Guinea Franc (Gnf): What It Is, How It Works

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Updated August 29, 2023
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What Is the Guinea Franc (GNF)?

GNF is the currency abbreviation for the Guinea franc, the national currency of the Republic of Guinea, a country in West Africa.

The Republic of Guinea was formerly known as French Guinea; today it is often referred to as Guinea-Conakry, which refers to the name of its capital city to distinguish it from its neighboring country Guinea-Bissau. As of August 2023, US $1 is equal to roughly 8,586 GNF.

Key Takeaways

  • The Guinea franc (GNF) is the national currency of the African nation of Guinea.
  • The country used the common area currency the CFA franc until its independence in 1958.
  • The GNF freely floats on the international currency markets.

Understanding the Guinea Franc (GNF)

The GNF is actually the second franc used as a currency in the country. Guinea was a French colony and gained its independence in 1958. Prior to this, the currency used in Guinea was the CFA franc, which—between 1945 and 1958—was an abbreviation for the franc for “colonies françaises d'Afrique,” or former French colonies in Africa.

In 1959, after Guinea’s independence, the first Guinean franc was issued as the country’s currency. It was then replaced by the Guinean syli, which was used in the country from 1971 to 1985. In 1985, the second Guinean franc replaced the syli at par.

Guinea's economy is fueled by a rich reserve of minerals, gold, high-grade iron ore, and diamonds. Additionally, it boasts the one of the world’s largest reserves of bauxite, which is one of the main exports for the West African nation.

However, the country, which has a GDP of $16.1 billion as of 2021, has faced stalled economic growth because of political instability. Additionally, the Ebola virus slowed down Guinea’s economic growth in 2014 and 2015. However, the country’s GDP grew by 3.9% in 2021 ; the most recent year for which official data is available.

The GNF and CFA Franc

Guinea used to be part of the franc zone of former French colonies, using the CFA franc as its official currency until its independence. Many of its neighboring nations—14 West African countries in total, 12 of which are former French colonies—still use the CFA franc. Together, they make up the African Financial Community.

The CFA was created in 1945, after World War II, to keep from devaluing money in French colonies. Prior to this, currencies in the French colonies were pegged to the French franc, which was devalued with the signing of the Bretton Woods agreement in 1944.

When it was introduced in 1945, the exchange rate was 1 CFA to 1.70 French francs, shifting from 1 CFA to 2 French francs in 1948. The currency kept parity when France switched its currency from the French franc to the euro. The current fixed exchange rate for the CFA to the euro is 1 euro to 655.96 CFA francs.

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  1. Oanda. "Guinea Franc."

  2. United States of America Department of Commerce. "Guinea - Country Commercial Guide."

  3. World Bank. "Republic of Guinea: Overcoming Growth Stagnation to Reduce Poverty,"

  4. World Bank. "2014-2015 West Africa Ebola Crisis: Impact Update."

  5. World Bank. "DataBank | World Development Indicators," Select "Guinea."

  6. International Monetary Fund. "Background Information."

  7. International Monetary Fund. "France and the Breakdown of the Bretton Woods International Monetary System."

  8. John Hopkins Institute for Applied Economics. "Studies in Applied Economics: A Balance Sheet Analysis of the CFA Franc Zone," Page 20.

  9. U.S. Department of State. "Custom Report Excerpts: Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guyana, Lesotho, Mauritania."

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