Sao Tome and Principe — Population
Population, Total for Sao Tome and Principe, 1960–2025.
Population for Sao Tome and Principe was 240,254 in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 66 years, from 1960 to 2025. The latest year is also the highest value on record for this series. The lowest was 68,012 in 1960 (about 3.5× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 1.96% per year.
Sao Tome and Principe ranks 181 of 217 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 83%. The median for Sub-Saharan Africa is 15.10 million, so Sao Tome and Principe sits below it. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved up 20%. Within Sub-Saharan Africa it ranks 47 of 48 economies; Seychelles (122,730) is just below it. That is 10% above this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
From its 1960 level: doubled by 1996. Doubling roughly every 36 years at that pace.
World ranking. Climbed: 185th of 216 in 1960 → 188th of 216 in 1970 → 187th of 216 in 1980 → 186th of 217 in 1990 → 185th of 217 in 2000 → 182nd of 217 in 2010 → 181st of 217 in 2020 → 181st of 217 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1960 to 2025
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 240,254 | +2.0% |
| 2024 | 235,536 | +2.0% |
| 2023 | 230,871 | +2.0% |
| 2022 | 226,305 | +2.0% |
| 2021 | 221,961 | +2.1% |
| 2020 | 217,435 | +1.9% |
| 2019 | 213,392 | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 210,187 | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 206,970 | +1.6% |
| 2016 | 203,689 | +1.7% |
| 2015 | 200,291 | +1.8% |
| 2014 | 196,767 | +1.9% |
| 2013 | 193,148 | +2.0% |
| 2012 | 189,439 | +2.0% |
| 2011 | 185,649 | +2.1% |
| 2010 | 181,802 | +2.2% |
| 2009 | 177,853 | +2.3% |
| 2008 | 173,793 | +2.4% |
| 2007 | 169,700 | +2.5% |
| 2006 | 165,638 | +2.5% |
| 2005 | 161,639 | +2.5% |
| 2004 | 157,705 | +2.5% |
| 2003 | 153,814 | +2.6% |
| 2002 | 149,922 | +2.4% |
| 2001 | 146,375 | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 144,018 | +1.1% |
| 1999 | 142,442 | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 140,751 | +1.3% |
| 1997 | 138,922 | +1.4% |
| 1996 | 136,962 | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 134,895 | +1.6% |
| 1994 | 132,732 | +1.7% |
| 1993 | 130,467 | +1.8% |
| 1992 | 128,110 | +1.9% |
| 1991 | 125,697 | +2.2% |
| 1990 | 122,980 | +2.5% |
| 1989 | 119,979 | +2.6% |
| 1988 | 116,939 | +2.7% |
| 1987 | 113,919 | +2.5% |
| 1986 | 111,150 | +2.3% |
| 1985 | 108,658 | +2.1% |
| 1984 | 106,394 | +1.9% |
| 1983 | 104,380 | +1.8% |
| 1982 | 102,508 | +1.9% |
| 1981 | 100,615 | +2.1% |
| 1980 | 98,544 | +2.4% |
| 1979 | 96,252 | +2.6% |
| 1978 | 93,794 | +2.7% |
| 1977 | 91,301 | +2.7% |
| 1976 | 88,922 | +2.6% |
| 1975 | 86,708 | +2.4% |
| 1974 | 84,672 | +2.3% |
| 1973 | 82,798 | +2.2% |
| 1972 | 81,041 | +2.2% |
| 1971 | 79,330 | +2.2% |
| 1970 | 77,626 | +2.0% |
| 1969 | 76,083 | +1.8% |
| 1968 | 74,765 | +1.6% |
| 1967 | 73,596 | +1.4% |
| 1966 | 72,576 | +1.3% |
| 1965 | 71,680 | +1.2% |
| 1964 | 70,865 | +1.1% |
| 1963 | 70,112 | +1.0% |
| 1962 | 69,403 | +1.0% |
| 1961 | 68,707 | +1.0% |
| 1960 | 68,012 | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Sao Tome and Principe’s Population in 1961?
68,707 (1961). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are Sao Tome and Principe’s Population figures nominal or inflation-adjusted?
They are exactly as the World Bank publishes them — people — with no inflation restatement and no PPP conversion. Years the source does not report are omitted rather than interpolated.
Is Sao Tome and Principe’s Population growing or shrinking?
Between 1960 and 2025 the series was growing overall: +253.3% in total — about 2.0% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SP.POP.TOTL. 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: 240,254; 2024: 235,536; 2023: 230,871; 2022: 226,305; 2021: 221,961. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SP.POP.TOTL — Population, Total. 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.