Polity · 1976 CE – present
São Tomé and Príncipe
República Democrática de São Tomé e Príncipe · São Tomé e Príncipe · Republica Democratica de Sao Tome e Principe
Also recorded as Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe
- Peak recorded area
- 1,485 km²
- 1976 CE
- Rulers on record
- 20
- from 1975 CE
- Data series
- 273
- 1976 CE–2025 CE
Overview
São Tomé and Príncipe, officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, is an island country in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa. It consists of two archipelagos around the two main islands of São Tomé and Príncipe, about 150 km (93.21 mi) apart and about 250 and 225 km off the northwestern coast of Gabon. With a population of 201,800, São Tomé and Príncipe is the second-smallest and second-least populous African sovereign state after Seychelles.
Lead section from Wikipedia, reused under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article.
Territory
2 dated territorial extents on record from Cliopatria. Areas are measured off the recorded polygons; the line steps because each extent holds until the next one is recorded — nothing is interpolated.
The record
The best-attested series in each category; where several projects publish the same quantity, the one with the most observations is shown. Each row is the most recent value the record holds at or before the last complete year, shown with the year that value belongs to. Some statistical series also publish forward projections — the year column is the honest guide. Nothing on this page is interpolated or estimated by us.
People
6 of 53 series| Series | Value · year · source |
|---|---|
| Population216 obs · 1950 CE–2025 CE | 240.3Kpersons2025 CE · UN World Population Prospects 2024 |
| Life Expectancy165 obs · 1950 CE–2025 CE | 70.08years2025 CE · UN World Population Prospects 2024 |
| Net Migration141 obs · 1950 CE–2025 CE | -650persons2025 CE · UN World Population Prospects 2024 |
| Population Growth141 obs · 1950 CE–2025 CE | 1.97% annual2025 CE · UN World Population Prospects 2024 |
| Life Expectancy Female140 obs · 1950 CE–2025 CE | 74.08years2025 CE · UN World Population Prospects 2024 |
| Life Expectancy Male140 obs · 1950 CE–2025 CE | 66.57years2025 CE · UN World Population Prospects 2024 |
Economy
6 of 119 series| Series | Value · year · source |
|---|---|
| GDP per capita PPP220 obs · 1800 CE–2019 CE | 3,286int'l $ (inflation adj.)2019 CE · Gapminder |
| GDP Current Usd101 obs · 1970 CE–2025 CE | 981.3Mcurrent US$2025 CE · World Bank World Development Indicators |
| GDP per capita73 obs · 1950 CE–2022 CE | 3,751.642011 int'l $2022 CE · Maddison Project Database 2023 |
| Fao Asses Stocks64 obs · 1961 CE–2024 CE | 48head2024 CE · FAOSTAT |
| Fao Cattle Stocks64 obs · 1961 CE–2024 CE | 1,588head2024 CE · FAOSTAT |
| Fao Cereals Area Harvested64 obs · 1961 CE–2024 CE | 397ha2024 CE · FAOSTAT |
Military
| Series | Value · year · source |
|---|---|
| CINC Score42 obs · 1975 CE–2016 CE | 0CINC (share of world capability)2016 CE · Correlates of War NMC v6.0 |
| Energy Consumption42 obs · 1975 CE–2016 CE | 46Kcoal-ton equivalents2016 CE · Correlates of War NMC v6.0 |
| Iron Steel Production42 obs · 1975 CE–2016 CE | 0tons2016 CE · Correlates of War NMC v6.0 |
| Military Personnel25 obs · 1975 CE–1999 CE | 1,000persons1999 CE · Correlates of War NMC v6.0 |
| Military Expenditure12 obs · 1975 CE–1999 CE | 0current USD1999 CE · Correlates of War NMC v6.0 |
| Armed Forces Personnel11 obs · 1989 CE–1999 CE | 1,000persons1999 CE · World Bank World Development Indicators |
Territory & resources
6 of 50 series| Series | Value · year · source |
|---|---|
| Arable Land %126 obs · 1961 CE–2023 CE | 4.17% of land area2023 CE · World Bank World Development Indicators |
| Forest Area %68 obs · 1990 CE–2023 CE | 52.13% of land area2023 CE · World Bank World Development Indicators |
| Agricultural Land %63 obs · 1961 CE–2023 CE | 44.79%2023 CE · World Bank World Development Indicators |
| Arable Land per capita Ha63 obs · 1961 CE–2023 CE | 0.0173hectares per person2023 CE · World Bank World Development Indicators |
| Fao Agricultural Land63 obs · 1961 CE–2023 CE | 43Kha2023 CE · FAOSTAT |
| Fao Arable Land63 obs · 1961 CE–2023 CE | 4,000ha2023 CE · FAOSTAT |
Governance
6 of 12 series| Series | Value · year · source |
|---|---|
| Electoral Democracy Index125 obs · 1900 CE–2024 CE | 0.673index (0-1)2024 CE · V-Dem v15 |
| Liberal Democracy Index125 obs · 1900 CE–2024 CE | 0.565index (0-1)2024 CE · V-Dem v15 |
| Participatory Democracy Index125 obs · 1900 CE–2024 CE | 0.423index (0-1)2024 CE · V-Dem v15 |
| Regime Type125 obs · 1900 CE–2024 CE | 2RoW index (0-3)2024 CE · V-Dem v15 |
| Rule Of Law Index125 obs · 1900 CE–2024 CE | 0.747index (0-1)2024 CE · V-Dem v15 |
| Control Of Corruption Index25 obs · 1996 CE–2023 CE | 0.3602index2023 CE · World Bank World Development Indicators |
Development
6 of 33 series| Series | Value · year · source |
|---|---|
| Freedom Of Expression Index125 obs · 1900 CE–2024 CE | 0.801index (0-1)2024 CE · V-Dem v15 |
| Mobile Subscriptions Per 10052 obs · 1960 CE–2023 CE | 63.45per_1002023 CE · World Bank World Development Indicators |
| Dpt Immunization %44 obs · 1981 CE–2024 CE | 87%2024 CE · World Bank World Development Indicators |
| Measles Immunization %44 obs · 1981 CE–2024 CE | 87%2024 CE · World Bank World Development Indicators |
| Who Skilled Birth Attendance39 obs · 1985 CE–2023 CE | 75.36%2023 CE · WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Primary Enrollment Gross %37 obs · 1971 CE–2017 CE | 110.38%2017 CE · World Bank World Development Indicators |
Rulers
20 on record with dated reigns. Reign years follow the house convention: BCE years are negative.
- Manuel Pinto da CostaPresident of São Tomé and Príncipe1975 CE – 1991 CE
- Daniel DaioPrime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe1991 CE – 1992 CE
- Leonel Mário d'AlvaPresident of São Tomé and Príncipe1991 CE
- Miguel TrovoadaPresident of São Tomé and Príncipe1991 CE – 1995 CE
- Norberto Costa AlegrePrime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe1992 CE – 1994 CE
- Evaristo CarvalhoPrime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe1994 CE
- Armindo Vaz d'AlmeidaPrime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe1995 CE – 1996 CE
- Manuel Quintas de AlmeidaPresident of São Tomé and Príncipe1995 CE
- Raul Bragança NetoPrime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe1996 CE – 1999 CE
- Fradique de MenezesPresident of São Tomé and Príncipe2001 CE – 2003 CE
- Gabriel CostaPrime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe2002 CE
- Maria das NevesPrime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe2002 CE – 2004 CE
- Fernando PereiraPresident of São Tomé and Príncipe2003 CE
- Maria do Carmo SilveiraPrime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe2005 CE – 2006 CE
- Tomé Vera CruzPrime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe2006 CE – 2008 CE
- Evaristo CarvalhoPresident of São Tomé and Príncipe2016 CE – 2021 CE
- Jorge Bom JesusPrime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe2018 CE – 2022 CE
- Carlos Vila NovaHead of State2021 CE –
- Patrice TrovoadaHead of Government2022 CE – 2025 CE
- Américo RamosHead of Government2025 CE –
Country profile
From the CIA World Factbook 2024. Long entries are trimmed at a sentence boundary.
- Location
- Central Africa, islands in the Gulf of Guinea, just north of the Equator, west of Gabon
- Government type
- semi-presidential republic
- Executive branch
- chief of state: President Carlos Manuel VILA NOVA (since 2 October 2021); head of government: Prime Minister Américo d'Oliveira DOS RAMOS (since 12 January 2025); cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, appointed by the president;
- 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)
- Natural resources
- fish, hydropower
- Economy
- lower middle-income Central African island economy; falling cocoa production due to drought and mismanagement; joint oil venture with Nigeria; government owns 90% of land; high debt, partly from fuel subsidies; tourism gutted by COVID-19
Language & currency
- Currency
- dobras (STD)
Memberships
- United NationsUNInternational organisation · member1975 CE –
- 11-member Defense Pact (2000)Military alliance · member2000 CE –
- African UnionAUInternational organisation · founding member2002 CE –
Sources
Every figure above comes from one of these. Nothing on this page is estimated, interpolated or model-generated.
CIA World Factbook 2024
Seshat Global History Databank. Cliopatria: a historical basemap of polity borders (cliopatria.geojson).
Correlates of War NMC v6.0v6.0
Singer, J.D. (1987). National Material Capabilities Data (NMC), v6.0. Correlates of War Project.
Free academic use, citation
FAOSTAT2024 release
FAO (2024). FAOSTAT Statistical Database. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome.
CC BY 4.0
Gapminderv14 / systema globalis
Gapminder Foundation. Gapminder systema globalis dataset.
CC BY 4.0
Maddison Project Database 20232023
Bolt, J. & van Zanden, J.L. (2024). Maddison Project Database 2023. University of Groningen GGDC.
CC BY 4.0
UN World Population Prospects 20242024
United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024.
CC BY 3.0 IGO
V-Dem v15v15
Coppedge, M. et al. (2025). V-Dem Country-Year Dataset v15. Varieties of Democracy Project.
Free academic/non-commercial use, attribution
WHO Global Health Observatory2024
World Health Organization (2024). Global Health Observatory data repository.
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO
Wikipedia contributors. Article lead sections, reused under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
World Bank World Development Indicators2024 release
World Bank (2024). World Development Indicators. Washington, DC.
CC BY 4.0
São Tomé and Príncipe is one of the polities with a sourced record deep enough to publish.