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São Tomé and Príncipe
Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe · Middle Africa
At a glance
CapitalSão Tomé
Most common first languagePortuguese98.4% speak it as a mother tongue
Official languagePortuguese
CurrencySão Tomé and Príncipe dobra
Drives on theright
Highest pointPico de São Tomé2,024 m
Biggest category of goods exportedfood98% of goods exports, 2023
Services share of exports75%of everything sold abroad, 2024
TerritoryEntirely islandsno part on a continental mainland · archipelago
Internet domain.st
São Tomé and Príncipe by the numbers
Rank is out of the countries with data for that measure. Every figure is the latest year the source publishes.
| Measure | Value | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| PopulationEveryone living in the country, all ages, counted mid-year. | 240k (2025) | 180th of 209 |
| GDPThe total value of everything the country produces in a year, at current prices. | $981m (2025) | 194th of 203 |
| Land areaTotal land area, excluding inland water and offshore territory. | 960 km² (2023) | 177th of 209 |
| Exports of goods & servicesThe value of everything the country sells abroad in a year, goods and services combined. | $130m (2025) | 174th of 180 |
| Mobile subscriptionsActive mobile phone subscriptions — NOT the same as people. Many people hold two, so a country can have more subscriptions than residents. | 147k (2024) | 183rd of 205 |
| Forest areaLand under natural or planted trees, whether or not it is productive. | 500 km² (2023) | 165th of 203 |
| Agricultural landCropland, land under permanent crops, and permanent pasture. | 430 km² (2023) | 173rd of 206 |
| CO₂ emissionsCarbon dioxide released in a year, in millions of tonnes. | 0 Mt (2024) | 188th of 198 |
| Urban populationThe number of people living in urban areas, as each country defines them. | 166k (2025) | 179th of 209 |
| Life expectancyHow long a baby born today would live if death rates never changed. | 69.9 years (2024) | 147th of 209 |
| GDP per personEverything the country produces in a year, divided by its population. | $4,084 (2025) | 143rd of 205 |
| Internet useThe share of people who have used the internet in the last three months. | 59.1% (2024) | 140th of 191 |
| InflationHow much prices rose over the year, measured on a basket of consumer goods. | 11.0% (2025) | 22nd of 182 |
| UnemploymentThe share of people who want a job and are looking for one but do not have one. | 9.1% (2025) | 43rd of 185 |
| Urban shareThe share of the population living in urban areas. | 69.2% (2025) | 89th of 209 |
| Births per womanHow many children a woman would have across her life at current birth rates. | 3.60 (2024) | 39th of 209 |
| Trade opennessImports plus exports as a share of GDP. Above 100% is normal for small trading economies. | 46.6% of GDP (2025) | 149th of 183 |
| CO₂ per personCarbon dioxide from fuel and industry, divided by the population. | 0.62 t (2024) | 152nd of 198 |
| Human Development IndexThe UN’s combined measure of health, education and income, on a scale from 0 to 1. | 0.637 (2023) | 141st of 193 |
Land borders
None. Everything that leaves São Tomé and Príncipe goes by sea or by air.
Across the water
Close by sea, with no shared land border.
São Tomé and Príncipe shares these with other countries
Drives on the right 149Is made up entirely of islands 58Shares no land border 51Is an archipelago 39Has portuguese as its most common first language 4Has portuguese as an official language 10Is a member of the african union 54Mainly exports food 47Earns most of its export income from services 48Is in middle africa 10
Keep going
Country data from the World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and the UNDP Human Development Report (CC BY 3.0 IGO)
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