Guinea-Bissau: Current account balance (current US$, BoP)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Guinea-Bissau's current account balance (current US$, BoP) fell US$1.56 million on 2023 (from −US$160.17 million to −US$161.73 million).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1990 to 2023), the average change was −US$2.51 million and a typical year strayed about US$43.96 million from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was US$88.73 million in 2020 and the biggest yearly fall was US$132.51 million in 2022. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is downward, about US$20.78 million a year. A straight line explains 70% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, Guinea-Bissau had the 12th highest value of the 29 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Guinea-Bissau in the 2024 ranking

• Naoero — 8th of 29: US$9.73 million
• Solomon Islands — 9th of 29: −US$66.23 million
• Haiti — 10th of 29: −US$145.14 million
• Guinea — 12th of 29: −US$391.82 million
• Fiji — 13th of 29: −US$464.37 million
• Bhutan — 14th of 29: −US$649.3 million

What this measures

Balance of current transactions (transactions in goods and services, earned income and transfer income) between residents and non-residents. The term current account balance is used in the external accounts and is expressed from the perspective of resident units. The term current external balance is used in the national accounts and is expressed from the perspective of the non-resident units, and therefore with the opposite sign. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.

Limitations: Discrepancies may arise in the balance of payments because there is no single source for balance of payments data and therefore no way to ensure that the data are fully consistent. Sources include customs data, monetary accounts of the banking system, external debt records, information provided by enterprises, surveys to estimate service transactions, and foreign exchange records. Differences in collection methods - such as in timing, definitions of residence and ownership, and the exchange rate used to value transactions - contribute to net errors and omissions. In addition, smuggling and other illegal or quasi-legal transactions may be unrecorded or misrecorded.

All 40 values

Current account balance (current US$, BoP) in nearby economies

• Angola — US$417.99 million (2025)
• Benin — −US$1.61 billion (2023)
• Botswana — US$583.38 million (2025)
• Burkina Faso — −US$918.24 million (2024)
• Burundi — −US$461.46 million (2025)
• Cabo Verde — US$108.71 million (2025)
• Cameroon — −US$1.75 billion (2024)
• Comoros — −US$24.62 million (2023)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — −US$3.94 billion (2025)
• Congo, Rep. — US$1.72 billion (2021)

More economic policy & debt data for Guinea-Bissau

• Net bilateral aid flows from DAC donors, Total (current US$) — US$61.31 million (2023)
• Net official development assistance and official aid received (current US$) — US$188.91 million (2023)
• Net official development assistance and official aid received (constant 2023 US$) — US$188.91 million (2023)
• Net official development assistance received (current US$) — US$188.91 million (2023)
• Net official development assistance received (constant 2023 US$) — US$188.91 million (2023)
• Net ODA received per capita (current US$) — US$87.73 (2023)
• General government final consumption expenditure (current US$) — US$391.44 million (2025)
• General government final consumption expenditure (current LCU)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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Questions people ask

What is Guinea-Bissau's current account balance (current US$, BoP)?

−US$161.73 million in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1982?

It is down 103.44% from −US$79.5 million in 1982. The highest value was US$20.94 million in 2015 and the lowest −US$161.73 million in 2024.

How does Guinea-Bissau rank?

12th highest of 29 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in current account balance (current US$, BoP) unusual for Guinea-Bissau?

In 2024, Guinea-Bissau's current account balance (current US$, BoP) fell US$1.56 million on 2023 (from −US$160.17 million to −US$161.73 million). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1990 to 2023), the average change was −US$2.51 million and a typical year strayed about US$43.96 million from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator BN.CAB.XOKA.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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