Strengthening Human Capital is essential for Guinea-Bissau’s poverty reduction efforts, and to drive sustainable growth in the country in the long term. Investments in health, nutrition, and education are key to enable individuals to reach their full potential and contribute to economic productivity.
However, current indicators from the Human Capital Index show losses to human capital in Guinea-Bissau, leading to reduced economic productivity.
While the survival rate of children from birth to five years was at 94.4%, nearly 33% of children between the ages of 6 and 11 have never attended school, and primary school completion rates are low (27% on average) mainly due to high repetition. Both the survival rate of children under age five and school performance are directly affected by malnutrition, which also has a direct impact on labor productivity.
The mortality rate in Guinea-Bissau decreased from 18.7 to 13.6 per 1,000 person-years between 2000 and 2019, but the adult survival rate is still a low 83% and maternal mortality is high.
Cross-cutting constraints such as climate challenges, gender, fragility, and governance hinder the strengthening and preservation of human capital. Climate change dramatically affects areas such as food security, clean water and sanitation, health, and education. Gender inequality has major implications for women’s and girls’ health, education, and economic opportunities.
Economic Vulnerabilities and Social Protection Challenges
Guinea-Bissau’s economy relies heavily on agriculture as the primary economic sector, which makes the country susceptible to shocks and external factors. A significant portion of the labor force is engaged in informal sector activities, which lack job security, stability, and access to essential benefits. The combination of low wages and limited job opportunities has led to a widespread poverty crisis, which is worse in rural areas and largely unmitigated by social protection. The poverty rate among workers in rural areas is 60.0%, compared with 23.5% in urban areas.
Social protection mechanisms in Guinea-Bissau have limited coverage relative to the size of the population groups they aim to assist. The coverage of contributory social protection devices is extremely low, mainly due to the small size of the formal sector in the economy. Social assistance programs are extremely limited—complementary donor financing is essential—causing low coverage, fragmentation, and the potential for duplication.
Key Actions to Improve Human Capital
- Improve access to health care and enhance the quality of care.
- Improve nutrition for pregnant women and children under the age of five to prevent negative effects on physical and cognitive development.
- Expand early childhood development programs.
- Improve teacher performance and ensure the availability of teaching and learning materials.
- Provide income support to vulnerable households through cash transfers, along with accompanying measures.
- Develop economic inclusion measures to support unemployed educated and poor households in rural areas.
- Invest in strengthened institutions to target the above efforts well, notably a national social registry.
Read and download the report here.
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The Human Capital Review analyzes Guinea-Bissau’s HCI indicators and its human capital policies across three sectors— health, education, and social protection. The report presents a detailed analysis of sociodemographic variables such as age, sex, income, and geographical disparities, based on the available data. It identifies critical gaps and constraints in the development of human capital and provides policy recommendations for improving human capital outcomes.