São Tomé and Príncipe
Country in Africa
CountryScope
In brief
Population: 240.3K (2025). World rank 181 of 216; in Africa, 53 of 54. Area: 964 km². World rank 189 of 249; in Africa, 55 of 59. GDP: $981.3M (2025). World rank 200 of 210; in Africa, 52 of 52. From 2015 to 2025: population 200.3K → 240.3K, GDP $260M → $981.3M, and GDP per person $1,298 → $4,084.
State
- Official name
- Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe
- Local name
- São Tomé e Príncipe
- Capital
- São Tomé
- Region
- Africa
- Form of government
- Semi-presidential republic
- UN member
- Yes
- Head of state
- Carlos Vila Nova
- Head of government
- Américo Ramos
- Independence
- July 12, 1975
- Women in parliament
- 14.6% 2025
Key figures
- Population
- 240,254 2025
- Area
- 964 km²
- GDP
- $981.3M 2025
- GDP per person
- $4,084 2025
- Life expectancy
- 69.9 years 2024
Practical information
- Languages
- Portuguese
- Currency
- São Tomé & Príncipe Dobra (STN)
- Time zones
- UTC
- Calling code
- +239
- Emergency numbers
- 112
- Driving side
- Right
- Plug types
- C, F
- Mains voltage
- 220 V
Territory
- Sea access
- Has a coastline
- Coastline, km
- 209
- Neighbours
- None
- Agricultural land
- 46.1% 2024
Elevation
- Highest point
- Pico de São Tomé, 2,024 m
- Lowest point
- Atlantic Ocean, 0 m
Climate
- Average temperature in the capital, °C
- 26
- Warmest month in the capital
- March, 28°C
- Coldest month in the capital
- July, 25°C
- Precipitation, mm per year
- 3,200 2022
Population and migration
- Population density
- 249.2 per km² 2025
- Population growth per year
- +2% 2025
- Living in cities
- 69.2% 2025
- Net migration per year
- -650 2025
- Born in another country
- 0.8% 2024
Age and life expectancy
- Aged 0–14
- 37.5% 2025
- Aged 15–64
- 58.6% 2025
- Aged 65 and over
- 3.9% 2025
- Life expectancy, women
- 73.9 years 2024
- Life expectancy, men
- 66.4 years 2024
Births and deaths
- Children per woman
- 3.6 2024
- Births per 1,000 people
- 28.1 2024
- Deaths per 1,000 people
- 5.5 2024
Society
- Religions
- Catholic 55.7%, no religion 21.2%, other 10.5%, Protestant 10.4%, and other Christian 1.2% (2012)
Quality of governance (100 = best)
- Rule of law, score 0–100
- 51.2 2025
- Control of corruption, score 0–100
- 50.6 2025
- Government effectiveness, score 0–100
- 36.7 2025
- Regulatory quality, score 0–100
- 39.3 2025
- Voice and accountability, score 0–100
- 61.3 2025
Size and growth
- GDP per person at purchasing power parity
- $6,388 2025
- GDP growth per year
- +1% 2025
Income and prices
- Income level (World Bank)
- Lower-middle income
- Gross national income per person
- $3,800 2025
- Inflation
- +11.1% 2025
- Price level, USA = 100
- 64 2025
Structure and jobs
- Agriculture, share of GDP
- 12.2% 2025
- Industry, share of GDP
- 2.2% 2025
- Services, share of GDP
- 81.4% 2025
- Unemployment
- 9.1% 2025
- Youth unemployment, ages 15–24
- 8.8% 2025
- Women in work or seeking work
- 22.8% 2025
Trade and finance
- Exports, share of GDP
- 13.3% 2025
- Imports, share of GDP
- 33.3% 2025
- Current account balance, share of GDP
- -9.3% 2025
- Foreign direct investment, share of GDP
- +10.5% 2025
- Remittances received, share of GDP
- 3.7% 2025
Poverty and inequality
- Gini index (0 = full equality)
- 40.7 2017
- Living on under $3 a day
- 13% 2017
Education
- Adult literacy
- 87.4% 2019
- Primary school enrolment
- 110% 2017
- Secondary school enrolment
- 90.4% 2017
- Higher education enrolment
- 12.8% 2015
- Public spending on education, share of GDP
- 5% 2023
Healthcare
- Health spending, share of GDP
- 5.8% 2023
- Health spending per person
- $171 2023
- Out-of-pocket health spending, share of total
- 16.7% 2023
- Doctors per 1,000 people
- 0.5 2022
- Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people
- 2.2 2022
- Hospital beds per 1,000 people
- 2.9 2019
- Children vaccinated against measles
- 87% 2024
Public health
- Infant deaths per 1,000 births
- 9.2 2024
- Deaths under age 5 per 1,000 births
- 13.6 2024
- Maternal deaths per 100,000 births
- 75 2023
- Diabetes prevalence, ages 20–79
- 12.1% 2024
- Overweight adults
- 42.6% 2022
- Adults who use tobacco
- 8.3% 2024
Living conditions
- Access to safe drinking water
- 78% 2024
- Access to basic sanitation
- 48.7% 2024
- Access to clean cooking fuels
- 7% 2024
Safety
- Homicides per 100,000 people
- 3.2 2011
- Road deaths per 100,000 people
- 27.9 2019
- Suicides per 100,000 people
- 0.9 2021
- Political stability and absence of violence, score 0–100
- 75.2 2025
- Natural hazards
- floods
Air and emissions
- Air pollution PM2.5, µg/m³
- 15.1 2023
- CO₂ emissions, tonnes per person
- 0.6 2024
- All greenhouse gases, tonnes CO₂e per person
- 1 2024
Nature and water
- Forest cover
- 57.6% 2024
- Protected areas
- 0.2% 2025
- Renewable fresh water, m³ per person
- 9,633 2022
- Water stress, share of fresh water withdrawn
- 1.9% 2022
Internet and communications
- Using the internet
- 59.1% 2024
- Mobile subscriptions per 100 people
- 62 2024
- Home broadband per 100 people
- 3 2024
- Internet domain
- .st
Energy
- Access to electricity
- 77.7% 2024
- Renewable share of energy use
- 42.5% 2022
- Electricity from renewables
- 6.1% 2021
- Electricity from fossil fuels
- 93.9% 2021
Transport
- Air passengers per year
- 38,767 2023
- Airports
- 2 2025
Science and innovation
- Scientific articles per year
- 5 2023
- High-tech share of manufactured exports
- 29.3% 2023