Population growth in Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: Population growth was 2.0% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
2.0%
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
53rd
of 215 countries
All-time high
2.7%
in 1978
All-time low
1.1%
in 2000
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Population growth in Sao Tome and Principe, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
In 2024, population growth in Sao Tome and Principe stood at 2.0%.
That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and up 7.8% 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, 1.1%, in 2000.
That places Sao Tome and Principe 53rd out of 215 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Population growth in Sao Tome and Principe, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 2.0% | — |
| 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% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sao Tome and Principe
More population data for Sao Tome and Principe
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.2548 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -8.57 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.2548 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.2436 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 366.66 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.9 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.518 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate 0.248 (2100)
- Population density 556.27 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 34,182 (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Population growth in Sao Tome and Principe was 2.0% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- 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 1.1% in 2000.
- How does Sao Tome and Principe rank for population growth?
- Sao Tome and Principe ranks 53rd out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population growth rising or falling in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sao Tome and Principe data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release