https://www.humantruth.info/sao_tome_and_principe.html
By Vexen Crabtree 2013
Sao Tome & Principe Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe | ![]() |
---|---|
Status | Independent State |
Social and Moral Index | 142nd 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 |
“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.”
#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 (Burma) | $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 | 29.1 |
2 | Norway | 32.3 |
3 | Sweden | 34.1 |
... | ||
139 | Tonga | 104.7 |
140 | Tanzania | 105.7 |
141 | Vanuatu | 105.7 |
142 | Sao Tome & Principe | 105.9 |
143 | Cambodia | 106.2 |
144 | Gambia | 108.1 |
145 | Benin | 108.2 |
146 | Tajikistan | 108.3 |
Africa Avg | 119.0 | |
World Avg | 88.9 | |
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.
#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen
Population:
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 8.86.13Population2 | ||
---|---|---|
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 |
32= | Tanzania | 06.2 |
32= | 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:
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. |
#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 | Mauritius | 63.7 |
2 | S. Africa | 64.3 |
3 | Cape Verde | 68.0 |
... | ||
8 | Ghana | 92.3 |
9 | Tunisia | 95.2 |
10 | Lesotho | 100.4 |
11 | Sao Tome & Principe | 101.2 |
12 | Burkina Faso | 101.3 |
13 | Mali | 101.6 |
14 | Benin | 105.6 |
15 | Kenya | 106.8 |
16 | Morocco | 107.0 |
Africa Avg | 110.04 | |
q=54. |
Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)18 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank18 | |
1 | Sweden | 6.1 |
2 | Denmark | 8.6 |
3 | Norway | 9.0 |
... | ||
116 | Lesotho | 100.4 |
117 | Samoa | 100.4 |
118 | Azerbaijan | 100.8 |
119 | Sao Tome & Principe | 101.2 |
120 | Burkina Faso | 101.3 |
121 | Mali | 101.6 |
122 | Kosovo | 102.5 |
123 | Lebanon | 104.4 |
World Avg | 86.55 | |
q=199. |
The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Denmark and Norway19. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, N. Korea and Afghanistan19.
21 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, eliminating 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 Africa, The Middle East and Asia19.
For more, see:
Human Rights & Tolerance:
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 |
56= | Greece | 2.0 |
56= | Antigua & Barbuda | 2.0 |
56= | Sao Tome & Principe | 2.0 |
56= | Suriname | 2.0 |
56= | Vanuatu | 2.0 |
56= | Seychelles | 2.0 |
56= | 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 |
177= | N. Korea | 7 |
177= | Sao Tome & Principe | 7 |
177= | Grenada | 7 |
177= | UAE | 7 |
181 | St Lucia | 6 |
182= | 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:
See:
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 |
165= | Solomon Islands | 1974 |
166 | Sao Tome & Principe | 1975 |
167= | Cape Verde | 1975 |
167= | Angola | 1975 |
167= | Mozambique | 1975 |
170 | Portugal | 1976 |
Africa Avg | 1961 | |
World Avg | 1930 | |
q=189. |
Prejudice:
LGBT Equality Higher is better22 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2017 Score22 | |
1 | Netherlands | 103 |
2 | Belgium | 90 |
3 | Sweden | 86 |
... | ||
82= | Paraguay | 20 |
82= | Philippines | 20 |
82= | Central African Rep. | 20 |
82= | Sao Tome & Principe | 20 |
82= | Palau | 20 |
82= | Nauru | 20 |
82= | Marshall Islands | 20 |
82= | Guinea-Bissau | 20 |
Africa Avg | -10.4 | |
World Avg | 12.6 | |
q=196. |
Freedom of Thought Lower is better23 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 202123 | |
1= | Belgium | 1.0 |
1= | Taiwan | 1.0 |
1= | Netherlands | 1.0 |
4 | Ecuador | 1.3 |
5= | Bolivia | 1.3 |
5= | Sao Tome & Principe | 1.3 |
5= | Nauru | 1.3 |
5= | France | 1.3 |
9 | Sweden | 1.5 |
10= | Iceland | 1.5 |
10= | Norway | 1.5 |
10= | Congo, (Brazzaville) | 1.5 |
Africa Avg | 3.1 | |
World Avg | 3.0 | |
q=196. |
#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #vaccines
Compared to Africa (2025)24 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank24 | |
1 | Mauritius | 71.9 |
2 | Tunisia | 75.6 |
3 | Morocco | 88.2 |
... | ||
9 | Eritrea | 109.3 |
10 | Rwanda | 113.0 |
11 | Botswana | 118.5 |
12 | Sao Tome & Principe | 121.3 |
13 | Lesotho | 121.4 |
14= | Ghana | 121.8 |
14= | S. Africa | 121.8 |
16 | Burundi | 122.8 |
17 | Gambia | 124.0 |
Africa Avg | 111.13 | |
q=54. |
Health (2025)24 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank24 | |
1 | Monaco | 14.3 |
2 | Liechtenstein | 30.1 |
3 | Isle of Man | 32.1 |
... | ||
