ivory Coast	10.6%
	Africa Avg	13.7%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199.

Children's Health Datasets:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better₃₆
Pos.		2022 Per 1000₃₆
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
165	Afghanistan	79.7
166	Venezuela	82.0
167	Nicaragua	84.0
168	Guinea-Bissau	85.8
169	Lesotho	89.1
170	Gabon	89.8
171	Benin	90.8
172	Zimbabwe	92.6
	Africa Avg	84.6
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better₃₅
Pos.		2015 Avg %₃₅
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
154	Venezuela	80.6
155	Myanmar	80.3
156=	Benin	80.1
156=	Guinea-Bissau	80.1
158	Tonga	80.0
159	Mauritania	79.9
160	Lebanon	79.4
161	San Marino	79.3
	Africa Avg	81.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better₃₇
Pos.		Total Per 1000₃₇
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
	...
179	Cameroon	92.19
180	Liberia	92.51
181	Angola	93.23
182	Guinea-Bissau	94.79
183	Equatorial Guinea	95.42
184	Congo, DR	97.76
185	Benin	98.27
186	Burkina Faso	103.67
	Africa Avg	71.63
	World Avg	32.19
q=195.

Guinea-Bissau was amongst 49 countries in the 1990s who had an adolescent birth rate of over 100 (per 1000 girls aged 15-19); in the 2010s it was still amongst only 27 countries that still fell into the same grouping.

6. Guinea-Bissau's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #environmentalism #food #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Africa (2025)₃₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₉
1	Morocco	46.5
2	Burundi	47.8
3	Mali	51.0
	...
31	Egypt	78.0
32	Algeria	79.7
33	Sierra Leone	83.6
34	Guinea-Bissau	83.7
35	Namibia	83.9
36	Central African Rep.	84.2
37	Djibouti	84.5
38	Zambia	85.4
39	Gabon	87.9
	Africa Avg	80.07
q=53.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)₃₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₉
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
99	Singapore	83.3
100	Georgia	83.6
101	Sierra Leone	83.6
102	Guinea-Bissau	83.7
103	Namibia	83.9
104	S. Korea	84.0
105	Cambodia	84.0
106	Central African Rep.	84.2
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

We have known for a long term that we must protect the environment from habitation destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, and the emissions that cause climate change. In 1998, Greenpeace wrote that "Environment can no longer be meaningfully separated from health, quality of life, democracy, education, economy or trade"₄₀. What countries have been doing the right thing, via legislation and national culture? All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

" Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

With regard to its responsibility towards the environment, Guinea-Bissau comes 102nd in the world. This rank is formulated from 21 data sets. Guinea-Bissau comes in the best 20 in terms of energy to GDP efficiency₄₁. It does better than average for reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₂. And finally, it does worse than average when it comes to its environmental performance₄₃, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₄.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better₄₄
Pos.		Total₄₄
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
185	Liberia	-7.5%
186	Bolivia	-7.9%
187	Singapore	-7.9%
188	Guinea-Bissau	-8.0%
189	Ethiopia	-8.0%
190	Israel	-8.4%
191	Haiti	-8.8%
192	Kenya	-8.9%
	Africa Avg	-8.7%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

Environmental Performance Higher is better₄₃
Pos.		2018₄₃
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
140	Gabon	45.1
141	Ethiopia	44.8
142	S. Africa	44.7
143	Guinea-Bissau	44.7
144	Vanuatu	44.6
145	Uganda	44.3
146	Comoros	44.2
147	Mali	43.7
	Africa Avg	46.4
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better₄₁
Pos.		2022 Avg₄₁
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
10	Central African Rep.	0.41
11	Ethiopia	0.42
12	Afghanistan	0.43
13	Guinea-Bissau	0.45
14	Niger	0.48
15	Congo, DR	0.49
16	Nigeria	0.49
17	Myanmar	0.53
	Africa Avg	0.83
	World Avg	1.23
q=165.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
163	Libya	46%
164	Micronesia	46%
165	Cape Verde	46%
166	Guinea-Bissau	46%
167	Bosnia & Herzegovina	45%
168	Laos	44%
169	Myanmar	44%
170	N. Korea	44%
	Africa Avg	56.4%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

Meat Consumption Lower is better₄₂
Pos.		2021 kg₄₂
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
21	N. Korea	12.8
22	Bhutan	13.6
23	Cameroon	14.6
24	Guinea-Bissau	14.7
25	Djibouti	14.8
26	Benin	15.6
27	Guinea	16.7
28	Gambia	16.7
	Africa Avg	24.9
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

7. Guinea-Bissau's Modernity and Learning

#education #it_security #modernity #religion #religiosity #secularisation #technology #the_internet

Compared to Africa (2020)₄₅
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₅
1	S. Africa	56.9
2	Tunisia	70.8
3=	Mauritius	79.6
	...
19	Swaziland	115.9
20	Zambia	116.3
21	Rwanda	123.0
22	Guinea-Bissau	124.4
23	Malawi	125.4
24	Togo	125.8
25	Sao Tome & Principe	126.0
26	Ethiopia	128.3
27	Ivory Coast	132.4
	Africa Avg	120.19
q=53.

