Guinea-Bissau Falls to 45th in Governance Index
The 2026 Ibrahim Index of African Governance ranks Guinea-Bissau 45th of 54 African countries, five places lower than in 2016.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Africa
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The Mo Ibrahim Foundation released the 2026 Ibrahim Index of African Governance, placing Guinea-Bissau 45th of 54 countries with a score of 39.4 out of 100. Guinea-Bissau's score is 2.2 points lower than in 2016, when it was five places higher.
Why it matters
The index places Guinea-Bissau in its 'Increasing Deterioration' trend group, and the Foundation lists the country among those that had a coup in the period. The ranking gives a measured view of governance trends across the African continent.
Guinea-Bissau's governance score of 39.4 sits well below the African average of 50.1 in the 2026 Ibrahim Index, which ranks 54 countries. The index does not yet show how the decline will affect the scores in future editions.
The players
Mo Ibrahim Foundation
The London-based organization publishes the Ibrahim Index of African Governance, which scores all 54 African countries across security, rights, economic opportunity and public services.
The details
Guinea-Bissau fell in Security and Rule of Law and in Foundations for Economic Opportunity, while it improved in Human Development and ranks 8th of 54 on Security and Safety. Soldiers took power in Bissau, the capital, on 26 November 2025.
Timeline
2016: Baseline year for Guinea-Bissau's score comparison.
26 November 2025: Soldiers took power in Bissau, the capital.
31 October 2026: The Mo Ibrahim Foundation released the 2026 ranking.
Season Trajectory
The Ibrahim Index has tracked African governance since its launch, and the 2026 edition records Guinea-Bissau's decline from its 2016 score. Guinea-Bissau's drop places it among the countries the Foundation grouped as showing increasing deterioration.
Travelers considering Guinea-Bissau should check current government advisories, since the 2025 change of power in Bissau shapes the country's security situation. The index's lower security and rule-of-law scores point to the need for careful trip planning.
The takeaway
Governance scores can shift over a decade, and Guinea-Bissau's five-place drop shows how political events affect national rankings. Readers planning travel should weigh these trends alongside current conditions on the ground.
Further reading
For more on the region's governance trends, see our Africa travel coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Rio Times.
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