151 | Solomon Islands | 119.7 |
152 | Jordan | 119.8 |
153 | Honduras | 121.0 |
154 | Sao Tome & Principe | 121.3 |
155 | Lesotho | 121.4 |
156 | Palau | 121.6 |
157= | Ghana | 121.8 |
157= | S. Africa | 121.8 |
World Avg | 97.60 | |
q=213. |
The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and The Isle of Man25. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are The Cook Islands, The Marshall Islands and Niue25.
25 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 and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Balkans25, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Australasia25.
For more, see:
Health:
Sao Tome & Principe has some poor policies and cultural issues which cause some public health problems. Sao Tome & Principe does better than average in its smoking rate26, its immunizations take-up27 and in the prevalence of overweight adults28 (but high for Africa). But, things still need to improve in Sao Tome & Principe. Sao Tome & Principe does worse than average in terms of its alcohol consumption rate29, its average life expectancy11 (still high for Africa), its adolescent birth rate30 and in its fertility rate14 (still good for Africa). The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the last 40 years. 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 Rates Lower is better26 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 201426 | |
1 | Guinea | 15 |
2 | Solomon Islands | 26 |
3 | Kiribati | 28 |
... | ||
20 | Tanzania | 101 |
21 | Liberia | 104 |
22 | Niger | 105 |
23 | Sao Tome & Principe | 111 |
24 | India | 111 |
25 | Eritrea | 114 |
26 | Haiti | 114 |
27 | Peru | 116 |
Africa Avg | 340 | |
World Avg | 819 | |
q=182. |
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 better31 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2022 %31 | |
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:
Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better30 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2022 Per 100030 | |
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. |
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.
#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #environmentalism #food #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism
Compared to Africa (2025)32 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank32 | |
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)32 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank32 | |
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"33. 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:
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 person34 (but bad for Africa) and in energy to GDP efficiency35 (but high for Africa). Sao Tome & Principe does worse than average in its environmental performance36 (still good for Africa) and in its forested percent change 2000-202037. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment.Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better37 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Total37 | |
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 better36 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 201836 | |
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 better35 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2022 Avg35 | |
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 better34 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2021 kg34 | |
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. |
#education #modernity #technology #the_internet
Compared to Africa (2020)38 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank38 | |
1 | S. Africa | 56.9 |
2 | Tunisia | 70.8 |
3= | Mauritius | 79.6 |
... | ||
22 | Guinea-Bissau | 124.4 |
23 | Malawi | 125.4 |
24 | Togo | 125.8 |
25 | Sao Tome & Principe | 126.0 |
26 | Ethiopia | 128.3 |
27 | Ivory Coast | 132.4 |
28 | Senegal | 132.6 |
29 | Lesotho | 133.7 |
30 | Angola | 133.8 |
Africa Avg | 120.19 | |
q=53. |
Modernity & Learning (2020)38 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank38 | |
1 | Finland | 7.1 |
2 | Belgium | 12.9 |
3 | Denmark | 13.6 |
... | ||
147 | Timor-Leste (E. Timor) | 125.5 |
148 | Vanuatu | 125.6 |
149 | Togo | 125.8 |
150 | Sao Tome & Principe | 126.0 |
151 | Syria | 126.9 |
152 | Kiribati | 127.3 |
153 | Ethiopia | 128.3 |
154 | Honduras | 132.2 |
World Avg | 86.31 | |
q=190. |
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 Finland, Belgium and Denmark39. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone39. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots40.
