Demographics & population — São Tomé and Príncipe
Population size, age structure, migration, ethnicity, language, education, and health indicators.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Demographics & population at a glance
Population size, age structure, migration, ethnicity, language, education, and health indicators. Key figure for São Tomé and Príncipe: 211,122
Immigration rules and fees change frequently — confirm current requirements on official government or embassy websites.
Population overview
- Population
211,122
- Population Growth Rate
1.94%
- Urban Population
- Population in Major Urban Areas
SAO TOME (capital) 64,000
Age & family
- Age Structure
- Median Age
- Birth Rate - births/1,000 population
36
- Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population
7.68
- Total Fertility Rate - children born/woman
4.81
- Contraceptive Prevalance Rate - female 12-49
38.4%
- Contraceptive Prevalence Rate - female 12-49
38.4%
- Mean Age for Mother's First Birth (age 25-49)
19.4
- Mother's mean age at first birth
19.4
- Sex Ratio at Birth - male/female
Migration
- Net Migration Rate - migrant(s)/1,000 population
-8.96
Ethnicity & language
- Ethnic Groups
mestico, angolares (descendants of Angolan slaves), forros (descendants of freed slaves), servicais (contract laborers from Angola, Mozambique, and Cape Verde), tongas (children of servicais born on the islands), Europeans (primarily Portuguese)
- Nationality Noun
Sao Tomean(s)
Education
- Literacy - total population
84.9%
- Literacy - male
85%
- Literacy - female
62%
- Literacy Definition
age 15 and over can read and write
- Education Expenditures - percent of GDP
9.5%
- Total School Life Expectancy - (primary to tertiary)
Health & living conditions
- Life Expectancy at Birth
- Infant Mortality Rate
- Infant Mortality Rate - total deaths/1,000 live births
- Maternal Mortality Rate - deaths/100,000 live births
70
- Physicians Density - physicians/1,000 population
.49
- Hospital Bed Density - beds/1,000 population
2.9
- Health Expenditures - percent of GDP
7.7%
- Major Infectious Diseases - degree of risk
high
- Obesity - adult prevalence rate
9.5%
- Drinking Water Source - percent of urban population improved
- Sanitation Facility Access - percent of urban population improved
- Underweight - percent of children under five years
14.4%
