São Tomé & Principe (Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Principe)

https://www.humantruth.info/sao_tome_and_principe.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2025

Sao Tome & Principe Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	149th best
Capital	Sao Tome
Land Area	960km²₁
Location	Africa
Groupings	Small Islands
Population	0.2m₂
Life Expectancy	67.59yrs (2017)₃
GNI	$4 021 (2017)₄
ISO3166-1 Codes	ST, STP, 678₅
Internet Domain	.st₆
Currency	Dobra (STD)₇
Telephone	+239₈

1. Overview

“Discovered and claimed by Portugal in the late 15th century, the islands' sugar-based economy gave way to coffee and cocoa in the 19th century - all grown with African plantation slave labor, a form of which lingered into the 20th century. While independence was achieved in 1975, democratic reforms were not instituted until the late 1980s. The country held its first free elections in 1991, but frequent internal wrangling between the various political parties precipitated repeated changes in leadership and two failed coup attempts in 1995 and 2003. In 2012, three opposition parties combined in a no confidence vote to bring down the majority government of former Prime Minister Patrice TROVOADA. The new government of Prime Minister Gabriel Arcanjo Ferreira DA COSTA is entirely composed of opposition party members with limited experience in governance. The recent discovery of oil in the Gulf of Guinea promises to attract increased attention to the small island nation.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“This nation is full of beauty: rainforests blanket rolling hills and backdrop spellbinding beaches, tropical birds circle stark volcanic rock formations and aquatic life patrols immaculate shores. If you adore quietude, take a trip to São Tomé and Príncipe, Africa´s second-smallest country. These two tiny volcanic bumps anchored off the Gabonese coast easily win the hearts of foreigners with their Portuguese-Creole flavour and relaxed vibes, and it won´t take too long before you´re infected with the pervasive leve leve (which loosely means `take it easy´) mood.
The sublime laid-back tempo is enhanced by a wealth of natural attractions: miles of perfect palm-fringed beaches, huge swaths of emerald rainforest, soaring volcanic peaks and mellow fishing villages. The birdlife is excellent, and endemic plants (especially orchids) are plentiful. In season, turtle- and whale-watching opportunities abound.
This two-island nation has its cultural gems as well, with a surprising number of heritage buildings dating back to the colonial era. Tourism is still low-key and is being developed in a controlled, ecologically mindful way. No tacky resorts, just a number of locally run, enticing, nature-oriented lodges.”
"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Sao Tome & Principe National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better Value₁₁
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
135	Guatemala	0.627
136	Kiribati	0.624
137	Honduras	0.621
138	Sao Tome & Principe	0.618
139	Namibia	0.615
140=	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	0.607
140=	Laos	0.607
140=	Vanuatu	0.607
	Africa Avg	0.56
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $₁₁
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
149	Syria	$4 192
150	Cambodia	$4 079
151	Kiribati	$4 063
152	Sao Tome & Principe	$4 021
153	Papua New Guinea	$4 009
154	Nepal	$3 877
155	Myanmar	$3 851
156	Zimbabwe	$3 810
	Africa Avg	$5 339
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index₁₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₂
1	Denmark	25.2
2	Norway	28.2
3	Netherlands	30.1
	...
146	Turkmenistan	109.2
147	Tanzania	109.7
148	Cambodia	109.9
149	Sao Tome & Principe	109.9
150	Saudi Arabia	110.4
151	Togo	110.7
152	Benin	111.6
153	Somaliland	112.4
	Africa Avg	119.0
	World Avg	88.4
q=199.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Sao Tome & Principe's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population Datasets:

Sao Tome & Principe's population is predicted to rise to 234 630 by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 3.75. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₃

