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São Tomé and Príncipe · data for latest available · data as of 26 October 2026 · printed 27 Oct 2026
NationsTree / Countries / São Tomé and Príncipe
2025
Flag of São Tomé and Príncipe

São Tomé and Príncipe

Sub-Saharan Africa Capital Sao Tome Lower middle income Nation age 51 years (since 1975) i STP · ST
NationsTree Index 2025 i30.3163rd of 196 Tree height 2025 i0.7 msee ranking Military strength i—percentile
Population i240,254181st of 217 Area i960 km²178th of 216 GDP i$981.3 m200th of 210 GDP (PPP) i$1.53 bn intl.190th of 199 GDP per person (PPP) i$6,388 intl.158th of 199 Life expectancy i69.9 years155th of 217
Index pillars
Foundations · roots i27
Strength · trunk i7
Quality of life · crown i33
Problems (higher = fewer) · dry branches i43
Direction (5-year change) · new shoots i53
CSV

In short

São Tomé and Príncipe is 163rd of 196 countries in the NationsTree Index, with a score of 30.3 out of 100; its tree is 0.7 m tall.

It has 240,254 people and an economy of $1.53 bn at purchasing power parity, 190th of 199 in the world.

Its strongest positions: High-tech exports (16th of 168), CO₂ emissions per person (50th of 203) and Renewable freshwater per person (47th of 183).

Its weakest positions: Inflation (160th of 180), Regulatory quality (174th of 205) and GDP growth (173rd of 210).

Over five years it fell from 152nd to 163rd in the index.

All data

Data as of 26 October 2026

Latest available value for each indicator, with its year. World rank is among countries with recent data (last 5 years of the series).

Land & people

46
Surface area ikm² 960 178th/216
Land area ikm² 960 177th/216
Population ipeople 240,254 181st/217
Population growth i% 1.98% 51st/217
Population density ipeople/km² 245.4 57th/216
Urban population i% 69.2% 94th/217
Population aged 0–14 i% 37.5% 39th/217
Population aged 65+ i% 3.9% 168th/217

Economy

21
GDP iUSD $981.3 m 200th/210
GDP (PPP) iintl. USD $1.53 bn 190th/199
Real GDP (PPP, constant 2021 prices) iintl. USD 2021 $1.31 bn 190th/199
GDP per person iUSD $4,084 149th/210
GDP per person (PPP) iintl. USD $6,388 158th/199
GNI per person (Atlas) iUSD $3,800 143rd/201
GDP growth i% 1.0% 173rd/210
Inflation i% 11.0% 160th/180
Unemployment i% 9.1% 144th/187
General government gross debt i% of GDP 59.1% 110th/189
Government budget balance i% of GDP -3.4% 116th/192

Main industries

42
Agriculture, forestry, fishing i% of GDP 12.2% 61st/197
Industry incl. construction i% of GDP 2.2% 200th/200
Manufacturing i% of GDP 0.6% 189th/192
Services i% of GDP 81.4% 10th/200

Trade

33
Exports of goods & services iUSD $130.2 m 176th/182
Imports of goods & services iUSD $326.8 m 179th/182
Exports i% of GDP 13.3% 167th/183
Imports i% of GDP 33.3% 121st/183
Trade openness i% of GDP 46.6% 149th/183
Fuel exports i% of merchandise exports 0.0% 153rd/170
Manufactures exports i% of merchandise exports 1.5% 165th/171
Food exports i% of merchandise exports 98.2% 1st/171
Ores & metals exports i% of merchandise exports 0.2% 161st/171
High-tech exports i% of manufactured exports 29.3% 16th/168
Current account balance i% of GDP -4.3% 135th/191
Foreign direct investment, inflows i% of GDP 10.5% 17th/196

Natural resources

56
Natural resource rents i% of GDP 1.9% 98th/209
Oil rents i% of GDP 0.00% 120th/197
Natural gas rents i% of GDP 0.00% 100th/197
Coal rents i% of GDP 0.00% 68th/195
Mineral rents i% of GDP 0.00% 91st/209
Forest rents i% of GDP 1.88% 38th/209
Arable land i% of land area 4.2% 144th/206
Renewable freshwater per person im³ 9,633 47th/183

Tourism

39
International tourist arrivals iarrivals 33,400 181st/194
Tourism receipts iUSD $71.9 m 148th/175
Tourism receipts i% of exports 73.2% 8th/168
Outbound trips idepartures 10,3002008

Society & health

37
Life expectancy iyears 69.9 155th/217
Under-5 mortality iper 1,000 births 13.6 95th/196
Physicians iper 1,000 people 0.46 126th/174
Hospital beds iper 1,000 people 2.9 60th/145
DPT immunization i% of children 12–23 months 87% 121st/193
Completed lower secondary, 25+ i% of adults 38.9%2012
Secondary enrolment i% gross 90.4%2017
Social protection coverage (incl. pensions) i% of population 16.1%2017
Old-age dependency ratio i% of working-age population 6.7% 165th/217
Health spending i% of GDP 5.8% 109th/193
Adult literacy i% 87.4%2019
Tertiary enrolment i% gross 12.8%2015
Human Development Index iindex 0–1 0.637 141st/193
Income inequality (Gini) iindex 40.72017
Extreme poverty i% of population 13.0%2017

Infrastructure & digital

21
Access to electricity i% of population 77.7% 172nd/215
Safely managed drinking water i% of population 36.7% 122nd/150
Safely managed sanitation i% of population 34.7% 103rd/144
Internet users i% of population 59.1% 140th/186
Mobile subscriptions iper 100 people 62 189th/210
Fixed broadband iper 100 people 3.0 150th/208
Trade & transport infrastructure quality (LPI) iscore 1–5 2.33 116th/164
Air passengers carried ipassengers 38,767 146th/161

Environment & energy

73
CO₂ emissions per person it CO₂e 0.63 50th/203
Renewable energy i% of final energy use 42.5% 56th/212
Air pollution (PM2.5) iµg/m³ 15.1 83rd/200
Forest area i% of land area 57.6% 39th/214
Energy use per person ikg oil eq. 2592007

Institutions & safety

42
Government effectiveness iscore 0–100 36.7 161st/205
Control of corruption iscore 0–100 50.6 85th/207
Rule of law iscore 0–100 51.2 128th/207
Political stability iscore 0–100 75.2 76th/207
Regulatory quality iscore 0–100 39.3 174th/205
Voice & accountability iscore 0–100 61.3 91st/205
Homicide rate iper 100,000 3.22011

Military

Armed forces personnel ipeople 1,0001999
Armed forces personnel i% of labour force 5.10%1999

Science & innovation

5
Scientific articles iarticles 5 188th/197

Compare São Tomé and Príncipe with

Cabo VerdeCentral African RepublicComorosSeychelles

Sources

Figures on this page come from: World Bank — World Development Indicators, International Monetary Fund — World Economic Outlook (DataMapper), Global Change Data Lab (Our World in Data) — Our World in Data, World Bank — Worldwide Governance Indicators . Nation age: Wikidata P571 (inception) (source). Every value is stored with its year and source series; see Sources & licences and Methodology.

Cite as: NationsTree (2026). São Tomé and Príncipe — country profile. https://nationstree.org/countries/sao-tome-and-principe. Data as of 26 October 2026.

All figures come from official statistics published by public institutions (World Bank WDI and WGI, compiling UN agencies, IMF, WHO and national statistical offices). Each value carries its year; ranks are positions among countries with data.
Cite as: NationsTree (2026). São Tomé and Príncipe — country profile. https://nationstree.org/countries/sao-tome-and-principe. Data as of 26 October 2026.
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