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 |
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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) |
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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) |
Africa
Inflation & Debt
Inflation |
2015: 5.2% 2016: 5.4% 2017*: 5.7% 2018*: 7.9% 2019*: 8.8% (*Estimate) |
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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.) |
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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