Share of food products in total merchandise exports in Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: Share of food products in total merchandise exports was 98.2% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of food products in total merchandise exports in Sao Tome and Principe, 1999–2023
Source: UN Comtrade, WITS, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of merchandise exports.
Analysis
Sao Tome and Principe recorded 98.2% for share of food products in total merchandise exports in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 15.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of food products in total merchandise exports in Sao Tome and Principe peaked at 98.6% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 74.3%, in 2018.
That places Sao Tome and Principe 3rd out of 196 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Share of food products in total merchandise exports in Sao Tome and Principe, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 98.6% | — |
| 2000 | 96.9% | -1.7% |
| 2001 | 98.0% | +1.1% |
| 2002 | 96.6% | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 94.9% | -1.8% |
| 2004 | 94.3% | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 94.9% | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 94.5% | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 95.0% | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 92.5% | -2.7% |
| 2009 | 92.5% | -0.0% |
| 2010 | 94.6% | +2.3% |
| 2011 | 96.0% | +1.4% |
| 2012 | 87.2% | -9.1% |
| 2013 | 85.3% | -2.3% |
| 2014 | 97.0% | +13.8% |
| 2015 | 93.3% | -3.9% |
| 2016 | 88.4% | -5.2% |
| 2017 | 85.4% | -3.4% |
| 2018 | 74.3% | -13.0% |
| 2019 | 87.8% | +18.2% |
| 2020 | 88.8% | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 94.8% | +6.8% |
| 2022 | 98.0% | +3.4% |
| 2023 | 98.2% | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 98.6% | 98.6% | 98.6% | 1 |
| 2000s | 95.0% | 92.5% | 98.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 88.9% | 74.3% | 97.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 95.0% | 88.8% | 98.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sao Tome and Principe
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)
- Manufacturing, value added (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.0059 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (current US$), per capita 24.28 current US$ per person (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (current LCU), per unit of GDP 0.1289 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (current LCU), per capita 526.54 current LCU per person (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.0039 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant 2015 US$), per capita 15.81 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant LCU), per capita 288.15 constant LCU per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), annual 17.57 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of food products in total merchandise exports in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Share of food products in total merchandise exports in Sao Tome and Principe was 98.2% in 2023, according to UN Comtrade, WITS, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of food products in total merchandise exports recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The highest recorded value was 98.6% in 1999.
- What is the lowest share of food products in total merchandise exports recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The lowest recorded value was 74.3% in 2018.
- How does Sao Tome and Principe rank for share of food products in total merchandise exports?
- Sao Tome and Principe ranks 3rd out of 196 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of food products in total merchandise exports rising or falling in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sao Tome and Principe data come from?
- The figures come from UN Comtrade, WITS, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of food products in total merchandise exports. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Value of food exports divided by the total value of merchandise exports, expressed as a percentage.