If you lived in Guinea-Bissau instead of United States, you would:

Health

be 69.0% less likely to be obese

In United States, 41.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Guinea-Bissau, that number is 12.7% of people as of 2024.

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be 50.9% less likely to die by suicide

United States has a suicide rate of 15.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Guinea-Bissau, it is 7.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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live 14.6 years less

In United States, the average life expectancy is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In Guinea-Bissau, that number is 64 years (62 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 98.2% less spent on your healthcare

United States spends $13,473 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Guinea-Bissau spends $247 as of 2023.

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have 93.2% fewer doctors per person

United States has 36.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Guinea-Bissau has 2.5 as of 2022.

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have 57.0% less access to essential health services

United States scores 86 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Guinea-Bissau scores 37 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 36.4% less likely to be unemployed

In United States, 4.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Guinea-Bissau, that number is 2.7% as of 2025.

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make 98.8% less money

United States has a GDP per capita of $90,027 as of 2025, while in Guinea-Bissau, the GDP per capita is $1,124 as of 2025.

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Life

have 2.8 times more children

In United States, there are approximately 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Guinea-Bissau, there are 29.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 29.7 times more likely to die during childbirth

In United States, approximately 17.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Guinea-Bissau, 505.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 7.7 times more likely to die during infancy

In United States, approximately 5.5 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Guinea-Bissau, on the other hand, 42.1 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 59.5% less likely to have access to electricity

In United States, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Guinea-Bissau, that number is 40% of people on average (64% in urban areas, and 21% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 68.6% less likely to have internet access

In United States, approximately 94.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Guinea-Bissau, about 29.8% do as of 2024.

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be 38.2% less likely to have access to drinking water

In United States, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Guinea-Bissau, that number is 62% of people on average (73% in urban areas, and 53% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 50.2% less on education

United States spends 5.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Guinea-Bissau spends 2.7% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

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spend 47.2% less on healthcare

United States spends 16.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Guinea-Bissau, that number is 8.8% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 98.2% less coastline

United States has a total of 19,924 km of coastline. In Guinea-Bissau, that number is 350 km.

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Safety

be 2.1 times more likely to die in a road accident

In United States, road accidents kill 14.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Guinea-Bissau, they kill 30.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 94.7% less strain on fresh water

United States withdraws 28% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Guinea-Bissau withdraws 2% as of 2022.

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find 99.0% less home broadband

United States has 38.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Guinea-Bissau has 0.4 as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 98.8% less CO2

United States emits 13.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Guinea-Bissau emits 0.2 tonnes as of 2024.

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be 6.4 times more likely to die from air pollution

In United States, air pollution causes 14.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Guinea-Bissau, it causes 89.0 as of 2019.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2020), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Guinea-Bissau: At a glance

Guinea-Bissau is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 28,120 sq km. Since independence from Portugal in 1974, Guinea-Bissau has experienced considerable political and military upheaval. In 1980, a military coup established authoritarian dictator Joao Bernardo 'Nino' VIEIRA as president. Despite setting a path to a market economy and multiparty system, VIEIRA's regime was characterized by the suppression of political opposition and the purging of political rivals. Several coup attempts through the 1980s and early 1990s failed to unseat him. In 1994 VIEIRA was elected president in the country's first free elections. A military mutiny and resulting civil war in 1998 eventually led to VIEIRA's ouster in May 1999. In February 2000, a transitional government turned over power to opposition leader Kumba YALA after he was elected president in transparent polling. In September 2003, after only three years in office, YALA was overthrown in a bloodless military coup, and businessman Henrique ROSA was sworn in as interim president. In 2005, former President VIEIRA was re-elected president pledging to pursue economic development and national reconciliation; he was assassinated in March 2009. Malam Bacai SANHA was elected in an emergency election held in June 2009, but he passed away in January 2012 from an existing illness. A military coup in April 2012 prevented Guinea-Bissau's second-round presidential election - to determine SANHA's successor - from taking place.
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