Population₂
Pos.		2018 Population₂
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
173	Iceland	0.3m
174	Vanuatu	0.3m
175	Barbados	0.3m
176	Sao Tome & Principe	0.2m
177	Samoa	0.2m
178	St Lucia	0.2m
179	Kiribati	0.1m
180	Micronesia	0.1m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
131	Nepal	68.4
132	Laos	68.1
133	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	67.7
134	Sao Tome & Principe	67.6
135	Indonesia	67.6
136	Kiribati	67.4
137	India	67.2
138	Fiji	67.1
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₄
Pos.		2022₁₄
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
168	Vanuatu	3.70
169	Yemen	3.72
170	Rwanda	3.75
171	Sao Tome & Principe	3.75
172	Eritrea	3.79
173	Madagascar	3.79
174	Malawi	3.85
175	Samoa	3.88
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better₁₅
Pos.		2016 Per 100₁₅
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
30=	Kenya	06.1
31=	S. Sudan	06.2
31=	Tanzania	06.2
31=	Sao Tome & Principe	06.2
34	Comoros	06.3
35=	Mozambique	06.4
35=	Madagascar	06.4
35=	Papua New Guinea	06.4
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants₁₆
Pos.		2017 %₁₆
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
149	Guinea-Bissau	1.3%
150	Vanuatu	1.2%
151	Ethiopia	1.2%
152	Sao Tome & Principe	1.1%
153	Congo, DR	1.1%
154	Bosnia & Herzegovina	1.1%
155	Guinea	1.0%
156	Iraq	1.0%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants₁₇
Pos.		2010 %₁₇
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
22	Kazakhstan	23.6%
23	St Lucia	23.3%
24	Macedonia	21.9%
25	Sao Tome & Principe	21.9%
26	Moldova	21.5%
27	Fiji	21.3%
28	Portugal	20.8%
29	Lesotho	20.5%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Sao Tome & Principe's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #freethought #gender_equality #homosexuality #human_rights #international_law #morals #politics #prejudice #religious_tolerance #tolerance #women

Compared to Africa (2025)₁₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₈
1	Cape Verde	66.3
2	S. Africa	70.7
3	Mauritius	74.9
	...
18	Benin	108.6
19	Central African Rep.	109.1
20	Ivory Coast	110.4
21	Sao Tome & Principe	111.8
22	Tanzania	112.4
23	Kenya	114.0
24	Congo, (Brazzaville)	114.4
25	Morocco	114.4
26	Gambia	115.0
	Africa Avg	110.04
q=54.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₈
1	Sweden	7.8
2	Netherlands	8.7
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
135	Lebanon	109.6
136	Tajikistan	109.9
137	Ivory Coast	110.4
138	Sao Tome & Principe	111.8
139	Tanzania	112.4
140	Laos	113.3
141	China	113.4
142	Vatican City	113.6
	World Avg	89.80
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, The Netherlands and Denmark₁₉. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia₁₉.

31 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, combatting modern slavery, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₁₉, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia₁₉.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets:

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
55=	Argentina	2.0
55=	Greece	2.0
55=	Antigua & Barbuda	2.0
55=	Sao Tome & Principe	2.0
55=	Suriname	2.0
55=	Vanuatu	2.0
55=	Seychelles	2.0
55=	Bulgaria	2.0
	Africa Avg	4.8
	World Avg	3.7
q=205.

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better₂₀
Pos.		2009 Treaties₂₀
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
175=	Eritrea	8
176=	Indonesia	7
176=	N. Korea	7
176=	Sao Tome & Principe	7
176=	Grenada	7
176=	UAE	7
181=	St Lucia	6
181=	Brunei	6
	Africa Avg	14.8
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better₂₁
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty₂₁
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
188	Kiribati	15.80
189	Solomon Islands	15.81
190	Nauru	16.16
191	Sao Tome & Principe	16.17
192	Tuvalu	16.33
193	Palau	16.34
194	Marshall Islands	16.34
195	Palestine	17.21
	Africa Avg	9.88
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

Gender Equality Datasets:

See:

"Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Total Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
163=	Andorra	1973
164=	Jordan	1974
164=	Solomon Islands	1974
166=	Sao Tome & Principe	1975
166=	Cape Verde	1975
166=	Angola	1975
166=	Mozambique	1975
170	Portugal	1976
	Africa Avg	1961
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Prejudice Datasets:

LGBT Equality in the 2020s Higher is better₂₂
Pos.		Total Score₂₂
1=	Germany	4.88
1=	Spain	4.88
3	Portugal	4.81
	...
74	Botswana	0.88
75	Paraguay	0.84
76	Angola	0.83
77	Sao Tome & Principe	0.81
78=	Micronesia	0.80
78=	El Salvador	0.80
80	Panama	0.74
81	Monaco	0.72
	Africa Avg	-3.78
	World Avg	-1.21
q=215.

