Sao Tome and Principe — GDP growth
GDP Growth (Annual %) for Sao Tome and Principe, 1971–2025.
GDP growth for Sao Tome and Principe was 1.03% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 55 years, from 1971 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 23.42% in 1977. The lowest was -10.31% in 1981 (about -10.0× the latest value). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -3.02% per year.
Sao Tome and Principe ranks 173 of 212 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 82%. The median for Sub-Saharan Africa is 4.61%, so Sao Tome and Principe sits below it. It peaked in 1977 and has fallen 96% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved down 33%. Within Sub-Saharan Africa it ranks 44 of 47 economies; Mozambique (-0.52%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 1328% in 1977. That is 54% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
From its 1971 level: doubled by 1977.
World ranking. Slipped: 55th of 142 in 1971 → 119th of 152 in 1980 → 146th of 176 in 1990 → 174th of 199 in 2000 → 162nd of 209 in 2010 → 17th of 209 in 2020 → 158th of 186 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1971 to 2025
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.03% | -0.5 pp |
| 2024 | 1.48% | +1.1 pp |
| 2023 | 0.37% | +0.2 pp |
| 2022 | 0.17% | -1.7 pp |
| 2021 | 1.9% | -0.7 pp |
| 2020 | 2.62% | +0.6 pp |
| 2019 | 2.01% | -2.4 pp |
| 2018 | 4.38% | +0.3 pp |
| 2017 | 4.11% | -1.1 pp |
| 2016 | 5.18% | +3.6 pp |
| 2015 | 1.54% | -3.4 pp |
| 2014 | 4.91% | -0.2 pp |
| 2013 | 5.12% | +2.2 pp |
| 2012 | 2.94% | +0.9 pp |
| 2011 | 2% | +0.6 pp |
| 2010 | 1.45% | -1.9 pp |
| 2009 | 3.3% | -2.9 pp |
| 2008 | 6.23% | +2.6 pp |
| 2007 | 3.64% | -5.2 pp |
| 2006 | 8.87% | +2.3 pp |
| 2005 | 6.61% | +3.1 pp |
| 2004 | 3.54% | -4.8 pp |
| 2003 | 8.29% | +4.9 pp |
| 2002 | 3.36% | +0.3 pp |
| 2001 | 3.06% | +2.6 pp |
| 2000 | 0.45% | -2.1 pp |
| 1999 | 2.5% | +0.0 pp |
| 1998 | 2.5% | +1.5 pp |
| 1997 | 1% | -0.5 pp |
| 1996 | 1.5% | -0.5 pp |
| 1995 | 2% | -0.2 pp |
| 1994 | 2.2% | +1.1 pp |
| 1993 | 1.1% | +0.4 pp |
| 1992 | 0.7% | -0.5 pp |
| 1991 | 1.2% | +3.4 pp |
| 1990 | -2.15% | -5.3 pp |
| 1989 | 3.14% | +1.1 pp |
| 1988 | 2% | +4.9 pp |
| 1987 | -2.93% | +2.9 pp |
| 1986 | -5.83% | -15.1 pp |
| 1985 | 9.3% | +15.3 pp |
| 1984 | -6.03% | -2.2 pp |
| 1983 | -3.87% | -7.0 pp |
| 1982 | 3.09% | +13.4 pp |
| 1981 | -10.31% | -9.2 pp |
| 1980 | -1.08% | -17.4 pp |
| 1979 | 16.34% | +13.4 pp |
| 1978 | 2.9% | -20.5 pp |
| 1977 | 23.42% | +21.8 pp |
| 1976 | 1.64% | -3.7 pp |
| 1975 | 5.38% | -0.3 pp |
| 1974 | 5.68% | +4.1 pp |
| 1973 | 1.59% | -0.7 pp |
| 1972 | 2.29% | -3.1 pp |
| 1971 | 5.38% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Sao Tome and Principe’s GDP growth in 1972?
2.29% (1972). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in annual %, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Sao Tome and Principe’s GDP growth growing or shrinking?
Between 1971 and 2025 the series was shrinking overall: -80.9% in total — about 3.0% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2025: 1.03%; 2024: 1.48%; 2023: 0.37%; 2022: 0.17%; 2021: 1.9%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG — GDP Growth (Annual %). Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.