Share of government consumption in GDP vs. GDP per capita in Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: Share of government consumption in GDP vs. GDP per capita was 24.2% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Share of government consumption in GDP vs. GDP per capita in Sao Tome and Principe, 1970–2023
Source: Feenstra et al. - Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of government consumption in gdp vs. gdp per capita in Sao Tome and Principe is 24.2%, measured in 2023.
The figure is up 6.3% on the previous year and down 34.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of government consumption in gdp vs. gdp per capita in Sao Tome and Principe peaked at 41.6% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 2.2%, in 2016.
That places Sao Tome and Principe 49th out of 184 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of government consumption in GDP vs. GDP per capita in Sao Tome and Principe, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 8.2% | — |
| 1971 | 8.4% | +3.3% |
| 1972 | 8.1% | -4.4% |
| 1973 | 6.5% | -19.9% |
| 1974 | 6.1% | -5.8% |
| 1975 | 5.9% | -3.5% |
| 1976 | 5.7% | -3.3% |
| 1977 | 4.9% | -12.7% |
| 1978 | 4.3% | -12.8% |
| 1979 | 3.7% | -14.4% |
| 1980 | 18.2% | +393.2% |
| 1981 | 18.4% | +1.2% |
| 1982 | 18.1% | -1.8% |
| 1983 | 19.1% | +5.3% |
| 1984 | 13.9% | -27.2% |
| 1985 | 22.3% | +60.8% |
| 1986 | 21.1% | -5.5% |
| 1987 | 20.7% | -1.8% |
| 1988 | 23.2% | +11.8% |
| 1989 | 17.8% | -23.0% |
| 1990 | 13.3% | -25.3% |
| 1991 | 13.1% | -1.6% |
| 1992 | 15.8% | +20.8% |
| 1993 | 19.2% | +21.0% |
| 1994 | 17.5% | -8.7% |
| 1995 | 14.9% | -14.9% |
| 1996 | 14.2% | -5.0% |
| 1997 | 16.3% | +15.3% |
| 1998 | 11.2% | -31.7% |
| 1999 | 14.3% | +28.3% |
| 2000 | 15.5% | +8.6% |
| 2001 | 19.4% | +25.1% |
| 2002 | 23.1% | +18.9% |
| 2003 | 18.1% | -21.8% |
| 2004 | 25.7% | +42.0% |
| 2005 | 22.9% | -10.9% |
| 2006 | 25.4% | +11.2% |
| 2007 | 31.7% | +24.7% |
| 2008 | 34.3% | +8.2% |
| 2009 | 37.7% | +9.8% |
| 2010 | 39.1% | +3.8% |
| 2011 | 41.6% | +6.4% |
| 2012 | 33.9% | -18.5% |
| 2013 | 36.8% | +8.7% |
| 2014 | 35.8% | -2.7% |
| 2015 | 35.2% | -1.7% |
| 2016 | 2.2% | -93.7% |
| 2017 | 18.8% | +750.7% |
| 2018 | 26.7% | +41.8% |
| 2019 | 22.6% | -15.2% |
| 2020 | 24.7% | +9.3% |
| 2021 | 23.5% | -5.0% |
| 2022 | 22.7% | -3.2% |
| 2023 | 24.2% | +6.3% |
Sao Tome and Principe compared with similar countries
- Sao Tome and Principe's 24.2% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 17.5%, 1.4× the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Sao Tome and Principe's 24.2% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 17.2%, 1.4× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of government consumption in GDP vs. GDP per capita 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | +750.7% | 2.2% | 18.8% |
| 1980 | +393.2% | 3.7% | 18.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 6.2% | 3.7% | 8.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 19.3% | 13.9% | 23.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 15.0% | 11.2% | 19.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 25.4% | 15.5% | 37.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 29.3% | 2.2% | 41.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 23.8% | 22.7% | 24.7% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sao Tome and Principe
- 46 North Macedonia 24.5% compare
- 47 Central African Republic 24.3% compare
- 48 Bosnia and Herzegovina 24.2% compare
- 50 Bahamas 24.1% compare
- 51 Saudi Arabia 24.0% compare
- 52 Guinea 23.9% 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)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 3.83 million BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0046 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 16.27 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled -16.68 million BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual 35.34 % change on previous year (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit -0.0202 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita -70.83 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 27.12 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of government consumption in gdp vs. gdp per capita in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Share of government consumption in gdp vs. gdp per capita in Sao Tome and Principe was 24.2% in 2023, according to Feenstra et al. - Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of government consumption in gdp vs. gdp per capita recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The highest recorded value was 41.6% in 2011.
- What is the lowest share of government consumption in gdp vs. gdp per capita recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.2% in 2016.
- How does Sao Tome and Principe rank for share of government consumption in gdp vs. gdp per capita?
- Sao Tome and Principe ranks 49th out of 184 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of government consumption in gdp vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 34.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sao Tome and Principe data come from?
- The figures come from Feenstra et al. - Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of government consumption in GDP vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Government consumption divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage.