Tax revenue as share of GDP in Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: Tax revenue as share of GDP was 11.5% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
11.5%
Change on year
up 8.1%
World rank
151st
of 192 countries
All-time high
19.0%
in 2013
All-time low
3.0%
in 1996
Years of data
44
1980–2023
Tax revenue as share of GDP in Sao Tome and Principe, 1980–2023
Source: UNU-WIDER Government Revenue Dataset (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Sao Tome and Principe recorded 11.5% for tax revenue as share of gdp in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 8.1% on the previous year and down 39.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, tax revenue as share of gdp in Sao Tome and Principe peaked at 19.0% in 2013 and was at its lowest, 3.0%, in 1996.
Sao Tome and Principe ranks 151st of 192 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 44 years of available data.
Tax revenue as share of GDP in Sao Tome and Principe, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 15.1% | — |
| 1981 | 9.9% | -34.4% |
| 1982 | 15.1% | +51.9% |
| 1983 | 9.9% | -34.2% |
| 1984 | 11.8% | +18.7% |
| 1985 | 11.3% | -4.3% |
| 1986 | 8.0% | -29.0% |
| 1987 | 6.1% | -24.0% |
| 1988 | 8.1% | +33.8% |
| 1989 | 6.1% | -24.5% |
| 1990 | 4.5% | -26.9% |
| 1991 | 5.4% | +19.8% |
| 1992 | 6.3% | +17.8% |
| 1993 | 4.9% | -22.7% |
| 1994 | 3.8% | -22.1% |
| 1995 | 4.2% | +11.2% |
| 1996 | 3.0% | -30.1% |
| 1997 | 5.1% | +70.3% |
| 1998 | 7.3% | +44.9% |
| 1999 | 9.8% | +33.3% |
| 2000 | 9.7% | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 12.1% | +24.6% |
| 2002 | 12.9% | +6.4% |
| 2003 | 12.5% | -3.2% |
| 2004 | 13.8% | +10.8% |
| 2005 | 13.4% | -3.0% |
| 2006 | 15.3% | +14.3% |
| 2007 | 16.0% | +4.3% |
| 2008 | 14.9% | -6.7% |
| 2009 | 15.2% | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 17.7% | +16.8% |
| 2011 | 17.7% | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 16.0% | -9.4% |
| 2013 | 19.0% | +18.6% |
| 2014 | 13.6% | -28.1% |
| 2015 | 14.3% | +4.9% |
| 2016 | 12.3% | -13.8% |
| 2017 | 12.7% | +3.1% |
| 2018 | 13.7% | +7.8% |
| 2019 | 12.7% | -7.0% |
| 2020 | 13.2% | +3.5% |
| 2021 | 12.1% | -8.1% |
| 2022 | 10.6% | -12.3% |
| 2023 | 11.5% | +8.1% |
Sao Tome and Principe compared with similar countries
- Sao Tome and Principe's 11.5% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 14.9%, 77% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Sao Tome and Principe's 11.5% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 13.5%, 85% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 10.1% | 6.1% | 15.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.4% | 3.0% | 9.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.6% | 9.7% | 16.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.0% | 12.3% | 19.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.8% | 10.6% | 13.2% | 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)
- 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 tax revenue as share of gdp in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Tax revenue as share of gdp in Sao Tome and Principe was 11.5% in 2023, according to UNU-WIDER Government Revenue Dataset (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest tax revenue as share of gdp recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The highest recorded value was 19.0% in 2013.
- What is the lowest tax revenue as share of gdp recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.0% in 1996.
- How does Sao Tome and Principe rank for tax revenue as share of gdp?
- Sao Tome and Principe ranks 151st out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is tax revenue as share of gdp rising or falling in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 39.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sao Tome and Principe data come from?
- The figures come from UNU-WIDER Government Revenue Dataset (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Tax revenue as share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 44 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Direct and indirect taxes as well as social contributions included.