Modernity & Learning (2020)₄₅
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₅
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
140	Guyana	122.5
141	Rwanda	123.0
142	Bhutan	123.9
143	Guinea-Bissau	124.4
144	Laos	124.4
145	Iraq	124.6
146	Malawi	125.4
147	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	125.5
	World Avg	86.31
q=190.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Belgium and Denmark₄₆. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone₄₆. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₇.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”
Bill Emmott (2017)₄₈

15 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Intellectual Endeavours, Maths, Science & Reading, Religiosity, IQ, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₄₆, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₆.

For more, see:

"Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Modernity and Education Datasets:

Length of Schooling Higher is better₄₉
Pos.		2021 Years₄₉
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
155	Kenya	10.7
156	Ivory Coast	10.7
157	Jordan	10.6
158	Guinea-Bissau	10.6
159	Guatemala	10.6
160	Liberia	10.4
161	Papua New Guinea	10.4
162	Solomon Islands	10.3
	Africa Avg	11.0
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
54	St Lucia	54
55	Turkey	55
56	Armenia	56
57	Guinea-Bissau	57
58	Central African Rep.	58
59	Kenya	59
60	Egypt	60
61	Japan	61
	Africa Avg	106.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Religiosity Lower is better₅₀
Pos.		2018 %₅₀
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
93=	Rwanda	90
93=	Liberia	90
95=	Morocco	91
95=	Guinea-Bissau	91
95=	Philippines	91
95=	Zambia	91
99	Afghanistan	92
100=	Burkina Faso	93
	Africa Avg	87.0
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Technology and Information Datasets:

Internet Users Higher is better₅₁
Pos.		2016₅₁
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
189	Madagascar	4%
190	Ethiopia	4%
191	Congo, DR	4%
192	Guinea-Bissau	4%
193	Chad	3%
194	Myanmar	3%
195	Sierra Leone	2%
196	Niger	2%
	Africa Avg	18.4%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IT Security Lower is better₅₂
Pos.		2013₅₂
1=	Ireland	0.11
1=	Luxembourg	0.11
1=	Belize	0.11
	...
25	Libya	0.63
26	Qatar	0.65
27	Chile	0.66
28	Guinea-Bissau	0.67
29	Uzbekistan	0.69
30	Moldova	0.71
31	Zambia	0.76
32	Kenya	0.77
	Africa Avg	1.07
	World Avg	0.98

8. Guinea-Bissau's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#capitalism #charitability #corruption #culture #economics #equality #health #human_development #inequality #internationalism #life_expectancy #peace #politics #poverty #social_development

Compared to Africa (2020)₅₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₅₃
1	Mauritius	50.2
2	Seychelles	66.3
3	Tunisia	76.3
	...
39	Mozambique	117.5
40	Mali	117.8
41	Djibouti	119.4
42	Guinea-Bissau	122.4
43	Congo, (Brazzaville)	123.1
44	Libya	126.6
45	Angola	128.2
46	Equatorial Guinea	128.3
47	Burundi	130.3
	Africa Avg	101.84
q=54.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2020)₅₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₅₃
1	Denmark	11.3
2	Netherlands	13.7
3	Finland	13.7
	...
168	Cambodia	119.2
169	Djibouti	119.4
170	Syria	121.8
171	Guinea-Bissau	122.4
172	Congo, (Brazzaville)	123.1
173	Libya	126.6
174	Angola	128.2
175	Equatorial Guinea	128.3
	World Avg	80.34
q=186.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 32 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, passport utility in the 2020s (so far), Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, poverty in the 2020s (so far), Inequality in Life Expectancy, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

"Which are the Countries for International Contributions, Creativity, Peace and Inequality?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

National Culture Datasets:

Corruption Higher is better₅₄
Pos.		2022 Points₅₄
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
162=	Sudan	22.0
162=	Eritrea	22.0
164=	Congo, (Brazzaville)	21.0
164=	Guinea-Bissau	21.0
166	Congo, DR	20.0
167=	Nicaragua	19.0
167=	Comoros	19.0
167=	Turkmenistan	19.0
	Africa Avg	32.31
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

