Sao Tome and Principe

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 2,512 (2020 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

1 government-owned TV station; 1 government-owned radio station; 3 independent local radio stations authorized in 2005 with 2 operating at the end of 2006; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available

Internet country code

.st

Internet users

total: 72,323 (2020 est.) percent of population: 33% (2020 est.)

Telecommunication systems

general assessment: local telephone network of adequate quality with most lines connected to digital switches; mobile cellular superior choice to landland; dial-up quality low; broadband expensive (2018) domestic: fixed-line roughly 1 per 100 and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 79 telephones per 100 persons (2020) international: country code - 239; landing points for the Ultramar GE and ACE submarine cables from South Africa to over 20 West African countries and Europe; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019) note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 2,790 (2020 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2020 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 174,203 (2020 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 79 (2020 est.)

Agricultural products

plantains, oil palm fruit, coconuts, taro, bananas, fruit, cocoa, yams, cassava, maize

Budget

revenues: 103 million (2017 est.) expenditures: 112.4 million (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-2.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Current account balance

-$32 million (2017 est.) -$23 million (2016 est.)

Debt - external

$292.9 million (31 December 2017 est.) $308.5 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Economic overview

The economy of S o Tom and Pr ncipe is small, based mainly on agricultural production, and, since independence in 1975, increasingly dependent on the export of cocoa beans. Cocoa production has substantially declined in recent years because of drought and mismanagement. Sao Tome depends heavily on imports of food, fuels, most manufactured goods, and consumer goods, and changes in commodity prices affect the country s inflation rate. Maintaining control of inflation, fiscal discipline, and increasing flows of foreign direct investment into the nascent oil sector are major economic problems facing the country. In recent years the government has attempted to reduce price controls and subsidies. In 2017, several business-related laws were enacted that aim to improve the business climate. S o Tom and Pr ncipe has had difficulty servicing its external debt and has relied heavily on concessional aid and debt rescheduling. In April 2011, the country completed a Threshold Country Program with The Millennium Challenge Corporation to help increase tax revenues, reform customs, and improve the business environment. In 2016, Sao Tome and Portugal signed a five-year cooperation agreement worth approximately $64 million, some of which will be provided as loans. In 2017, China and S o Tom signed a mutual cooperation agreement in areas such as infrastructure, health, and agriculture worth approximately $146 million over five years. Considerable potential exists for development of tourism, and the government has taken steps to expand tourist facilities in recent years. Potential also exists for the development of petroleum resources in S o Tom and Pr ncipe's territorial waters in the oil-rich Gulf of Guinea, some of which are being jointly developed in a 60-40 split with Nigeria, but production is at least several years off. Volatile aid and investment inflows have limited growth, and poverty remains high. Restricteded capacity at the main port increases the periodic risk of shortages of consumer goods. Contract enforcement in the country s judicial system is difficult. The IMF in late 2016 expressed concern about vulnerabilities in the country s banking sector, although the country plans some austerity measures in line with IMF recommendations under their three year extended credit facility. Deforestation, coastal erosion, poor waste management, and misuse of natural resources also are challenging issues.

Exchange rates

dobras (STD) per US dollar - 22,689 (2017 est.) 21,797 (2016 est.) 22,149 (2015 est.) 22,091 (2014 est.) 18,466 (2013 est.)

Exports

$50 million (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars $70 million (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars $100 million (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - commodities

gas turbines, cocoa beans, aircraft parts, iron products, chocolate (2019)

Exports - partners

Singapore 30%, Switzerland 24%, France 11%, Poland 7%, Belgium 7%, United States 5% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$0 (2018 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 81.4% (2017 est.) government consumption: 17.6% (2017 est.) investment in fixed capital: 33.4% (2017 est.) investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.) exports of goods and services: 7.9% (2017 est.) imports of goods and services: -40.4% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 11.8% (2017 est.) industry: 14.8% (2017 est.) services: 73.4% (2017 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

56.3 (2017 est.) 32.1 (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA

Imports

$160 million (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars $190 million (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars $200 million (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, cars, rice, flavored water, postage stamps (2019)

Imports - partners

Portugal 41%, Angola 17%, China 8% (2019 )

Industrial production growth rate

5% (2017 est.)