Homosexuality in São Tomé & Príncipe has been legal since 2012, when the new Penal Code came into effect, replacing Portuguese's Articles 70-71 that had previously criminalized "acts against nature" - a homophobic term for homosexual relations; punishment included up to 3 years' forced labour in agricultural colonies. ILGA researchers in 2017 found that São Tome & Principe had no legal protections against anti-LGBT discrimination. Same-sex marriage and civil unions remain unrecognized, adoption is restricted, and protections against discrimination still exist in only limited contexts.

Freedom of Thought Lower is better₂₃
Pos.		2021₂₃
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
4=	Ecuador	1.3
4=	Bolivia	1.3
4=	Sao Tome & Principe	1.3
4=	Nauru	1.3
4=	France	1.3
9=	Sweden	1.5
9=	Iceland	1.5
9=	Norway	1.5
9=	Congo, (Brazzaville)	1.5
	Africa Avg	3.1
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

5. Sao Tome & Principe's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #ethiopia #ghana #health #life_expectancy #longevity #madagascar #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #sao_tome_&_principe #smoking #vaccines

Compared to Africa (2025)₂₄
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₄
1	Mauritius	72.2
2	Tunisia	80.2
3	Seychelles	84.8
4	Morocco	91.7
5	Cape Verde	96.4
6	Algeria	99.2
7	Libya	103.8
8	Sao Tome & Principe	113.0
9	Botswana	116.8
10	Djibouti	118.5
11	Ghana	118.5
12	S. Africa	119.0
13	Namibia	121.0
	Africa Avg	111.13
q=54.

Health (2025)₂₄
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₄
1	Monaco	12.4
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	San Marino	30.6
	...
130	Nepal	111.4
131	Jordan	111.7
132	Honduras	112.1
133	Sao Tome & Principe	113.0
134	Guatemala	113.2
135	Tonga	113.6
136	French Polynesia	114.5
137	Vanuatu	115.5
	World Avg	96.86
q=204.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and San Marino₂₅. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₂₅.

36 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate, its immunizations take-up and childhood mortality (so far). The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₂₅, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Melanesia₂₅.

For more, see:

"Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Health Datasets:

Sao Tome & Principe has some poor policies and cultural issues which cause some public health problems. Sao Tome & Principe comes in the best 20 in its smoking rate₂₆. It does better than average in terms of its immunizations take-up₂₇ and in the prevalence of overweight adults₂₈ (but bad for Africa). But, things still need to improve in Sao Tome & Principe. Sao Tome & Principe does worse than average for its alcohol consumption rate₂₉, childhood mortality in the 2020s (so far)₃₀, its average life expectancy₁₁ (still good for Africa), its adolescent birth rate₃₁ and in its fertility rate₁₄ (still good for Africa). The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% between 1976 and 2016. Life expectancy in Sao Tome and Principe improved by +7.1yrs in the 30 years from 1990, on par with the global average improvement of +7.9yrs. Sao Tome and Principe's peak fertility rate was 6.53 in 1974.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
131	Nepal	68.4
132	Laos	68.1
133	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	67.7
134	Sao Tome & Principe	67.6
135	Indonesia	67.6
136	Kiribati	67.4
137	India	67.2
138	Fiji	67.1
	Africa Avg	62.79
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better₂₉
Pos.		2016 Per Capita₂₉
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
100	Philippines	6.6
101	Cambodia	6.7
102=	Belize	6.8
102=	Sao Tome & Principe	6.8
104	Dominican Rep.	6.9
105=	Antigua & Barbuda	7.0
105=	Niue	7.0
107=	China	7.2
	Africa Avg	4.8
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₄
Pos.		2022₁₄
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
168	Vanuatu	3.70
169	Yemen	3.72
170	Rwanda	3.75
171	Sao Tome & Principe	3.75
172	Eritrea	3.79
173	Madagascar	3.79
174	Malawi	3.85
175	Samoa	3.88
	Africa Avg	3.97
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking in the 2020s Lower is better₂₆
Pos.		Total %₂₆
1	Nigeria	3.3%
2	Ghana	3.4%
3	Panama	5.2%
	...
12	Chad	7.4%
13	Uganda	7.6%
14	Niger	7.7%
15	Sao Tome & Principe	7.9%
16	Mali	8.0%
17	Haiti	8.1%
18	Colombia	8.2%
19=	Liberia	8.3%
	Africa Avg	12.4%
	World Avg	20.0%
q=165.