After hovering outside of the worst-10, in 2018, Guinea Bissau temporarily became the 9th-worst country in the world in terms of perception of corruption.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
148	Angola	148
149	Zambia	149
150	Pakistan	150
151	Guinea-Bissau	151
152	Syria	152
153	Liberia	153
154	Venezuela	154
155	Yemen	155
	Africa Avg	117.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Passport Reach (2020s) Higher is better₅₅
Pos.		Total Q₅₅
1	Singapore	192.2
2	Japan	192.0
3	S. Korea	190.7
	...
155=	Niger	54.5
156=	Cambodia	53.7
156=	Vietnam	53.7
158	Guinea-Bissau	53.5
159	Algeria	53.3
160=	Chad	53.2
160=	Kosovo	53.2
160=	Comoros	53.2
	Africa Avg	62.9
	World Avg	108.8
q=195.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
88	Vietnam	88
89	Central African Rep.	89
90	Botswana	90
91	Guinea-Bissau	91
92	Burundi	92
93	Mozambique	93
94	Guinea	94
95	Ivory Coast	95
	Africa Avg	96.7
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Peace Versus Instability Datasets:

Global Peace Index Lower is better₅₆
Pos.		2023 Score₅₆
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
84=	Morocco	2.02
84=	Angola	2.02
86	Uzbekistan	2.03
87	Guinea-Bissau	2.05
88=	Bangladesh	2.05
88=	Rwanda	2.05
90	Ivory Coast	2.05
91	Tanzania	2.06
	Africa Avg	2.29
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
156	Swaziland	156
157	Yemen	157
158	Iraq	158
159	Bahrain	159
160	Slovenia	160
161	Tonga	161
162	Marshall Islands	162
163	Guinea-Bissau	163
	Africa Avg	83.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
70	Latvia	70
71	Guatemala	71
72	Estonia	72
73	Guinea-Bissau	73
74	Albania	74
75	Botswana	75
76	Lebanon	76
77	Bahrain	77
	Africa Avg	104.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets:

Poverty (2020s) Lower is better₅₇
Pos.		Total %₅₇
1	Malaysia	0.01%
2	Bhutan	0.01%
3	Cyprus	0.02%
	...
93	Rwanda	38.55%
94	Ethiopia	38.64%
95	Chad	39.48%
96	Guinea-Bissau	39.86%
97	Nigeria	41.82%
98	Burkina Faso	42.06%
99	Kenya	45.92%
100	Niger	60.49%
	Africa Avg	41.51%
	World Avg	11.40%
q=106.

From the 1990s to the 2000s, a further 16% of Guinea-Bissau's population fell into poverty.

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better₅₈
Pos.		2019₅₈
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
168=	Burkina Faso	32.00
168=	Angola	32.00
170	Haiti	32.20
171	Guinea-Bissau	32.30
172	Lesotho	33.10
173	Ivory Coast	33.30
174	Cameroon	33.50
175	Equatorial Guinea	34.60
	Africa Avg	26.10
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better₅₉
Pos.		2023 %₅₉
1	Slovakia	24.1%₆₀
2	Slovenia	24.3%₆₀
3	Belarus	24.4%₆₁
	...
60=	S. Korea	32.9%₆₀
61	Bosnia & Herzegovina	33.0%₆₂
62	Serbia	33.1%₆₀
63=	Guinea-Bissau	33.4%₆₀
63=	Bangladesh	33.4%₆₃
65=	Macedonia	33.5%₆₄
65=	Georgia	33.5%₆₃
67	Palestine	33.7%₆₅
	Africa Avg	40.7%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

Income inequality data is rarely available for Guinea-Bissau - only for 5 years between 1980 and 2019.

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better₆₆
Pos.		2018 Severity₆₆
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
	...
87	Liberia	.320
88	Guinea	.336
89	Benin	.368
90	Guinea-Bissau	.372
91	Congo, DR	.389
92	Burundi	.403
93	Mozambique	.411
94	Madagascar	.453
	Africa Avg	.264
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion #religiosity #secularisation

Religiosity (2018)₅₀
Pos.		Lower is better %₅₀
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
91=	Honduras	90
91=	Cameroon	90
91=	Rwanda	90
91=	Liberia	90
95=	Morocco	91
95=	Guinea-Bissau	91
95=	Philippines	91
95=	Zambia	91
99	Afghanistan	92
100=	Burkina Faso	93
100=	Tanzania	93
100=	Indonesia	93
103=	Mali	94
103=	Pakistan	94
105=	Ethiopia	98
105=	Senegal	98
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₆₇:

	2010	2020
Muslim	53.7%	56%
Christian	26.2%	21.7%
Unaffiliated	2.41%	11.6%
Other	17.7%	10.7%
Jewish	None	None
Hindu	None	None
Buddhist	None	None

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states simply: Muslim 50%, indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 10%₆₈.

Links:

A List of All Religions and Belief Systems