External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP in Guinea-Bissau
Guinea-Bissau: External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP was -13.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising
External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP in Guinea-Bissau, 1970–2025
Source: National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp in Guinea-Bissau is -13.1%, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 12.2% on the previous year and down 207.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp in Guinea-Bissau peaked at -3.8% in 2017 and was at its lowest, -59.7%, in 1997.
Guinea-Bissau ranks 141st of 191 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP in Guinea-Bissau, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | -26.2% | — |
| 1971 | -30.2% | +15.1% |
| 1972 | -31.3% | +3.7% |
| 1973 | -34.7% | +10.8% |
| 1974 | -34.2% | -1.3% |
| 1975 | -20.8% | -39.3% |
| 1976 | -22.7% | +9.2% |
| 1977 | -23.3% | +2.8% |
| 1978 | -28.3% | +21.5% |
| 1979 | -34.3% | +21.0% |
| 1980 | -29.2% | -14.9% |
| 1981 | -24.5% | -15.9% |
| 1982 | -33.4% | +36.4% |
| 1983 | -26.2% | -21.5% |
| 1984 | -37.9% | +44.3% |
| 1985 | -48.0% | +26.6% |
| 1986 | -26.6% | -44.5% |
| 1987 | -27.6% | +3.7% |
| 1988 | -38.7% | +40.4% |
| 1989 | -37.3% | -3.7% |
| 1990 | -27.1% | -27.3% |
| 1991 | -27.8% | +2.6% |
| 1992 | -45.2% | +62.6% |
| 1993 | -23.8% | -47.3% |
| 1994 | -17.9% | -25.1% |
| 1995 | -23.5% | +31.5% |
| 1996 | -21.3% | -9.2% |
| 1997 | -59.7% | +180.1% |
| 1998 | -35.3% | -40.9% |
| 1999 | -32.4% | -8.1% |
| 2000 | -26.6% | -18.2% |
| 2001 | -27.4% | +3.3% |
| 2002 | -16.8% | -38.9% |
| 2003 | -14.2% | -15.5% |
| 2004 | -17.3% | +22.3% |
| 2005 | -18.7% | +7.7% |
| 2006 | -28.0% | +50.1% |
| 2007 | -24.0% | -14.3% |
| 2008 | -21.6% | -10.0% |
| 2009 | -21.3% | -1.2% |
| 2010 | -18.2% | -14.5% |
| 2011 | -10.0% | -45.0% |
| 2012 | -15.9% | +58.6% |
| 2013 | -13.5% | -14.9% |
| 2014 | -13.5% | -0.3% |
| 2015 | -4.3% | -68.3% |
| 2016 | -6.8% | +57.9% |
| 2017 | -3.8% | -43.0% |
| 2018 | -4.1% | +5.7% |
| 2019 | -13.4% | +229.1% |
| 2020 | -11.9% | -10.7% |
| 2021 | -9.7% | -18.5% |
| 2022 | -16.5% | +69.4% |
| 2023 | -15.0% | -9.3% |
| 2024 | -15.0% | +0.2% |
| 2025 | -13.1% | -12.2% |
Guinea-Bissau compared with similar countries
- Guinea-Bissau's -13.1% is below the median for low income countries, which is -11.3%, 1.2× the median. (22 countries reporting)
- Guinea-Bissau's -13.1% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is -6.9%, 1.9× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP in Guinea-Bissau changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | -229.1% | -4.1% | -13.4% |
| 1997 | -180.1% | -21.3% | -59.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | -28.6% | -34.7% | -20.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | -32.9% | -48.0% | -24.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | -31.4% | -59.7% | -17.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | -21.6% | -28.0% | -14.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | -10.3% | -18.2% | -3.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | -13.5% | -16.5% | -9.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Guinea-Bissau
- 138 Haiti -12.8% compare
- 139 Seychelles -13.0% compare
- 140 Bosnia and Herzegovina -13.1% compare
- 142 Nicaragua -13.3% compare
- 143 Uzbekistan -13.3% compare
- 144 Rwanda -13.6% compare
More economy & growth data for Guinea-Bissau
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 2.42 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 4.5 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 389,069 BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0002 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 0.1767 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 26.65 million BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual 6.04 % change on previous year (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0121 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 12.11 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$) 8.88 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp in Guinea-Bissau?
- External balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp in Guinea-Bissau was -13.1% in 2025, according to National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp recorded in Guinea-Bissau?
- The highest recorded value was -3.8% in 2017.
- What is the lowest external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp recorded in Guinea-Bissau?
- The lowest recorded value was -59.7% in 1997.
- How does Guinea-Bissau rank for external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp?
- Guinea-Bissau ranks 141st out of 191 countries with data for 2025.
- Is external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp rising or falling in Guinea-Bissau?
- Over the last ten years it is down 207.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Guinea-Bissau data come from?
- The figures come from National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Exports of goods and services minus imports of goods and services divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage.