Country page · Sub-Saharan Africa
If you were born in Guinea-Bissau
1 in 2,017 babies · 0.05% of births · about 66,496 a year
Right now, about 0.05% of the world's babies are born in Guinea-Bissau — 1 in 2,017, or roughly 66,496 a year and 182 a day. Life expectancy there is 64.3 years.
How the 1 in 2,017 is calculated
This number is not based on population. It uses births: Guinea-Bissau has about 66,496 births a year, and the world has about 134,147,481. Divide one by the other and you get 0.05% — 1 in 2,017. Using population instead would understate young countries and overstate ageing ones, so every draw is weighted by births.
Life in Guinea-Bissau, in numbers
| Indicator | Value | World rank |
|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy women 66.5 · men 61.8 | 64.3 years | 149th highest of 172 countries |
| Chance of dying before 5 67.3 / 1,000 | 6.7% | 156th lowest of 170 countries |
| Chance of dying before 1 42.1 / 1,000 | 4.2% | 146th lowest of 170 countries |
| Mothers who die giving birth per 100,000 births | 505 | 162nd lowest of 170 countries |
| Children per woman | 3.76 | 140th lowest of 172 countries |
| Expected years of schooling | 9.2 years | 145th highest of 168 countries |
| Tertiary enrollment | 2.6% | 162nd highest of 168 countries |
| Income per person (PPP) GDP per capita, PPP | $3,293 | 151st highest of 170 countries |
| Income inequality closer to 0 = more equal | 33.40 | 103rd highest of 157 countries |
| People living in cities | 46.7% | 124th highest of 172 countries |
| People working in farming | 61.1% | 159th lowest of 171 countries |
| People using the internet | 29.8% | 148th highest of 172 countries |
| Homicide per 100,000 people | 1.1 | 45th lowest of 155 countries |
| Health costs paid out of pocket share of health spending | 61.6% | 153rd lowest of 168 countries |
| Adults living with HIV | 2.20% | 17th highest of 142 countries |
| People who smoke | 8.2% | — |
How to read these numbers
Income is shown in purchasing-power-parity dollars, so it compares what money buys locally rather than market exchange rates. The under-5 rate is the share of babies who die before their fifth birthday; the maternal mortality ratio is per 100,000 live births. A Gini index closer to 0 means a more equal income distribution, and a higher number means a more unequal one.
Each indicator uses the most recent year with a non-empty value, which can differ by country; the rank compares this country with the other 171 in the dataset, not with every country on Earth. Where a value is missing, the page shows a dash rather than an estimate.
Guinea-Bissau compared with Sub-Saharan Africa
Life expectancy in Guinea-Bissau is 64.3 years, against a Sub-Saharan Africa average of 0.0. The under-5 death rate is 6.7%, versus 0.0% across the region. Income per person is $3,293, against $0 regionally; expected schooling is 9.2 years against 0.0. 46.7% of people live in cities, against 0.0% in the region.
| Indicator | Guinea-Bissau | Sub-Saharan Africa | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy | 64.3 years old | — | 73.3 years old |
| Under-5 deaths | 6.7% | — | 2.6% |
| Income per person (PPP) | $3,293 | — | $30,311 |
| Expected schooling | 9.2 years | — | 13.0 years |
| People in cities | 46.7% | — | 61.6% |
What a life there looks like
Put those numbers together and you get a life: about 64.3 years on average, with roughly 67.3 of every 1,000 babies dying before their fifth birthday. A child can expect 9.2 years of school, and income per person is around $3,293. These are averages — every life still lands somewhere on the distribution.
If you play as someone born in Guinea-Bissau
The game draws Guinea-Bissau in about 1 of every 2,017 births. From there the life runs year by year: 64.3 years of life expectancy on average, a 6.7% chance of dying before five, and an income of about $3,293 per person. Choices move the odds; the starting statistics do not.
Nearby and similar countries
- Chance of being born in Gabon — 1 in 1,907
- Chance of being born in Botswana — 1 in 2,149
- Chance of being born in Equatorial Guinea — 1 in 2,307
- All 172 countries
Frequently asked questions
What are the odds of being born in Guinea-Bissau?
What is life expectancy in Guinea-Bissau?
How many babies are born in Guinea-Bissau each year?
Is Guinea-Bissau a good country to be born in, in the game?
Source: World Bank World Development Indicators, with UN World Population Prospects 2024 and UN IGME for births and mortality. Values are the most recent non-empty year for each indicator; the year is noted where it differs. Page updated Oct 24, 2026.