GDP per capita growth (annual %) (Country official) in Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: GDP per capita growth (annual %) (Country official) was -1.0% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
GDP per capita growth in Sao Tome and Principe, 1971–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for gdp per capita growth in Sao Tome and Principe is -1.0%, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 79.9% on the previous year and down 287.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gdp per capita growth in Sao Tome and Principe peaked at 20.2% in 1977 and was at its lowest, -12.2%, in 1981.
That places Sao Tome and Principe 196th out of 215 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
GDP per capita growth (annual %) (Country official) in Sao Tome and Principe, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 3.1% | — |
| 1972 | 0.1% | -95.8% |
| 1973 | -0.6% | -528.9% |
| 1974 | 3.3% | -693.5% |
| 1975 | 2.9% | -13.2% |
| 1976 | -0.9% | -130.7% |
| 1977 | 20.2% | -2366.6% |
| 1978 | 0.2% | -99.2% |
| 1979 | 13.4% | +8137.1% |
| 1980 | -3.4% | -125.3% |
| 1981 | -12.2% | +259.5% |
| 1982 | 1.2% | -109.8% |
| 1983 | -5.6% | -570.8% |
| 1984 | -7.8% | +39.5% |
| 1985 | 7.0% | -189.9% |
| 1986 | -7.9% | -213.1% |
| 1987 | -5.3% | -33.4% |
| 1988 | -0.6% | -88.0% |
| 1989 | 0.5% | -182.2% |
| 1990 | -4.5% | -969.6% |
| 1991 | -1.0% | -78.3% |
| 1992 | -1.2% | +21.3% |
| 1993 | -0.7% | -39.3% |
| 1994 | 0.5% | -162.8% |
| 1995 | 0.4% | -20.1% |
| 1996 | -0.0% | -108.7% |
| 1997 | -0.4% | +1247.2% |
| 1998 | 1.2% | -372.5% |
| 1999 | 1.3% | +9.9% |
| 2000 | -0.7% | -150.7% |
| 2001 | 1.4% | -315.9% |
| 2002 | 0.9% | -34.9% |
| 2003 | 5.6% | +506.8% |
| 2004 | 1.0% | -82.3% |
| 2005 | 4.0% | +308.8% |
| 2006 | 6.2% | +55.2% |
| 2007 | 1.2% | -81.4% |
| 2008 | 3.7% | +221.1% |
| 2009 | 0.9% | -74.7% |
| 2010 | -0.8% | -180.0% |
| 2011 | -0.1% | -84.9% |
| 2012 | 0.9% | -873.6% |
| 2013 | 3.1% | +251.0% |
| 2014 | 3.0% | -4.0% |
| 2015 | -0.2% | -108.3% |
| 2016 | 3.4% | -1486.5% |
| 2017 | 2.5% | -28.0% |
| 2018 | 2.8% | +12.9% |
| 2019 | 0.5% | -82.7% |
| 2020 | 0.7% | +48.6% |
| 2021 | -0.2% | -124.9% |
| 2022 | -1.8% | +882.5% |
| 2023 | -1.6% | -8.1% |
| 2024 | -0.5% | -67.1% |
| 2025 | -1.0% | +79.9% |
Sao Tome and Principe compared with similar countries
- Sao Tome and Principe's -1.0% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2.7%. (47 countries reporting)
- Sao Tome and Principe's -1.0% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.5%. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where GDP per capita growth (annual %) (Country official) in Sao Tome and Principe changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | +8137.1% | 0.2% | 13.4% |
| 1977 | +2366.6% | -0.9% | 20.2% |
| 2016 | +1486.5% | -0.2% | 3.4% |
| 1997 | -1247.2% | -0.0% | -0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4.6% | -0.9% | 20.2% | 9 |
| 1980s | -3.4% | -12.2% | 7.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | -0.5% | -4.5% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.4% | -0.7% | 6.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.5% | -0.8% | 3.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | -0.7% | -1.8% | 0.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sao Tome and Principe
- 193 Saint Lucia -0.8% compare
- 194 Luxembourg -0.8% compare
- 195 United States Virgin Islands -0.9% compare
- 197 Afghanistan -1.0% compare
- 198 Qatar -1.1% compare
- 199 Ukraine -1.3% compare
More economy & growth data for Sao Tome and Principe
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.41 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 3.35 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 94.74 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0073 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 29.83 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate 85.44 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0053 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 21.78 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0207 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gdp per capita growth in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Gdp per capita growth in Sao Tome and Principe was -1.0% in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks.
- What is the highest gdp per capita growth recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The highest recorded value was 20.2% in 1977.
- What is the lowest gdp per capita growth recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The lowest recorded value was -12.2% in 1981.
- How does Sao Tome and Principe rank for gdp per capita growth?
- Sao Tome and Principe ranks 196th out of 215 countries with data for 2025.
- Is gdp per capita growth rising or falling in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 287.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sao Tome and Principe data come from?
- The figures come from Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks, published as part of GDP per capita growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Gross domestic product is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period. It can be measured in three different ways: using either the expenditure approach, the income approach, or the production approach. The core indicator has been divided by the general population to achieve a per capita estimate.This indicator denotes the percentage change over each previous year of the constant price (base year 2015) series in United States dollars.