Largest Places by Population in São Tomé and Príncipe

These figures are from the 2012 census, 14 years old.

47 places in São Tomé and Príncipe with 500 or more inhabitants, 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
31Monte Café684
32Obo Izaquente678
33Margarida Manuel661
34Capela649
35Maianço639
36Diogo Vaz632
37Ponta Figo615
38Diogo Simão600
39Ototó585
40Praia Morro Peixe584
41Desejada560
42Malanza550
43Bela Vista517
44Pété-Pété517
45Ribeira Peixe503
46Torres Dias499
47Madalena221

Source: National Statistics Institute, São Tomé and Príncipe (2012 census), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff.

Why don't these match official city populations?Official figures typically count only the population within administrative boundaries. UN urban area figures cover the entire built-up area, which can include multiple cities and towns.

Tokyo

33,338,852

Urban area

9,953,160

23 wards

Essen

2,709,375

Urban area

573,618

City of Essen

Ankara

3,630,865

Urban area

5,186,002

Metropolitan municipality

What counts as an urban area? The UN uses satellite imagery to map built-up land, and treats each continuous stretch of built-up land as an urban area. This means that urban areas can extend beyond official city boundaries, and may include multiple cities and towns within a single urban area.

Can an urban area be smaller than its city? Yes. While most cities have urban areas larger than their administrative boundaries, some cities have extensive administrative limits that include sparsely populated areas.

1 urban area in São Tomé and Príncipe with 50,000 or more inhabitants, ranked by the UN's population estimates for 2026.

RankUrban AreaPopulation Estimate (2026)Yearly ChangeLand Area (km²)Density (P/km²)World RankProjections (2030)Projections (2050)
1São Tomé150,852+1.80%354,3604,076161,686239,314

Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025). World Urbanization Prospects: The 2025 Revision, Online Edition.

See also