Attachments
JOINT SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS
The Republic of Guinea-Bissau located on the west coast of Africa borders Senegal to the north, Guinea to the east and southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south and west. In addition to the mainland, it also includes an insular part with approximately 90 islands and islets that make up the Bijagós Archipelago, occupying a total area of 36,125 square kilometres. The country, endowed with numerous rivers and an island archipelago, suffers from limited maritime transport, hindering access to essential services like healthcare and education for island communities.
Guinea-Bissau has a history of political and institutional fragility dating back to its independence from Portugal in 1974. The politico-military conflict of 1998 and the democratic fragility of the past 20 years have created an unstable political environment, with a proliferation of political parties, lack of trust between these parties and changing motivations among
them. It is one of the most coup-prone and politically unstable countries in the world.
Since independence, four successful coups have taken place, with another 16 attempted, plotted or alleged. The 2019 presidential elections were followed by a political crisis that ended in April 2020. Although 2021 was characterized by relative political stability, a renewed episode of political violence in February 2022 inaugurated a new period of political crisis.
The estimated population of the country in 2021 was 1,801,109, according to data provided by the National Institute of Statistics (INE). Like most countries in sub-Saharan Africa, the Guinea-Bissau population, with a high growth rate (2.4%), is characterized by a preponderance of young people (nearly 50% of Guineans are aged between 0 and 17 years). In 2021, the elderly population (65 years and over) represented only 3%. Of this 64.7 per cent were reported to be living below the poverty line (1US$ per day), while 20 per cent were reported to be living in extreme poverty (less than 1 US$ per day). Nevertheless, ensuring social stability, economic recovery, and the effective implementation of poverty reduction measures poses substantial challenges.