Industries

light construction, textiles, soap, beer, fish processing, timber

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

7.8% (2018 est.) 5.6% (2017 est.) 5.7% (2017 est.)

Labor force

72,600 (2017 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 26.1% industry: 21.4% services: 52.5% (2014 est.)

Population below poverty line

66.7% (2017 est.)

Public debt

88.4% of GDP (2017 est.) 93.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$890 million (2020 est.) $860 million (2019 est.) $840 million (2018 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP growth rate

3.9% (2017 est.) 4.2% (2016 est.) 3.8% (2015 est.)

Real GDP per capita

$4,100 (2020 est.) $4,000 (2019 est.) $4,000 (2018 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$58.95 million (31 December 2017 est.) $61.5 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

26.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

12.2% (2017 est.) 12.6% (2016 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 20.8% male: NA female: (2012 est.) NA

Carbon dioxide emissions

173,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 173,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.) from consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.) consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.) exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.) imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.) proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

installed generating capacity: 28,000 kW (2020 est.) consumption: 78 million kWh (2019 est.) exports: 0 kWh (2020 est.) imports: 0 kWh (2020 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 11.9 million kWh (2019 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 71% (2019) electrification - urban areas: 87% (2019) electrification - rural areas: 25% (2019)

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels: 89.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) solar: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) hydroelectricity: 10.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

11.636 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.) consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.) exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.) imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.) proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.) refined petroleum consumption: 1,200 bbl/day (2019 est.) crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.) crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.) crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

1,027 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Air pollutants

particulate matter emissions: 25.66 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.) carbon dioxide emissions: 0.12 megatons (2016 est.) methane emissions: 0.04 megatons (2020 est.)

Climate

tropical; hot, humid; one rainy season (October to May)

Environment - current issues

deforestation and illegal logging; soil erosion and exhaustion; inadequate sewage treatment in cities; biodiversity preservation

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban

Land use

agricultural land: 50.7% (2018 est.) arable land: 9.1% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 40.6% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 1% (2018 est.) forest: 28.1% (2018 est.) other: 21.2% (2018 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: high (2020) food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever water contact diseases: schistosomiasis

Revenue from coal

coal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues: 1.9% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

2.18 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total water withdrawal

municipal: 14.7 million cubic meters (2017 est.) industrial: 600,000 cubic meters (2017 est.) agricultural: 25.6 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 76.4% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 2.96% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually: 25,587 tons (2014 est.)

Area

total: 964 sq km land: 964 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

more than five times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

tropical; hot, humid; one rainy season (October to May)

Coastline

209 km

Elevation

highest point: Pico de Sao Tome 2,024 m lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Geographic coordinates

1 00 N, 7 00 E

Geography - note

the second-smallest African country (after the Seychelles); the two main islands form part of a chain of extinct volcanoes and both are mountainous

Irrigated land

100 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total: 0 km

Land use

agricultural land: 50.7% (2018 est.) arable land: 9.1% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 40.6% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 1% (2018 est.) forest: 28.1% (2018 est.) other: 21.2% (2018 est.)

Location

Central Africa, islands in the Gulf of Guinea, just north of the Equator, west of Gabon

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm measured from claimed archipelagic baselines

Natural hazards

flooding

Natural resources

fish, hydropower

Population distribution

Sao Tome, the capital city, has roughly a quarter of the nation's population; Santo Antonio is the largest town on Principe; the northern areas of both islands have the highest population densities as shown in this population distribution map

Terrain

volcanic, mountainous

Administrative divisions

6 districts (distritos, singular - distrito), 1 autonomous region* (regiao autonoma); Agua Grande, Cantagalo, Caue, Lemba, Lobata, Me-Zochi, Principe*

Capital

name: Sao Tome geographic coordinates: 0 20 N, 6 44 E time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: named after Saint Thomas the Apostle

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Sao Tome and Principe dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Constitution

history: approved 5 November 1975 amendments: proposed by the National Assembly; passage requires two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly; the Assembly can propose to the president of the republic that an amendment be submitted to a referendum; revised several times, last in 2006

Country name

conventional long form: Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe conventional short form: Sao Tome and Principe local long form: Republica Democratica de Sao Tome e Principe local short form: Sao Tome e Principe etymology: Sao Tome was named after Saint THOMAS the Apostle by the Portuguese who discovered the island on 21 December 1470 (or 1471), the saint's feast day; Principe is a shortening of the original Portuguese name of "Ilha do Principe" (Isle of the Prince) referring to the Prince of Portugal to whom duties on the island's sugar crop were paid