“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)41
15 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Intellectual Endeavours, Maths, Science & Reading, Religiosity, IQ, 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 Europe39, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia39.
For more, see:
Modernity and Education:
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. 42
Secondary Education Higher is better43 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 201843 | |
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 better44 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2021 Years44 | |
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:
Internet Users Higher is better45 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 201645 | |
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 better46 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2017 Ratio46 | |
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. |
#capitalism #charitability #corruption #culture #economics #equality #health #human_development #inequality #life_expectancy #peace #politics #poverty #social_development
Compared to Africa (2020)47 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank47 | |
1 | Mauritius | 48.3 |
2 | Sao Tome & Principe | 67.7 |
3 | Tunisia | 74.9 |
4 | Ghana | 75.4 |
5 | Seychelles | 76.7 |
6 | Morocco | 77.0 |
7 | Senegal | 79.9 |
8 | Botswana | 83.3 |
9 | S. Africa | 84.8 |
10 | Algeria | 86.2 |
11 | Namibia | 87.3 |
12 | Zambia | 88.5 |
13 | Cape Verde | 90.8 |
Africa Avg | 101.84 | |
q=53. |
Culture, Peace & Inequality (2020)47 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank47 | |
1 | Denmark | 11.2 |
2 | Norway | 13.9 |
3 | Netherlands | 14.4 |
... | ||
57 | Albania | 66.0 |
58 | Kuwait | 66.3 |
59 | Thailand | 67.3 |
60 | Sao Tome & Principe | 67.7 |
61 | Israel | 68.6 |
62 | Bosnia & Herzegovina | 68.9 |
63 | Jamaica | 69.5 |
64 | Greece | 70.9 |
World Avg | 78.12 | |
q=180. |
This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 22 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, Inequality in Life Expectancy, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.
For more, see:
National Culture:
Corruption Higher is better48 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2022 Points48 | |
1 | Denmark | 90.0 |
2= | Finland | 87.0 |
2= | New Zealand | 87.0 |
... | ||
63 | Armenia | 46.0 |
64= | Romania | 46.0 |
65 | China | 45.0 |
66= | Sao Tome & Principe | 45.0 |
66= | Montenegro | 45.0 |
66= | Cuba | 45.0 |
69 | Jamaica | 44.0 |
70= | Oman | 44.0 |
Africa Avg | 32.31 | |
World Avg | 42.98 | |
q=180. |
Economic Inequality and Poverty:
Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better49 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 201949 | |
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 |
123= | 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 better50 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2023 %50 | |
1 | Slovakia | 24.1%51 |
2 | Slovenia | 24.3%51 |
3 | Belarus | 24.4%52 |
... | ||
121 | Tanzania | 40.5%53 |
122 | Uruguay | 40.6%54 |
123= | Argentina | 40.7%54 |
123= | Sao Tome & Principe | 40.7%55 |
123= | Philippines | 40.7%51 |
123= | Malaysia | 40.7%51 |
127 | Bolivia | 40.9%51 |
128 | Haiti | 41.1%56 |
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 better57 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2018 Severity57 | |
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. |
#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism
Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below58:
Christian | 82.2% |
Muslim | 0.1% |
Hindu | 0.1% |
Buddhist | 0.1% |
Folk Religion | 2.9% |
Jewish | 0.1% |
Unaffiliated | 12.6% |
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)59.
Links: