Population and Demographics

The population of Guinea-Bissau is ethnically diverse and has many distinct languages, customs and social structures. Nearly 99% of Guineans are African and can be divided into the following three categories:

• Fula (20%) and the Mandinga (13%) people, who comprise the largest portion of the population and are concentrated in the north and northeast
• Balanta (30%) and Papel (7%) people, who live in the southern coastal regions
• Manjaca (14%) and Mancanha, who occupy the central and northern coastal areas

Most of the remaining 1% are mestiços of mixed Portuguese and black descent, including a Cape Verdean minority. Pure Portuguese comprise only a very small portion of Guinea-Bissauans, as the majority of Portuguese settlers left the country after Guinea-Bissau gained independence.

Only 14% of the population speaks the official language Portuguese; 44% speaks Kriol (or Crioulo), a Portuguese-based creole language, and the remainder speaks native African languages.

Most people are farmers with traditional religious beliefs (animism); 45% are Muslim, principally the Fula and Mandinka peoples; and 5% are Christian, most of whom are Roman Catholic.