São Tomé and Príncipe Population
São Tomé and Príncipe had an estimated population of 240,254 in mid-2025 (World Bank), making it the 181st most populous of 217 countries and territories, with 0.00% of everyone alive. The counter above projects that figure forward at the current growth rate of +1.98% a year.
São Tomé and Príncipe at a glance
How São Tomé and Príncipe's population is changing
São Tomé and Príncipe's population is growing fast: +1.98% a year, which works out to about +4,765 people per year, or +13 a day. Births (28.1 per 1,000) and deaths (5.5 per 1,000) alone would give +2.26% a year; net migration removes about 650 people a year (−0.27%). Roughly one in every 34,195 people on Earth lives in São Tomé and Príncipe.
Population of São Tomé and Príncipe since 1960
In 1960, São Tomé and Príncipe had 68,012 people. By 2025 that was 240,254 — 3.5× larger. The fastest growth came between 1970 and 1980, when the population rose by 27%.
| Year | Population | Change vs previous row |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 68,012 | — |
| 1970 | 77,626 | +14.1% |
| 1980 | 98,544 | +26.9% |
| 1990 | 122,980 | +24.8% |
| 2000 | 144,018 | +17.1% |
| 2010 | 181,802 | +26.2% |
| 2020 | 217,435 | +19.6% |
| 2025 | 240,254 | +10.5% |
São Tomé and Príncipe from 1800 to 2100
Modelled estimates put São Tomé and Príncipe at about 22,731 people in 1800; the UN estimates 240,263 in 2025 (11× 1800) and projects 534,018 for 2100 in its medium scenario. That is still 122% growth over the rest of this century.
| Year | Population | Kind |
|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 22,731 | modelled estimate |
| 1850 | 28,098 | modelled estimate |
| 1900 | 41,279 | modelled estimate |
| 1950 | 60,895 | UN estimate |
| 2000 | 144,029 | UN estimate |
| 2025 | 240,263 | UN projection |
| 2050 | 365,120 | UN projection |
| 2075 | 472,406 | UN projection |
| 2100 | 534,018 | UN projection |
Country live/base figures use World Bank estimates; this historical/future chart uses a separate UN series and need not match the World Bank base in overlapping years. Before 1950: HYDE 3.3 / Gapminder reconstructions via Our World in Data — historical modelling, not censuses. 1950–2023: UN World Population Prospects 2024. 2024–2100: UN medium projection. Open the time machine to see the whole map in any year.
Largest listed places in São Tomé and Príncipe
4 records sorted by displayed base population. Definitions vary (province/administrative unit, UN urban centre or GeoNames settlement); this is not a harmonised city ranking. Shares use World Bank 2025 country population 240,254. Dates and boundaries may differ. Overlapping entities are not summed.
| # | Place | Population | Definition | Share | Source / reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | São Tomé | 148,144 | UN urban centre | 61.66% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 2 | Neves | 8,391 | GeoNames settlement | 3.49% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 3 | Água Izé | 7,445 | GeoNames settlement | 3.10% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 4 | Folha Fede | 6,685 | GeoNames settlement | 2.78% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
How São Tomé and Príncipe compares
| Rank | Country | Population | vs São Tomé and Príncipe | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #179 |  Barbados | 282,623 | +18% | compare → |
| #180 |  French Polynesia | 282,465 | +18% | compare → |
| #182 |  Samoa | 219,306 | −9% | compare → |
| #183 |  Saint Lucia | 180,149 | −25% | compare → |
Compare São Tomé and Príncipe with any country →
Same region (Sub-Saharan Africa): Nigeria, Ethiopia, DR Congo, Tanzania, South Africa, Kenya.
Explore around São Tomé and Príncipe
Nearest countries
São Tomé and Príncipe has no land border. Closest by distance:
Gabon 2,593,130 · 10.8× the population · compare
Equatorial Guinea 1,938,431 · 8.1× the population · compare
Cameroon 29,879,337 · 124.4× the population · compare
Benin 14,814,460 · 61.7× the population · compare
In its region
São Tomé and Príncipe is the 47th most populous of the 48 economies in Sub-Saharan Africa, holding 0.0% of the region's 1,321,654,217 people.
Rankings
Largest countries, fastest-growing, oldest populations, densest — all rankings.
Cities
São Tomé, Neves, Água Izé, Folha Fede — all São Tomé and Príncipe's cities on the map.
World population history · The world when you were born · São Tomé and Príncipe when you were born · Time machine · Embed this live counter on your site
About these numbers
Population, growth, birth and death rates, migration, density, age structure, life expectancy, fertility and GDP per capita come from the World Bank Indicators API (latest available year shown beside each figure). The live counter applies the annual growth rate continuously from 1 July 2025 — a model, not a measurement. City populations are the latest census or official estimate held by GeoNames and are not projected. Sub-city units are folded into their parent city.
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Read this country carefully
This page is a structured reference entry. Its sources, geographic definition and reference dates determine what the figures mean; it is not independent reporting about the causes of change. Read the accompanying explanation before comparing different places or vintages.