MigrantoBissau-Guinean Diaspora
104K Bissau-Guineans live abroad — the #152 largest diaspora in the world
Where emigrants go
The top 3 countries receive 80% of all emigrants
↑↓ — change vs 2020
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| Portugal | 36682 |
| Senegal | 31321 |
| Gambia | 15119 |
| Cape Verde | 5576 |
| Guinea | 4217 |
| Italy | 3131 |
| Luxembourg | 1751 |
| Brazil | 1521 |
| Mauritania | 1415 |
| Western Sahara | 1091 |
| Sierra Leone | 605 |
| Mali | 465 |
| Libya | 348 |
| Liberia | 330 |
| Denmark | 151 |
| Togo | 131 |
| Norway | 76 |
| Slovenia | 40 |
| Hungary | 12 |
| Finland | 9 |
| Bulgaria | 4 |
| Iceland | 3 |
| Slovakia | 1 |
| Greece | 0 |
By destination region
Africa is the leading destination region at 58%
60.6K
41.9K
1.5K
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Interesting facts
Notable statistics about emigration from Guinea-Bissau.
Portugal is the primary destination for emigrants
Portugal attracts 35% of all emigrants from Guinea-Bissau, while the second-largest destination receives just 30%.
The share of emigrants going to Africa has declined since 1990
The share of emigrants going to Africa has shifted from 85.3% to 58.3% since 1990.
Emigration destinations have diversified since 1990
The top destination's share fell from 52% to 35%, indicating a broader spread of emigration patterns.
Top emigration destinations have shifted significantly since 1990
3 new countries have entered the top 20 destinations: Luxembourg, Slovenia, Finland — Luxembourg rose from outside the top 20 to rank #7.
How emigration changed over time
Total emigrant population by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 45577 |
| 1995 | 57547 |
| 2000 | 66613 |
| 2005 | 73544 |
| 2010 | 78973 |
| 2015 | 86283 |
| 2020 | 98064 |
| 2024 | 103999 |
Top destinations over time
Emigration to the 5 largest destination countries
| Year | Portugal | Senegal | Gambia | Cape Verde | Guinea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 6588 | 23825 | 7591 | 539 | 2798 |
| 1995 | 13671 | 24916 | 9365 | 839 | 3226 |
| 2000 | 21309 | 23437 | 11733 | 1138 | 3495 |
| 2005 | 25289 | 24985 | 11396 | 2984 | 4194 |
| 2010 | 25070 | 27726 | 11904 | 4829 | 5032 |
| 2015 | 28422 | 29591 | 12328 | 5015 | 4540 |
| 2020 | 32607 | 30550 | 13808 | 5330 | 4361 |
| 2024 | 36682 | 31321 | 15119 | 5576 | 4217 |
Fastest-changing destinations
How emigration to each country has changed since the selected year
Guinea-Bissau as an emigration source
Share of immigrants in each country who originate from Guinea-Bissau
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
Where do Bissau-Guineans move to?
Most Bissau-Guineans have moved to Portugal, Senegal and Gambia — these three countries account for about 80% of all Bissau-Guineans living abroad.
How many Bissau-Guineans live abroad?
Around 104K Bissau-Guineans live abroad, making it the #152-largest emigrant population in the world.
What share of the population of Guinea-Bissau lives abroad?
About 5% of the population of Guinea-Bissau lives abroad — that's 104K out of a total population of 2.2M.
How has emigration from Guinea-Bissau changed over the past decade?
Over the past decade, the emigrant population from Guinea-Bissau has grown from 86.3K to 104K people, a growth of about 21%.
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