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Sao Tome and Principe GDP and Economic Data

Country Report 2017 - 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.

Featured image for Sao Tome and Principe GDP and Economic Data
 
 
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Central bank

Central Bank of São Tomé and Príncipe

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International Reserves

USD 0.04 billion (2018)

International Monetary Fund (IMF), data retrieved October 2019

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Gross Domestic Product - GDP

USD 0.4 billion (2018, estimate)

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GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Intl$ 0.7 billion (2018, estimate)

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

*Estimate

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GDP per capita - current prices

USD 2,063.2 (2018, estimate)

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GDP per capita - PPP

Intl$ 3,324.0 (2018, estimate)

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

*Estimate

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GDP - composition by sector
  • agriculture: 11.4% 
  • industry: 14.8% 
  • services: 71.8%

(2018 estimate)

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Gross domestic expenditure on R&D; (% of GDP)

N/A

 

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

*Estimate

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Unemployment rate
2015 2016 2017* 2018 2019
13.7% 13.5% 13.0% N/A N/A

*Estimate

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Household saving rates

N/A

 

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Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)
2015 2016 2017 2018* 2019*
85.8% 95.3% 91.7% 74.5% 77.2%

*Estimate

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

*Estimate  

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Government bond ratings

Standard & Poor's: N/A

Moody's: N/A

Standard & Poor's / Moody's 

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Market value of publicly traded shares
2016 2017 2018
N/A N/A N/A
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Largest companies

N/A

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Current account balance

USD 0.0 billion (2018 estimate)

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Current account balance by percentage of GDP

-10.9 % (2018 estimate)

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Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services)

N/A

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Shares in world total merchandising export

0.0001% (2018)

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Shares in world total commercial services export

0.001% (2018)

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Total exports

USD 111.0 million (2018 estimate)

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Export commodities

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

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Total imports

USD 199.1 million (2018 estimate)

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Import commodities

Machinery and electrical equipment, food products, petroleum products

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Exports - major partners

Guyana 43.7%, Germany 23.6%, Portugal 6%, Netherlands 5.5%, Poland 4.4% (2017)

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Imports - major partners

Portugal 54.7%, Angola 16.5%, China 5.6% (2017)

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FDI inflows
2016 2017 2018
USD 22 million USD 41 million USD 17 million
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FDI outflows
2016 2017 2018
USD 0.9 million USD 3.9 million USD 2.7 million
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Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser
2015 2016 2017 2018
N/A N/A N/A N/A
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Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014

N/A

(for a monthly update on M&A; click here )

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Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015

N/A

(for a monthly update on M&A; click here )

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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

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Global competitiveness ranking

N/A

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Index of Economic Freedom

Ranking: 134 / Score: 54 (Mostly unfree)

(100=totally free 0=totally repressed)

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Time zone

UTC 0

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Total area

964 sq km

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Capital

Sao Tome

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Currency

Dobras (STD)

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Government type

Semi-presidential republic

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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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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.)

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

*Estimate   

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Urban population as % of total population
1960 1980 2000 2018
16.1% 33.5% 53.4% 72.8%
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Population median age

18.7 years 

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Population growth rate

1.66% (2018 estimate)

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Life expectancy

65.7 years (2018 estimate)

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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.)

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% of population living on less than $3.10 a day

70.1% (last available estimate, 2010)

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Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)

30.8 (last available estimate, 2010)

(0=perfect equality, 100=absolute inequality)

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Freedom House rating

Free
Political Rights: 2
Civil Liberties: 2 (2019)
(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating)              

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Total telephone subscribers as % of population

Fixed: 2.5% Mobile: 77.1% (2018)

(fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers)

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Internet users as % of total population

29.93 % (2017)

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Mercer Cost of living index

N/A

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CO2 emissions

0.58 metric tons per capita (2014)

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