São Tomé and Príncipe Demographics

Population of Sao Tome and Principe (2026)

View live population, charts & trends: Population of Sao Tome and Principe

Sao Tome and Principe Population
244,994
see live
Yearly Change
+1.97%
Global Share
< 0.01%
Global Rank
188

Median Age

The median age in Sao Tome and Principe is 19.7 years (2026).

Fertility in Sao Tome and Principe

A Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1 represents the Replacement-Level Fertility : the average number of children per woman needed for each generation to exactly replace itself without needing international immigration. A value below 2.1 will cause the native population to decline


Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
3.47
(Live Births per Woman, 2026)

Life Expectancy in Sao Tome and Principe

See also: Countries in the world ranked by Life Expectancy

Both Sexes
70.3
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes combined)
Females
74.3
(life expectancy at birth, females)
Males
66.7
(life expectancy at birth, males)


Infant Mortality Rate and Deaths of Children under 5 Years Old in Sao Tome and Principe


Infant Mortality
10.3
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
Deaths under age 5
12.3
(per 1,000 live births)


Sao Tome & Principe Urban Population

Currently, 69.5% of the population of Sao Tome and Principe is urban (170,291 people in 2026)


Population Density

The 2026 population density in Sao Tome and Principe is 254 people per km² (658 people per mi2), calculated on a total land area of 964 km² (372 sq. miles).

Largest Places in Sao Tome and Principe

The 30 largest of 47 places, ranked by population at the census of May 13, 2012 (by National Statistics Institute, São Tomé and Príncipe).

RankPlacePopulation
1São Tomé66,888
2Neves8,391
3Santana7,445
4Trindade6,685
5Almasincl. Praia Melão3,923
6Pantufoincl. Ganda3,391
7Guadalupe3,326
8Bombom3,072
9Santo António2,576
10São João dos Angolares2,249
11Ribeira Afonso1,971
12Santa Catarina1,862
13Conde1,800
14Caixão Grande1,762
15Cola Grande1,458
16Micóló1,404
17Água Izé1,255
18Lemos1,136
19Santo Amaro1,063
20Changra1,044
21Agostinho Neto992
22Cova Barro875
23Micondo872
24Folha Fede831
25Porto Alegre795
26Belém795
27Monta Alegre779
28Batepá775
29Boa Entrada738
30Obolongo712
See all 47 places in Sao Tome and Principe

See also

Sources

Definitions

Population Pyramid

A Population pyramid (also called "Age-Sex Pyramid") is a graphical representation of the age and sex of a population.

Types:

  • Expansive - pyramid with a wide base (larger percentage of people in younger age groups, indicating high birth rates and high fertility rates) and narrow top (high death rate and lower life expectancies). It suggests a growing population. Example: Nigeria Population Pyramid
  • Constrictive - pyramid with a narrow base (lower percentage of younger people, indicating declining birth rates with each succeeding age group getting smaller than the previous one). Example: United States
  • Stationary - with a somewhat equal proportion of the population in each age group. The population is stable, neither increasing nor decreasing.

Stages:

Population pyramid stages

Dependency Ratio

There are three types of age dependency ratio: Youth, Elderly, and Total. All three ratios are commonly multiplied by 100.

Youth Dependency Ratio

Definition: population ages 0-15 divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 0-15] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Elderly dependency ratio

Definition: population ages 65-plus divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 65-plus] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Total dependency ratio

Definition: sum of the youth and old-age ratios.

Formula: (([Population ages 0-15] + [Population ages 65-plus]) ÷ [Population ages 16-64] ) × 100

NOTE: Dependency Ratio does not take into account labor force participation rates by age group. Some portion of the population counted as "working age" may actually be unemployed or not in the labor force whereas some portion of the "dependent" population may be employed and not necessarily economically dependent.