Sao Tome & Principe had the 3^rd-lowest smoking rate in the world on average in the 2000s (after Ethiopia and Ghana), but a gradually increasing number of smokers meant it fell to 4^th-place in the 2010s. The rate has continued to slowly increase in the 2020s too.

Overweight Adults Lower is better₂₈
Pos.		1976 %₂₈
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
50	Ghana	11.4
51=	Ivory Coast	11.5
51=	Sudan	11.5
53	Sao Tome & Principe	11.7
54	Congo, (Brazzaville)	11.8
55	Malaysia	11.9
56=	S. Korea	12.3
56=	Zambia	12.3
	Africa Avg	13.4
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better₃₂
Pos.		2022 %₃₂
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
55	Switzerland	13.7%
56	Denmark	14.3%
57	Thailand	14.5%
58	Sao Tome & Principe	15.0%
59	Cape Verde	15.1%
60	Namibia	15.3%
61	Sudan	15.5%
62	Comoros	15.5%
	Africa Avg	13.7%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199.

Children's Health Datasets:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better₃₁
Pos.		2022 Per 1000₃₁
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
160	Bangladesh	73.3
161	Mauritania	76.8
162	Togo	77.0
163	Sao Tome & Principe	77.4
164	Sudan	77.6
165	Afghanistan	79.7
166	Venezuela	82.0
167	Nicaragua	84.0
	Africa Avg	84.6
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better₂₇
Pos.		2015 Avg %₂₇
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
46	Maldives	96.2
47	Tajikistan	96.1
48	Rwanda	96.1
49	Sao Tome & Principe	96.0
50	Malaysia	96.0
51	Croatia	95.9
52	Nicaragua	95.9
53	Tunisia	95.7
	Africa Avg	81.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better₃₀
Pos.		Total Per 1000₃₀
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
	...
117	Egypt	23.97
118	Morocco	24.53
119	Solomon Islands	25.13
120	Sao Tome & Principe	25.19
121	Algeria	25.38
122	Tuvalu	26.76
123	Indonesia	28.24
124	Philippines	28.30
	Africa Avg	71.63
	World Avg	32.19
q=195.

From the 1970s to the 1980s, only 4 countries saw their infant mortality rate worsen; Sao Tome & Pr. fared the 2nd-worst (after Madagascar)₃₀.

Sao Tome and Principe was amongst 49 countries in the 1990s who had an adolescent birth rate of over 100 (per 1000 girls aged 15-19); in the 2000s it was getting worse, but it saw significant improvements from the 2010s onwards.

6. Sao Tome & Principe's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #environmentalism #food #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Africa (2025)₃₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₃
1	Morocco	46.5
2	Burundi	47.8
3	Mali	51.0
	...
39	Gabon	87.9
40	Equatorial Guinea	91.2
41	S. Africa	92.2
42	Sao Tome & Principe	92.7
43	Mozambique	93.9
44	Liberia	94.2
45	Sudan	97.8
46	Comoros	99.1
47	Mauritania	101.2
	Africa Avg	80.07
q=53.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)₃₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₃
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
128=	Moldova	92.1
129	S. Africa	92.2
130	Malta	92.2
131	Sao Tome & Principe	92.7
132	Palestine	92.7
133	Vanuatu	93.0
134	Mozambique	93.9
135	Qatar	94.1
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

We have known for a long term that we must protect the environment from habitation destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, and the emissions that cause climate change. In 1998, Greenpeace wrote that "Environment can no longer be meaningfully separated from health, quality of life, democracy, education, economy or trade"₃₄. What countries have been doing the right thing, via legislation and national culture? All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

"Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Sao Tome & Principe is positioned 131st in the world in terms of its responsibility towards the environment. This rank is computed from 21 data sets. Sao Tome & Principe does better than average in reducing annual meat consumption per person₃₅ (but high for Africa) and in energy to GDP efficiency₃₆ (but bad for Africa). Sao Tome & Principe does worse than average when it comes to its environmental performance₃₇ (still high for Africa) and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₃₈. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better₃₈
Pos.		Total₃₈
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
197	Brazil	-10.1%
198	Guinea	-11.0%
199	Mozambique	-11.1%
200	Sao Tome & Principe	-11.1%
201	Mayotte	-11.6%
202	Congo, DR	-12.7%
203	Belize	-12.9%
204	Nigeria	-13.6%
	Africa Avg	-8.7%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

From 2010 to 2020, Sao Tome and Principe destroyed 11% of its forest cover, falling from 58 thousand hectares to 52.

