Share of population urban in Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: Share of population urban was 69.17 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
69.17
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
108th
of 236 countries
All-time high
69.17
in 2025
All-time low
13.29
in 1950
Years of data
76
1950–2025
Share of population urban in Sao Tome and Principe, 1950–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, share of population urban in Sao Tome and Principe stood at 69.17. That is the highest value across all 76 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.4% on the previous year and up 2.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population urban in Sao Tome and Principe peaked at 69.17 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 13.29, in 1950.
Sao Tome and Principe ranks 108th of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 76 years of available data.
Share of population urban in Sao Tome and Principe, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 13.29 | — |
| 1951 | 13.34 | +0.4% |
| 1952 | 13.4 | +0.4% |
| 1953 | 13.51 | +0.8% |
| 1954 | 13.67 | +1.2% |
| 1955 | 13.87 | +1.5% |
| 1956 | 14.12 | +1.8% |
| 1957 | 14.4 | +2.0% |
| 1958 | 14.72 | +2.2% |
| 1959 | 15.07 | +2.4% |
| 1960 | 15.43 | +2.4% |
| 1961 | 15.93 | +3.2% |
| 1962 | 16.89 | +6.1% |
| 1963 | 18.28 | +8.2% |
| 1964 | 19.98 | +9.3% |
| 1965 | 21.86 | +9.4% |
| 1966 | 23.8 | +8.9% |
| 1967 | 25.69 | +7.9% |
| 1968 | 27.39 | +6.6% |
| 1969 | 28.79 | +5.1% |
| 1970 | 29.76 | +3.3% |
| 1971 | 30.35 | +2.0% |
| 1972 | 30.81 | +1.5% |
| 1973 | 31.19 | +1.2% |
| 1974 | 31.51 | +1.0% |
| 1975 | 31.79 | +0.9% |
| 1976 | 32.05 | +0.8% |
| 1977 | 32.32 | +0.8% |
| 1978 | 32.61 | +0.9% |
| 1979 | 32.94 | +1.0% |
| 1980 | 33.34 | +1.2% |
| 1981 | 33.83 | +1.5% |
| 1982 | 34.47 | +1.9% |
| 1983 | 35.32 | +2.5% |
| 1984 | 36.33 | +2.9% |
| 1985 | 37.47 | +3.1% |
| 1986 | 38.71 | +3.3% |
| 1987 | 39.99 | +3.3% |
| 1988 | 41.28 | +3.2% |
| 1989 | 42.54 | +3.1% |
| 1990 | 43.73 | +2.8% |
| 1991 | 44.82 | +2.5% |
| 1992 | 45.8 | +2.2% |
| 1993 | 46.73 | +2.0% |
| 1994 | 47.63 | +1.9% |
| 1995 | 48.5 | +1.8% |
| 1996 | 49.36 | +1.8% |
| 1997 | 50.23 | +1.8% |
| 1998 | 51.11 | +1.8% |
| 1999 | 52.02 | +1.8% |
| 2000 | 52.97 | +1.8% |
| 2001 | 53.96 | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 55.09 | +2.1% |
| 2003 | 56.41 | +2.4% |
| 2004 | 57.88 | +2.6% |
| 2005 | 59.42 | +2.7% |
| 2006 | 60.97 | +2.6% |
| 2007 | 62.48 | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 63.87 | +2.2% |
| 2009 | 65.08 | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 66.06 | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 66.73 | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 67.03 | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 67.13 | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 67.26 | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 67.39 | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 67.52 | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 67.65 | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 67.78 | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 67.91 | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 68.04 | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 68.17 | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 68.37 | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 68.6 | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 68.87 | +0.4% |
| 2025 | 69.17 | +0.4% |
Sao Tome and Principe compared with similar countries
- Sao Tome and Principe's 69.17 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 50.87, 1.4× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Sao Tome and Principe's 69.17 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 44.89, 1.5× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 13.94 | 13.29 | 15.07 | 10 |
| 1960s | 21.4 | 15.43 | 28.79 | 10 |
| 1970s | 31.53 | 29.76 | 32.94 | 10 |
| 1980s | 37.33 | 33.34 | 42.54 | 10 |
| 1990s | 47.99 | 43.73 | 52.02 | 10 |
| 2000s | 58.81 | 52.97 | 65.08 | 10 |
| 2010s | 67.25 | 66.06 | 67.91 | 10 |
| 2020s | 68.54 | 68.04 | 69.17 | 6 |
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 share of population urban in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Share of population urban in Sao Tome and Principe was 69.17 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population urban recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The highest recorded value was 69.17 in 2025.
- What is the lowest share of population urban recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.29 in 1950.
- How does Sao Tome and Principe rank for share of population urban?
- Sao Tome and Principe ranks 108th out of 236 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of population urban rising or falling in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sao Tome and Principe data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population urban. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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