Diplomatic representation from the US

embassy: the US does not have an embassy in Sao Tome and Principe; the US Ambassador to Gabon is accredited to Sao Tome and Principe mailing address: 2290 Sao Tome Place, Washington DC 20521-2290

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Carlos Filomeno Azevedo Agostinho das NEVES (since 3 December 2013) chancery: 675 Third Avenue, Suite 1807, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 651-8116 FAX: [1] (212) 651-8117 email address and website: rdstppmun@gmail.com

Executive branch

chief of state: President Carlos Manuel VILA NOVA (since 2 October 2021) head of government: Prime Minister Patrice TROVOADA (since 11 November 2022) cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, appointed by the president elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 18 July 2021 and runoff on 5 September 2021 (next to be held in 2026); prime minister chosen by the National Assembly and approved by the president election results: 2021: Carlos Manuel VILA NOVA elected president in the second round; percent of vote in the first round - Carlos Manuel VILA NOVA (IDA) 39.5%; Guilherme POSSER DA COSTA (MLSTP-PSD) 20.8%; Delfim NEVES (PCD-GR) 16.9%; Abel BOM JESUS (independent) 3.6%; Maria DAS NEVES (independent) 3.3%; other 15.9%; percent of the vote in the second round - Carlos Manuel VILA NOVA (IDA) 57.5%, Guilherme POSSER DA COSTA (MLSTP-PSD) 42.5%; note - VILA NOVA is scheduled to take office 29 September 2021 2016: Evaristo CARVALHO elected president; percent of vote - Evaristo CARVALHO (ADI) 49.8%, Manuel Pinto DA COSTA (independent) 24.8%, Maria DAS NEVES (MLSTP-PSD) 24.1%; note - first round results for CARVALHO were revised downward from just over 50%, prompting the 7 August runoff; however, on 1 August 2016 DA COSTA withdrew from the runoff, citing voting irregularities, and CARVALHO was declared the winner

Flag description

three horizontal bands of green (top), yellow (double width), and green with two black five-pointed stars placed side by side in the center of the yellow band and a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; green stands for the country's rich vegetation, red recalls the struggle for independence, and yellow represents cocoa, one of the country's main agricultural products; the two stars symbolize the two main islands note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Government type

semi-presidential republic

Independence

12 July 1975 (from Portugal)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AOSIS, AU, CD, CEMAC, CPLP, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal Justica (consists of 5 judges); Constitutional Court or Tribunal Constitucional (consists of 5 judges, 3 of whom are from the Supreme Court) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the National Assembly; judge tenure NA; Constitutional Court judges nominated by the president and elected by the National Assembly for 5-year terms subordinate courts: Court of First Instance; Audit Court

Legal system

mixed legal system of civil law based on the Portuguese model and customary law

Legislative branch

description: unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (55 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by closed party-list proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms) elections: last held on 25 September 2022 (next to be held 30 September 2026) election results: percent of vote by party - ADI 46.81%, MLSTP/PSD 32.70%, MCI-PS -PUN 6.56%, BASTA Movement- 8.8%, other 5.14%; seats by party - ADI 30, MLSTP-PSD 18, MCI-PS -PUN 5, BASTA Movement 2; composition - men 47, women 8, percent of women 14.5%

National anthem

name: "Independencia total" (Total Independence) lyrics/music: Alda Neves DA GRACA do Espirito Santo/Manuel dos Santos Barreto de Sousa e ALMEIDA note: adopted 1975

National holiday

Independence Day, 12 July (1975)

National symbol(s)

palm tree; national colors: green, yellow, red, black

Political parties and leaders

Union of Democrats for Citizenship and Development and Force for Democratic Change Movement or MDFM UDD [Carlos Filomeno Agostinho DAS NEVES] Independent Democratic Action or ADI [Patrice TROVADA] Movement for the Liberation of Sao Tome and Principe-Social Democratic Party or MLSTP-PSD [Jorge Lopes Bom JESUS] Party for Democratic Convergence-Reflection Group or PCD-GR [Leonel Mario D'ALVA] Movement of Independent Citizens of S o Tom and Pr ncipe [Ant nio Monteiro] other small parties