Environmental Performance Higher is better₃₇
Pos.		2018₃₇
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
101	Kazakhstan	54.6
102	Samoa	54.5
103	Suriname	54.2
104	Sao Tome & Principe	54.0
105	Paraguay	53.9
106	El Salvador	53.9
107	Fiji	53.1
108	Turkey	53.0
	Africa Avg	46.4
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better₃₆
Pos.		2022 Avg₃₆
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
56	Morocco	0.86
57	Turkey	0.86
58	Senegal	0.87
59	Sao Tome & Principe	0.88
60	Germany	0.91
61	Palestine	0.91
62	Cyprus	0.92
63	Tunisia	0.93
	Africa Avg	0.83
	World Avg	1.23
q=165.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
181	Grenada	41%
182	Afghanistan	41%
183	Tuvalu	40%
184	Sao Tome & Principe	40%
185	Brunei	39%
186	Nauru	39%
187	S. Sudan	37%
188	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	36%
	Africa Avg	56.4%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

Meat Consumption Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2021 kg₃₅
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
49	Swaziland	27.1
50	Malawi	27.4
51	Tunisia	27.8
52	Sao Tome & Principe	28.3
53	Maldives	28.8
54	Egypt	29.1
55	Laos	29.8
56	Botswana	30.1
	Africa Avg	24.9
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

7. Sao Tome & Principe's Modernity and Learning

#education #metric #modernity #sao_tome_&_principe #technology #the_internet

Compared to Africa (2025)₃₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₉
1	S. Africa	58.2
2	Tunisia	63.4
3	Seychelles	64.9
	...
35	Rwanda	130.0
36	Guinea	131.4
37	Guinea-Bissau	131.7
38	Sao Tome & Principe	133.0
39	Niger	133.3
40	Malawi	133.9
41	Ethiopia	136.9
42	Sudan	139.4
43	Congo, DR	139.9
	Africa Avg	119.28
q=54.

Modernity & Learning (2025)₃₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₉
1	Vatican City	1.0
2	Finland	4.8
3	Belgium	8.5
	...
165	Rwanda	130.0
166	Guinea	131.4
167	Guinea-Bissau	131.7
168	Sao Tome & Principe	133.0
169	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	133.3
170	Niger	133.3
171	Malawi	133.9
172	Ethiopia	136.9
	World Avg	80.33
q=194.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are The Vatican City, Finland and Belgium₄₀. The worst countries are S. Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia₄₀. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₁.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”
Bill Emmott (2017)₄₂

23 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Intellectual Endeavours, metric system adoption rate, Religiosity, IQ, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Maths, Science & Reading, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₄₀, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₀.

For more, see:

" Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Modernity Datasets:

Metric System Adoption Rate Higher is better₄₃
Pos.		2025 %₄₃
1=	Slovakia	100
1=	Poland	100
1=	Portugal	100
	...
136=	Sierra Leone	90
136=	Senegal	90
136=	UK	90
136=	Sao Tome & Principe	90
136=	UAE	90
136=	St Lucia	90
136=	St Kitts & Nevis	90
136=	Rwanda	90
	Africa Avg	90
	World Avg	92
q=187.

Officially adopted metric in 1905, as a Portuguese colony. Progression:

1960 (50%): Portuguese metric legacy; traditional units prevalent.
1970 (65%): Education/commerce expand metric.
1980 (80%): Metric dominant officially.
2000 (85%).
2025 (90%): High metric usage.

