Browse a full set of economic indicators

Sao Tome and Principe

Includes Sao Tome and Principe real Gross Domestic Product growth rate, with latest forecasts and historical data, GDP per capita, GDP composition and breakdown by sector.

Browse additional economic indicators and data sets, selected by Global Finance editors, to learn more about Sao Tome and Principe economic outlook, debt to GDP ratio, international trade performance and population trends. Rankings of Sao Tome and Principe best banks and safest banks are also available.

Basic Information

Government Type: Semi-presidential republic

Capital City: Sao Tome

GDP & Economic Information

Macroeconomy & Sovereign Data

Central Bank Central Bank of São Tomé and Príncipe

Currency Dobras (STD)

International Reserves USD 0.04 billion (2018)

International Monetary Fund (IMF), data retrieved October 2019
Gross Domestic Product – GDP USD 0.4 billion (2018, estimate)
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
Intl$ 0.7 billion (2018, estimate)

GDP Data

Real GDP growth 2007: 3.3%
2008: 8.2%
2009: 2.4%
2010: 6.7%
2011: 4.4%
2012: 3.1%
2013: 4.8%
2014: 6.6%
2015: 3.8%
2016: 4.2%
2017*: 3.9%
2018*: 3%

(*Estimate)
GDP per capita – current prices USD 2,063.2 (2018, estimate)

GDP per capita – PPP Intl$ 3,324.0 (2018, estimate)

GDP (PPP) – share of world total 1980: 0.0%
1990: 0.0%
2000: N/A
2010: 0.0%
2019*: 0.001%

(*Estimate)
GDP – composition by sector agriculture: 11.4%
industry: 14.8%
services: 71.8%
(2018 estimate)
Gross domestic expenditure on R&D; (% of GDP) N/A
Inflation 2015: 5.2%
2016: 5.4%
2017*: 5.7%
2018*: 7.9%
2019*: 8.8%

(*Estimate)

Inflation & Debt

Inflation 2015: 5.2%
2016: 5.4%
2017*: 5.7%
2018*: 7.9%
2019*: 8.8%

(*Estimate)
Government Bond Ratings Standard & Poor’s: N/A

Moody’s: N/A

Standard & Poor’s / Moody’s
Unemployment rate 2015: 13.7%
2016: 13.5%
2017*: 13.0%
2018: N/A
2019: N/A

(*Estimate)
Household saving rates N/A
Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP) 2015: 85.8%
2016: 95.3%
2017: 91.7%
2018*: 74.5%
2019*: 77.2%

(*Estimate)
Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP) 2015: -6.3%
2016: -4.2%
2017: -2.7%
2018*: -1.9%
2019*: -1.7%

(*Estimate)
Market value of publicly traded shares N/A
Largest Companies N/A

Import/Export

Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services) N/A


Shares in world total merchandising export 0.0001% (2018)

Shares in world total commercial services export 0.001% (2018)

Total exports USD 111.0 million (2018 estimate)

Export commodities Cocoa 68%, copra, coffee, palm oil (2010 est.)

Total imports USD 199.1 million (2018 estimate)

Import commodities Machinery and electrical equipment, food products, petroleum products

Exports – major partners Guyana 43.7%, Germany 23.6%, Portugal 6%, Netherlands 5.5%, Poland 4.4% (2017)

Imports – major partners Portugal 54.7%, Angola 16.5%, China 5.6% (2017)

Competitiveness & Trade

Current account balance USD 0.0 billion (2018 estimate)

Current account balance by percentage of GDP -10.9 % (2018 estimate)

FDI inflows 2016: USD 22 million
2017: USD 41 million
2018: USD 17 million
FDI Outflows 2016: USD 0.9 million
2017: USD 3.9 million
2018: USD 2.7 million
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser N/A


United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) – World Investment Report
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014 N/A
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015 N/A
Best countries for doing business Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.

Overall ranking:

170 out of 190 countries

​Subcategories:
Starting a Business: 150 out of 190 countries
Dealing with Construction Permits: 111 out of 190 countries
Getting Electricity: 130 out of 190 countries
Registering Property: 172 out of 190 countries
Getting Credit: 165 out of 190 countries
Protecting Minority Investors: 179 out of 190 countries
Paying Taxes: 137 out of 190 countries
Trading across Borders: 124 out of 190 countries
Enforcing Contracts: 185 out of 190 countries
Resolving Insolvency: 168 out of 190 countries
Global competitiveness ranking N/A
Index of Economic Freedom Ranking: 134 / Score: 54 (Mostly unfree)

(100=totally free 0=totally repressed)

Population & Geographic Data

Time Zone UTC 0

Total Area 964 sq km

Total Population 1990: 0.11 million
2000: 0.14 million
2010: 0.18 million
2015*: 0.2 million
2020*: 0.23 million

(*Estimate)
Urban population as % of total population 1960: 16.1%
1980: 33.5%
2000: 53.4%
2018: 72.8%
Population median age 18.7 years

Population growth rate 1.66% (2018 estimate)

Life expectancy 65.7 years (2018 estimate)

% of population living on less than $3.10 a day 70.1% (last available estimate, 2010)

Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)
30.8 (last available estimate, 2010)

(0=perfect equality, 100=absolute inequality)
Freedom House rating Free
Political Rights: 2
Civil Liberties: 2 (2019)
(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating)
Total telephone subscribers as % of population Fixed: 2.5% Mobile: 77.1% (2018)

(fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers)
Internet users as % of total population 29.93 % (2017)

Language & Religon

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% (2012 est.)

Literacy
Total population: 74.9%
Male: 81.8%
Female: 68.4%
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 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.)

World Rankings

Population 0.23 M
Mercer Cost of living index N/A
C02 Emissions per capita 0.58 metric tons per capita (2014)

Global Finance Rankings & Awards: Africa &. Sao Tome and Principe

Global Finance Magazine holds several conferences and awards ceremonies throughout the year to recognize the winning financial institutions and companies in a host of categories including World’s Best Trade Finance Banks, World's Biggest Banks, World's Safest Banks, World's Best Developed & Emerging Markets Banks, World's Best Internet Banks, and World’s Best Investment Banks.


Data Sources:

IMF World Economic Outlook

UN World Population Prospects

World Inequality Report

S&P Global Ratings

Moody’s

Fitch Ratings

IMF Direction of Trade Statistics (DOTS)

UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

CIA The World Factbook

World Bank’s World Integrated Trade Solution

Forbes Global 2000

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