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

Portugal discovered and colonized the uninhabited islands in the late 15th century, setting up a sugar-based economy that gave way to coffee and cocoa in the 19th century - all grown with African plantation slave labor, a form of which lingered into the 20th century. While independence was achieved in 1975, democratic reforms were not instituted until the late 1980s. The country held its first free elections in 1991, but frequent internal wrangling between the various political parties precipitated repeated changes in leadership and four failed, non-violent coup attempts in 1995, 1998, 2003, and 2009. In 2012, three opposition parties combined in a no confidence vote to bring down the majority government of former Prime Minister Patrice TROVOADA, but in 2014, legislative elections returned him to the office. President Evaristo CARVALHO, of the same political party as Prime Minister TROVOADA, was elected in September 2016, marking a rare instance in which the positions of president and prime minister were held by the same party. Prime Minister TROVOADA resigned at the end of 2018 and was replaced by Jorge BOM JESUS. Carlos Vila NOVA was elected president in early September 2021 and was inaugurated 2 October 2021. New oil discoveries in the Gulf of Guinea may attract increased attention to the small island nation.

Maritime threats

the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the Niger Delta and Gulf of Guinea remain a very high risk for piracy and armed robbery of ships; in 2021, there were 34 reported incidents of piracy and armed robbery at sea in the Gulf of Guinea region; although a significant decrease from the total number of 81 incidents in 2020, it included the one hijacking and three of five ships fired upon worldwide; while boarding and attempted boarding to steal valuables from ships and crews are the most common types of incidents, almost a third of all incidents involve a hijacking and/or kidnapping; in 2021, 57 crew members were kidnapped in seven separate incidents in the Gulf of Guinea, representing 100% of kidnappings worldwide; Nigerian pirates in particular are well armed and very aggressive, operating as far as 200 nm offshore; the Maritime Administration of the US Department of Transportation has issued a Maritime Advisory (2022-001 - Gulf of Guinea-Piracy/Armed Robbery/Kidnapping for Ransom) effective 4 January 2022, which states in part, "Piracy, armed robbery, and kidnapping for ransom continue to serve as significant threats to US-flagged vessels transiting or operating in the Gulf of Guinea"

Military - note

the FASTP is one of the smallest militaries in Africa and consists of only a few companies of ground troops and a few small patrol boats (2022)

Military and security forces

Armed Forces of Sao Tome and Principe (Forcas Armadas de Sao Tome e Principe, FASTP): Army, Coast Guard of Sao Tome e Principe (Guarda Costeira de Sao Tome e Principe, GCSTP), Presidential Guard, National Guard (2022) note: the Army and Coast Guard are responsible for external security while the public security police and judicial police maintain internal security; both the public security police and the military report to the Ministry of Defense and Internal Affairs; the judicial police report to the Ministry of Justice, Public Administration, and Human Rights

Military and security service personnel strengths

the FASTP has approximately 500 personnel (2022)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the FASTP has a limited inventory of light weapons (2021)

Military expenditures

Not available

Military service age and obligation

18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory military service; 17 is the legal minimum age for voluntary service (2021)

Age structure

0-14 years: 39.77% (male 42,690/female 41,277) 15-24 years: 21.59% (male 23,088/female 22,487) 25-54 years: 31.61% (male 32,900/female 33,834) 55-64 years: 4.17% (male 4,095/female 4,700) 65 years and over: 2.87% (male 2,631/female 3,420) (2020 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita

total: 4.23 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 0.42 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 3.58 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 0.23 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

28.19 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)

Child marriage

women married by age 15: 5.4% women married by age 18: 28% men married by age 18: 3.1% (2019 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

5.4% (2019)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

49.7% (2019)

Current health expenditure

5.5% of GDP (2019)

Death rate

6.2 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)

