Sao Tome and Principe — Health spending
Health Spending (% of GDP) for Sao Tome and Principe, 2000–2023.
Health spending for Sao Tome and Principe was 5.77% in 2023, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 24 years, from 2000 to 2023. The highest recorded value was 11.47% in 2003. The lowest was 5.48% in 2019 (about 1.1× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -2.06% per year.
Sao Tome and Principe ranks 108 of 189 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 57%. The median for Sub-Saharan Africa is 4.48%, so Sao Tome and Principe sits above it. It peaked in 2003 and has fallen 50% since. Over the last decade (2013–2023) the figure moved down 35%. Within Sub-Saharan Africa it ranks 17 of 46 economies; Mauritius (5.57%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 34% in 2020. That is 17% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 13th of 184 in 2000 → 86th of 188 in 2010 → 82nd of 189 in 2020 → 107th of 188 in 2023.
Key figures
Full history — 2000 to 2023
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 5.77% | -0.0 pp |
| 2022 | 5.77% | -2.1 pp |
| 2021 | 7.86% | +0.5 pp |
| 2020 | 7.32% | +1.8 pp |
| 2019 | 5.48% | -0.4 pp |
| 2018 | 5.92% | -1.5 pp |
| 2017 | 7.47% | -0.1 pp |
| 2016 | 7.6% | +1.1 pp |
| 2015 | 6.53% | -1.4 pp |
| 2014 | 7.91% | -1.0 pp |
| 2013 | 8.94% | +1.9 pp |
| 2012 | 7.07% | +1.4 pp |
| 2011 | 5.65% | -0.2 pp |
| 2010 | 5.81% | +0.1 pp |
| 2009 | 5.75% | -0.2 pp |
| 2008 | 5.97% | -1.0 pp |
| 2007 | 7.01% | -0.1 pp |
| 2006 | 7.11% | -3.2 pp |
| 2005 | 10.35% | -0.4 pp |
| 2004 | 10.72% | -0.7 pp |
| 2003 | 11.47% | +2.0 pp |
| 2002 | 9.5% | -0.1 pp |
| 2001 | 9.64% | +0.3 pp |
| 2000 | 9.32% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Sao Tome and Principe’s Health spending in 2001?
9.64% (2001). 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 % of GDP, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Sao Tome and Principe’s Health spending growing or shrinking?
Between 2000 and 2023 the series was shrinking overall: -38.1% in total — about 2.1% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SH.XPD.CHEX.GD.ZS. 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: 2023: 5.77%; 2022: 5.77%; 2021: 7.86%; 2020: 7.32%; 2019: 5.48%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SH.XPD.CHEX.GD.ZS — Health Spending (% of GDP). 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.