Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook (October 2026) · updated on
Public finances and external accounts
A fiscal deficit of 6.7 % of GDP
Guinea-Bissau: in 2025, the general government spent 6.7 % of GDP more than it collected, public debt stood at 75.1 % of GDP, the current account showed a deficit of 6.2 % (IMF).
- Fiscal balance · 2025
- −6.7 %
- of GDP · +2.9 pt since 2020
- Public debt · 2025
- 75.1 %
- of GDP · −2.5 pt since 2020
- Current account · 2025
- −6.2 %
- of GDP · −3.6 pt since 2020
Fiscal balance, % of GDP
Negative: a deficit · dashed: estimates and projections
Chart data as a table
| Year | Guinea-Bissau | West Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | −3.2 % | −2.9 % |
| 2016 | −5.3 % | −3.6 % |
| 2017 | −1.3 % | −3.7 % |
| 2018 | −4.8 % | −3.4 % |
| 2019 | −3.9 % | −3.6 % |
| 2020 | −9.6 % | −5.4 % |
| 2021 | −5.9 % | −5.1 % |
| 2022 | −6.1 % | −5.4 % |
| 2023 | −8.2 % | −4.0 % |
| 2024 | −7.3 % | −3.6 % |
| 2025 · estimate | −6.7 % | −2.5 % |
| 2026 · projection | −4.0 % | −3.2 % |
| 2027 · projection | −3.5 % | −3.0 % |
| 2028 · projection | −3.0 % | −2.8 % |
| 2029 · projection | −3.0 % | −2.8 % |
| 2030 · projection | −3.0 % | −2.8 % |
- Guinea-Bissau
- West Africa
Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook (October 2026) · general government net lending or borrowing · group values weighted by GDP in dollars (Syli Atlas)
UEMOA convergence criteria
First-rank criteria in 2025
- Fiscal balance ≥ −3 % of GDP −6.7 % Not met
- Inflation ≤ 3 % 0.9 % Met
- Public debt ≤ 70 % of GDP 75.1 % Not met
Syli Atlas calculation from IMF figures · thresholds: UEMOA Additional Act No. 01/2015/CCEG/UEMOA · fiscal balance: general government net lending or borrowing (IMF), close to the overall balance including grants
Currency
West African CFA franc
Guinea-Bissau shares the West African CFA franc and its central bank, the BCEAO, with the seven other UEMOA countries: the policy rate and foreign exchange reserves are common. The franc is pegged to the euro.
- Currency
- XOF
- West African CFA franc
- Exchange regime
- Fixed
- 1 EUR = 655.957 XOF
- Inflation · 2025
- 0.9 %
- average annual change in consumer prices
- One US dollar
- 590 XOF
- rate of 2026-11-12
Currency codes: ISO 4217 · fixed parities: central banks (BCEAO, BEAC, Central Bank of the Comoros, Bank of Cape Verde…) · inflation: IMF, World Economic Outlook (October 2026) · dollar rate: Data by MansaAPI
Debt
A debt owed first to multilateral lenders
At the end of 2025, Guinea-Bissau owed 1.4 bn$ in public external debt (World Bank). 0.0 % of it was owed to China, 55.9 % to multilateral institutions and 35.4 % to bond holders.
- Public debt · 2025
- 75.1 %
- of GDP · IMF
- External debt · 2025
- 1.5 bn$
- public and private · World Bank
- Public external debt · 2025
- 1.4 bn$
- owed or guaranteed by the State
- Debt service · 2024
- 8.7 %
- of exports of goods, services and income
Risk of debt distress
IMF and World Bank debt sustainability analysis
Latest analysis published on 2025-07-07: high.
Source: IMF, list of debt sustainability analyses of low-income countries, as of 2026-03-31 · imf.org
Public external debt by creditor
Share of the total at the end of each year
- Multilateral (IMF, World Bank, AfDB…)
- 55.9 %
- China
- 0.0 %
- Other countries
- 8.7 %
- Bonds (Eurobonds)
- 35.4 %
- Banks and other private lenders
- 0.0 %
Source: World Bank, International Debt Statistics (updated 2026-11-05) · public and publicly guaranteed external debt, end of year · CC BY 4.0 · shares: Syli Atlas calculation