Pray for Guinea-Bissau

The Republic of Guinea-Bissau is filled with hospitality, vibrant clothing, and dancing. The people are known to be kind, and they live near their extended family and work to support one another. The climate is tropical, and most people live in rural areas and work as farmers. Agriculture and fishing drive the economy. The nation has been plagued by political instability and corruption since its independence in 1974 and has endured numerous coups and coup attempts. In November 2025, a group of military officers overthrew the government during the election process, claiming the elections were rigged. Political rights and civil liberties are now severely restricted, especially freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, and media freedom.

With two-thirds of the population living below the poverty line, Guinea-Bissau is one of the poorest countries in the world. The mortality rate under five is among the world’s highest, and more than a quarter of children under five are chronically malnourished. Many do not have access to quality education, and the nation has one of the lowest primary school completion rates in the world. Poverty and weak law enforcement have made children especially vulnerable to trafficking. Promised that their children will receive an Islamic education, families give their sons away. Instead, many are exploited as child laborers, or forced into sex trafficking. Across the nation, quality healthcare, basic sanitation, and internet access are limited, and the average life expectancy is around 62 years. In their poverty, many are turning to illicit drug trafficking. Guinea-Bissau is a major stop for the shipment of cocaine from South America to Europe, and some political leaders have even been involved.

Guinea-Bissau provides freedom of religion, allowing neighbors to live peacefully. Roughly half the population is Muslim, but many follow a mixture of Islam and African traditional religions. One-third follow traditional African religions, and 19 percent identify as Christian. The majority of the Christians are Catholic, and only 2 percent of the nation is evangelical Christian. However, the Church is growing. Christians gained respect for their humanitarian work during and after the 1998–1999 civil war and continue to do humanitarian work today. Although small, the evangelical church has been blessed with solid leadership and genuine discipleship, and several Bible schools and pastoral training ministries operate in Guinea-Bissau. However, several ethnic languages still lack complete Bible translations, and low literacy rates and poverty make accessing Scripture difficult. Nearly half of the population is still unreached with the Gospel.