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.
Why 1 in 8 billion is not a birth probability
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.
Population and births
Guinea-Bissau has 2,249,515 people — 0.03% of the 8,185,260,817 people in this 172-country group, ranking 147th of 172 by population. Its 66,496 births a year are 0.05% of the world's births, so its birth share is 1.80× its population share. A ratio below 1 usually means an older age structure than the group average; above 1 means younger. Population is the 2025 estimate; births use the latest birth rate (2024).
| Measure | Value | Share of world | World rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2025) | 2,249,515 | 0.03% | 147th of 172 |
| Births per year (2024) | 66,496 | 0.05% | 120th of 172 |
| Birth share ÷ population share | 1.80× | — | — |
How the population is changing
Guinea-Bissau is changing by 2.16% a year. About 66,496 babies are born and 15,767 people die each year, a natural change of +50.7K; net migration is -1.4K. Population density is 78 people per km². About 1M people live in cities. 38.3% of the population is under 15 and 3.2% is 65 or older.
| Measure | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Annual population growth | 2.16% | 2025 |
| Deaths per year | 15,767 | 2024 |
| Natural change (births − deaths) | +50,729 | 2024 |
| Net migration | -1,373 | 2025 |
| Population density | 78 /km² | 2024 |
| Urban population | 1,049,422 | 2025 |
| Age 0–14 | 38.3% | 2025 |
| Age 15–64 | 58.4% | 2025 |
| Age 65+ | 3.2% | 2025 |
Components use the latest available year for each series and may not add exactly to the published growth rate.
Median age and the 2050 outlook
Guinea-Bissau's median age is 19.4 years, against a world median of 30.9. The UN projects 25.7 years by 2050, 3,438,608 people (52.9% more than in 2025), and life expectancy at birth of 68.0 years (women 70.7, men 65.3).
| Year | Population (UN WPP 2024) |
|---|---|
| 1970 | 584,402 |
| 2000 | 1,234,741 |
| 2030 | 2,488,934 |
| 2050 | 3,438,608 |
Median age, 2050 population and 2050 life expectancy: UN WPP 2024. The population table above uses the World Bank snapshot; the projection table above uses UN WPP 2024.
Age structure in 2025
Male and female shares of the total population in Guinea-Bissau, by age group.
UN WPP 2024, 2025 estimate. Male and female shares are of the total population, so they add to 100%.
Life in Guinea-Bissau, in numbers
| Indicator | Value | Year | World rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy women 66.5 · men 61.8 | 64.3 years | 2024 | 149th highest of 172 countries |
| Chance of dying before 5 67.3 / 1,000 | 6.7% | 2024 | 156th lowest of 170 countries |
| Chance of dying before 1 42.1 / 1,000 | 4.2% | 2024 | 146th lowest of 170 countries |
| Mothers who die giving birth per 100,000 births | 505 | 2023 | 162nd lowest of 170 countries |
| Children per woman | 3.76 | 2024 | 140th lowest of 172 countries |
| Expected years of schooling | 9.2 years | 2006 | 145th highest of 168 countries |
| Tertiary enrollment | 2.6% | 2006 | 162nd highest of 168 countries |
| Income per person (PPP) GDP per capita, PPP | $3,293 | 2025 | 151st highest of 170 countries |
| Income inequality closer to 0 = more equal | 33.40 | 2021 | 103rd highest of 157 countries |
| People living in cities | 46.7% | 2025 | 124th highest of 172 countries |
| People working in farming | 61.1% | 2025 | 159th lowest of 171 countries |
| People using the internet | 29.8% | 2024 | 148th highest of 172 countries |
| Homicide per 100,000 people | 1.1 | 2017 | 45th lowest of 155 countries |
| Health costs paid out of pocket share of health spending | 61.6% | 2023 | 153rd lowest of 168 countries |
| Adults living with HIV | 2.20% | 2024 | 17th highest of 142 countries |
| People who smoke | 8.2% | 2024 | 21st lowest of 151 countries |
Chance of reaching each age
Of 100 babies born in Guinea-Bissau, about 93.3% reach age 5 and 27.3% reach 80. The world averages are 96.5% and 48.3%.
| Age | This country | World |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 93.3% | 96.5% |
| 20 | 91.3% | 95.1% |
| 40 | 85.8% | 92.0% |
| 60 | 71.0% | 82.9% |
| 80 | 27.3% | 48.3% |
UN WPP 2024 life table, 2025, both sexes combined.
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. World and regional figures are weighted by population; the under-5 rate is weighted by births.
Guinea-Bissau compared with Sub-Saharan Africa
Life expectancy in Guinea-Bissau is 64.3 years, against a Sub-Saharan Africa average of 62.8. The under-5 death rate is 6.7%, versus 7.1% across the region. Income per person is $3,293, against $5,782 regionally; expected schooling is 9.2 years against 9.4. 46.7% of people live in cities, against 44.7% in the region.
| Indicator | Guinea-Bissau | Sub-Saharan Africa | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy | 64.3 years old | 62.8 years old | 73.4 years old |
| Under-5 deaths | 6.7% | 7.1% | 3.8% |
| Income per person (PPP) | $3,293 | $5,782 | $25,560 |
| Expected schooling | 9.2 years | 9.4 years | 12.5 years |
| People in cities | 46.7% | 44.7% | 57.8% |
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.
Play one life in the simulator · The rules of one life · Play without an app store
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?
What is the population of Guinea-Bissau?
Is the chance of being born in Guinea-Bissau the same as its share of the population?
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 25, 2026.