Population growth in Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: Population growth was 2.0% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Population growth in Sao Tome and Principe, 1961–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
In 2025, population growth in Sao Tome and Principe stood at 2.0%.
The figure is down 0.9% on the previous year and up 11.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth in Sao Tome and Principe peaked at 2.7% in 1978 and was at its lowest, 1.0%, in 1962.
That places Sao Tome and Principe 51st out of 217 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 65 years of available data.
Population growth in Sao Tome and Principe, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.0% | — |
| 1962 | 1.0% | -0.9% |
| 1963 | 1.0% | +0.8% |
| 1964 | 1.1% | +5.1% |
| 1965 | 1.1% | +7.0% |
| 1966 | 1.2% | +8.6% |
| 1967 | 1.4% | +12.3% |
| 1968 | 1.6% | +12.9% |
| 1969 | 1.7% | +10.9% |
| 1970 | 2.0% | +14.9% |
| 1971 | 2.2% | +8.1% |
| 1972 | 2.1% | -1.7% |
| 1973 | 2.1% | +0.5% |
| 1974 | 2.2% | +4.3% |
| 1975 | 2.4% | +6.2% |
| 1976 | 2.5% | +6.1% |
| 1977 | 2.6% | +4.7% |
| 1978 | 2.7% | +2.0% |
| 1979 | 2.6% | -4.0% |
| 1980 | 2.4% | -9.0% |
| 1981 | 2.1% | -11.6% |
| 1982 | 1.9% | -10.4% |
| 1983 | 1.8% | -2.9% |
| 1984 | 1.9% | +5.6% |
| 1985 | 2.1% | +10.2% |
| 1986 | 2.3% | +7.7% |
| 1987 | 2.5% | +8.5% |
| 1988 | 2.6% | +6.3% |
| 1989 | 2.6% | -1.9% |
| 1990 | 2.5% | -3.7% |
| 1991 | 2.2% | -11.5% |
| 1992 | 1.9% | -13.0% |
| 1993 | 1.8% | -4.1% |
| 1994 | 1.7% | -5.6% |
| 1995 | 1.6% | -6.1% |
| 1996 | 1.5% | -5.9% |
| 1997 | 1.4% | -6.6% |
| 1998 | 1.3% | -7.9% |
| 1999 | 1.2% | -8.7% |
| 2000 | 1.1% | -7.9% |
| 2001 | 1.6% | +47.5% |
| 2002 | 2.4% | +47.5% |
| 2003 | 2.6% | +7.0% |
| 2004 | 2.5% | -2.5% |
| 2005 | 2.5% | -1.4% |
| 2006 | 2.4% | -0.8% |
| 2007 | 2.4% | -0.9% |
| 2008 | 2.4% | -1.6% |
| 2009 | 2.3% | -3.1% |
| 2010 | 2.2% | -4.9% |
| 2011 | 2.1% | -4.7% |
| 2012 | 2.0% | -3.5% |
| 2013 | 1.9% | -4.1% |
| 2014 | 1.9% | -4.3% |
| 2015 | 1.8% | -4.4% |
| 2016 | 1.7% | -5.2% |
| 2017 | 1.6% | -5.0% |
| 2018 | 1.5% | -3.5% |
| 2019 | 1.5% | -1.9% |
| 2020 | 1.9% | +24.0% |
| 2021 | 2.1% | +9.8% |
| 2022 | 1.9% | -5.9% |
| 2023 | 2.0% | +3.1% |
| 2024 | 2.0% | +0.1% |
| 2025 | 2.0% | -0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.2% | 1.0% | 1.7% | 9 |
| 1970s | 2.4% | 2.0% | 2.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.2% | 1.8% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.7% | 1.2% | 2.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.2% | 1.1% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.8% | 1.5% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.0% | 1.9% | 2.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sao Tome and Principe
More climate change data for Sao Tome and Principe
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 23.37 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 15.5 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 7.87 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 0.0585 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 0.2811 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 0.5528 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 0.424 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 0.1288 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0.0016 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0.0046 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Population growth in Sao Tome and Principe was 2.0% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest population growth recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The highest recorded value was 2.7% in 1978.
- What is the lowest population growth recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.0% in 1962.
- How does Sao Tome and Principe rank for population growth?
- Sao Tome and Principe ranks 51st out of 217 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population growth rising or falling in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sao Tome and Principe data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.