Demographic profile

Sao Tome and Principe’s youthful age structure – more than 60% of the population is under the age of 25 – and high fertility rate ensure future population growth. Although Sao Tome has a net negative international migration rate, emigration is not a sufficient safety valve to reduce already high levels of unemployment and poverty. While literacy and primary school attendance have improved in recent years, Sao Tome still struggles to improve its educational quality and to increase its secondary school completion rate. Despite some improvements in education and access to healthcare, Sao Tome and Principe has much to do to decrease its high poverty rate, create jobs, and increase its economic growth. The population of Sao Tome and Principe descends primarily from the islands’ colonial Portuguese settlers, who first arrived in the late 15th century, and the much larger number of African slaves brought in for sugar production and the slave trade. For about 100 years after the abolition of slavery in 1876, the population was further shaped by the widespread use of imported unskilled contract laborers from Portugal’s other African colonies, who worked on coffee and cocoa plantations. In the first decades after abolition, most workers were brought from Angola under a system similar to slavery. While Angolan laborers were technically free, they were forced or coerced into long contracts that were automatically renewed and extended to their children. Other contract workers from Mozambique and famine-stricken Cape Verde first arrived in the early 20th century under short-term contracts and had the option of repatriation, although some chose to remain in Sao Tome and Principe. Today’s Sao Tomean population consists of mesticos (creole descendants of the European immigrants and African slaves that first inhabited the islands), forros (descendants of freed African slaves), angolares (descendants of runaway African slaves that formed a community in the south of Sao Tome Island and today are fishermen), servicais (contract laborers from Angola, Mozambique, and Cape Verde), tongas (locally born children of contract laborers), and lesser numbers of Europeans and Asians.

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 77.9 youth dependency ratio: 71.2 elderly dependency ratio: 6.7 potential support ratio: 14.9 (2021 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 100% of population rural: 94% of population total: 98.5% of population unimproved: urban: 0% of population rural: 6% of population total: 1.5% of population (2020 est.)

Education expenditures

5% of GDP (2020 est.)

Ethnic groups

Mestico, Angolares (descendants of Angolan slaves), Forros (descendants of freed slaves), Servicais (contract laborers from Angola, Mozambique, and Cabo Verde), Tongas (children of servicais born on the islands), Europeans (primarily Portuguese), Asians (mostly Chinese)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.5% (2021 est.)

Hospital bed density

2.9 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Infant mortality rate

total: 44.38 deaths/1,000 live births male: 47.82 deaths/1,000 live births female: 40.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2022 est.)

Languages

Portuguese 98.4% (official), Forro 36.2%, Cabo Verdian 8.5%, French 6.8%, Angolar 6.6%, English 4.9%, Lunguie 1%, other (including sign language) 2.4%; note - shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census; other Portuguese-based Creoles are also spoken (2012 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 67.06 years male: 65.44 years female: 68.72 years (2022 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 92.8% male: 96.2% female: 89.5% (2018)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: high (2020) food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever water contact diseases: schistosomiasis

Major urban areas - population

80,000 SAO TOME (capital) (2018)

Maternal mortality ratio

130 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age

total: 19.3 years male: 18.9 years female: 19.7 years (2020 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

19.4 years (2008/09 est.) note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-29

Nationality

noun: Sao Tomean(s) adjective: Sao Tomean

Net migration rate

-7.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

12.4% (2016)

Physicians density

0.49 physicians/1,000 population (2019)

Population

217,164 (2022 est.)

Population distribution

Sao Tome, the capital city, has roughly a quarter of the nation's population; Santo Antonio is the largest town on Principe; the northern areas of both islands have the highest population densities as shown in this population distribution map

Population growth rate

1.48% (2022 est.)

Religions

Catholic 55.7%, Adventist 4.1%, Assembly of God 3.4%, New Apostolic 2.9%, Mana 2.3%, Universal Kingdom of God 2%, Jehovah's Witness 1.2%, other 6.2%, none 21.2%, unspecified 1% (2012 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 57.1% of population rural: 42.8% of population total: 53.4% of population unimproved: urban: 42.9% of population rural: 57.2% of population total: 46.6% of population (2020 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 12 years male: 12 years female: 13 years (2015)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 0.88 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2022 est.)

Tobacco use

total: 5.7% (2020 est.) male: 10.1% (2020 est.) female: 1.3% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.56 children born/woman (2022 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 76.4% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 2.96% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 20.8% male: NA female: (2012 est.) NA

Disputes - international

none identified

Airports

total: 2 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2021)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

S9

Merchant marine

total: 22 by type: general cargo 13, oil tanker 2, other 7 (2021)

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020) inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 1

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Sao Tome

Roadways

total: 1,300 km (2018) paved: 230 km (2018) unpaved: 1,070 km (2018)