Education Datasets:

In the 2010s, Sao Tome and Principe increased its expected duration of education by over 3 years, one of only five countries to do so in that decade.₄₄

Secondary Education Higher is better₄₅
Pos.		2018₄₅
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
123	El Salvador	42.8%
124	Namibia	41.1%
125	Syria	41.0%
126	Sao Tome & Principe	40.8%
127	Togo	40.5%
128	Laos	40.4%
129	Algeria	38.9%
130	Guatemala	37.8%
	Africa Avg	34.4%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better₄₆
Pos.		2021 Years₄₆
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
94	Macedonia	13.6
95	Azerbaijan	13.5
96	Jamaica	13.4
97	Sao Tome & Principe	13.4
98	Palestine	13.4
99	Malaysia	13.3
100	Dominica	13.3
101	Andorra	13.3
	Africa Avg	11.0
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Technology and Information Datasets:

Internet Users Higher is better₄₇
Pos.		2016₄₇
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
137	Swaziland	28%
138	Guatemala	27%
139	Sudan	26%
140	Sao Tome & Principe	26%
141	Yemen	25%
142	Senegal	23%
143	Angola	23%
144	Ivory Coast	22%
	Africa Avg	18.4%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better₄₈
Pos.		2017 Ratio₄₈
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
137=	Nicaragua	0.0
137=	Solomon Islands	0.0
137=	Congo, (Brazzaville)	0.0
137=	Sao Tome & Principe	0.0
137=	Kiribati	0.0
137=	Ivory Coast	0.0
137=	Mauritania	0.0
137=	Iraq	0.0
	Africa Avg	0.04
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

8. Sao Tome & Principe's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#capitalism #corruption #economics #health #inequality #internationalism #life_expectancy #politics #poverty #social_development

National Culture Datasets:

Corruption Higher is better₄₉
Pos.		2022 Points₄₉
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
63=	Armenia	46.0
63=	Romania	46.0
65=	China	45.0
65=	Sao Tome & Principe	45.0
65=	Montenegro	45.0
65=	Cuba	45.0
69=	Jamaica	44.0
69=	Oman	44.0
	Africa Avg	32.31
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Passport Reach (2020s) Higher is better₅₀
Pos.		Total Q₅₀
1	Singapore	192.2
2	Japan	192.0
3	S. Korea	190.7
	...
138=	Mongolia	62.5
139	Mozambique	62.3
140	Rwanda	62.2
141	Sao Tome & Principe	60.5
142	Uzbekistan	59.0
143=	Burkina Faso	58.8
143=	India	58.8
143=	Mauritania	58.8
	Africa Avg	62.9
	World Avg	108.8
q=195.

Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets:

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better₅₁
Pos.		2019₅₁
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
118	Micronesia	16.10
119	Tajikistan	16.70
120=	Dominican Rep.	17.00
120=	Sao Tome & Principe	17.00
122=	Bhutan	17.10
122=	Venezuela	17.10
124	Bangladesh	17.30
125	Nepal	17.50
	Africa Avg	26.10
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better₅₂
Pos.		2023 %₅₂
1	Slovakia	24.1%₅₃
2	Slovenia	24.3%₅₃
3	Belarus	24.4%₅₄
	...
121	Tanzania	40.5%₅₅
122	Uruguay	40.6%₅₆
123=	Argentina	40.7%₅₆
123=	Sao Tome & Principe	40.7%₅₇
123=	Philippines	40.7%₅₃
123=	Malaysia	40.7%₅₃
127	Bolivia	40.9%₅₃
128	Haiti	41.1%₅₈
	Africa Avg	40.7%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

Income inequality data is rarely available for Sao Tome and Principe - only for 3 years between 1980 and 2019.

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better₅₉
Pos.		2018 Severity₅₉
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
	...
46	Swaziland	.081
47	Morocco	.085
48	Honduras	.090
49	Sao Tome & Principe	.092
50	Bolivia	.094
51	Laos	.108
52	Congo, (Brazzaville)	.112
53	India	.123
	Africa Avg	.264
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₆₀:

	2010	2020
Christian	82.3%	84.4%
Unaffiliated	12.5%	9.69%
Other	5.09%	5.78%
Muslim	0.165%	<0.1%
Jewish	None	None
Hindu	None	None
Buddhist	None	None

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Catholic 70.3%, Evangelical 3.4%, New Apostolic 2%, Adventist 1.8%, other 3.1%, none 19.4% (2001 census)₆₁.

Links:

A List of All Religions and Belief Systems