Government and power in Guinea-Bissau
Who leads Guinea-Bissau, how the World Bank's governance indicators score it, how many women sit in parliament and government, what the state spends and taxes, and the official bodies that hold power to account. System of government: Unitary semi-presidential republic (constitution suspended after November 2025 military takeover).
Who leads Guinea-Bissau?
- Head of state: le Général d'Armée Horta Inta-a (Président de transition de la République de Guinée-Bissau)
- Head of government: Ilídio Vieira Té (Premier Ministre de la République de Guinée-Bissau)
- Foreign minister: Fatumata Jau (Ministre des Affaires étrangères, de la Coopération internationale et des Communautés de la République de Guinée-Bissau)
Source: Heads of State, Heads of Government, Ministers for Foreign Affairs: Public List (United Nations Protocol and Liaison Service), list dated 15 October 2026. All world leaders.
Governance scores
The World Bank's Worldwide Governance Indicators combine surveys of households and firms with assessments by public, private and non-governmental bodies. Each score runs from 0 to 100; higher means the sources rate governance better. They measure perceptions, and each has a margin of error.
- Voice and accountability
- Measures how far citizens can choose their government, and freedom of expression, association and the media.
- Political stability and absence of violence
- Measures the likelihood of political instability or politically motivated violence, including terrorism.
- Government effectiveness
- Measures the quality of public services and the civil service, and how independent they are from political pressure.
- Regulatory quality
- Measures the government's ability to make and carry out policies that let the private sector develop.
- Rule of law
- Measures confidence in and respect for the rules of society, including contract enforcement, property rights, the police and the courts.
- Control of corruption
- Measures how far public power is used for private gain, including petty and grand corruption and "capture" of the state by elites.
How does Guinea-Bissau score on voice and accountability?
Voice and accountability: 38 out of 100 in 2025, 144th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 41.2). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 43.2.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does Guinea-Bissau score on political stability?
Political stability and absence of violence: 56.3 out of 100 in 2025, 143rd highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 56.4). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 54.9.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does Guinea-Bissau score on government effectiveness?
Government effectiveness: 22.2 out of 100 in 2025, 181st highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 36.2). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 21.7.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does Guinea-Bissau score on regulatory quality?
Regulatory quality: 34.3 out of 100 in 2025, 173rd highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 42.9). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 32.7.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does Guinea-Bissau score on the rule of law?
Rule of law: 37.7 out of 100 in 2025, 171st highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 44.6). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 37.2.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does Guinea-Bissau score on control of corruption?
Control of corruption: 19.8 out of 100 in 2025, 179th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 32.2). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 16.8.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many women are in Guinea-Bissau's parliament?
Women held 9.8% of seats in the national parliament (single or lower chamber) in 2024, 165th highest of 183 countries with data. Source: Inter-Parliamentary Union, via the World Bank.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many of Guinea-Bissau's ministers are women?
Women held 21.7% of ministerial posts in 2025, 93rd highest of 190.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow much does the government of Guinea-Bissau spend?
Central government spending (expense) was 15.5% of GDP in 2023.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow much tax does the government of Guinea-Bissau collect?
Central government tax revenue was 8.3% of GDP in 2024, 85th highest of 92.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow much does Guinea-Bissau spend on the military?
Military spending was 0.9% of GDP in 2025, 116th highest of 149 (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, via the World Bank).
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow big are the armed forces of Guinea-Bissau?
Armed forces personnel numbered 4,000 in 2020.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow good are Guinea-Bissau's official statistics?
The World Bank's Statistical Performance Indicator, which scores how well a country's official statistics system works, was 47.5 out of 100 in 2024, 166th highest of 187.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many births are registered in Guinea-Bissau?
46.0% of births of children under 5 were registered with a civil authority (2019).
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many people in Guinea-Bissau use the internet?
29.8% of people used the internet in 2024.
Source: World Bank · saved copyOfficial bodies that hold power in Guinea-Bissau
Government
- Presidency of the RepublicPresidential decrees, communiqués and official news.
Parliament
- National People's AssemblyLaws approved, session records and the list of deputies.
Public audit
- Court of AuditorsAudit reports and opinions on the General State Account.
Government below the national level
- Regions (8) plus the Autonomous Sector of Bissau: Regional governors appointed and dismissed by the government on the minister's proposal
- Sectors: Sector administrators appointed by the government
- Sections and villages (tabancas): Village heads chosen locally, often by custom
- Municipalities (planned in the constitution): Assembly to be elected by proportional representation
How local power works in Guinea-Bissau
Places in Guinea-Bissau
Sources
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Voice and accountability (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 70f2804fd1e2…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Political stability and absence of violence (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1317de0c85e1…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Government effectiveness (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a775e808dc65…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Regulatory quality (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 83b57e36ff8c…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Rule of law (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0bccc3c054e8…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Control of corruption (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3b15a5340cdd…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Seats held by women in national parliament (SG.GEN.PARL.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1ae1dc13981a…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Women in ministerial positions (SG.GEN.MNST.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a4e448a5b8bd…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Central government spending (GC.XPN.TOTL.GD.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 808094019f50…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Tax revenue (GC.TAX.TOTL.GD.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 08c94b750f31…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Military spending (MS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a7f6913a783b…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Armed forces personnel (MS.MIL.TOTL.P1), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 fa4663c743ba…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Statistical Performance Indicator (overall score) (IQ.SPI.OVRL), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 08ac7cde9129…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Births registered (SP.REG.BRTH.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f8d443034ba7…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: People using the internet (IT.NET.USER.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0d78dc658329…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.