Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) was 12.1% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Sao Tome and Principe, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Sao Tome and Principe stood at 12.1%.
That represents a change of down 2.1% on the previous year and down 10.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Sao Tome and Principe peaked at 23.5% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 12.0%, in 2019.
That places Sao Tome and Principe 102nd out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Sao Tome and Principe, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 23.5% | — |
| 1992 | 23.2% | -1.1% |
| 1993 | 23.1% | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 22.8% | -1.5% |
| 1995 | 22.6% | -0.6% |
| 1996 | 22.3% | -1.2% |
| 1997 | 22.1% | -1.2% |
| 1998 | 21.7% | -1.9% |
| 1999 | 21.3% | -1.9% |
| 2000 | 21.1% | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 20.9% | -1.3% |
| 2002 | 20.6% | -1.5% |
| 2003 | 19.8% | -3.7% |
| 2004 | 19.9% | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 18.9% | -5.0% |
| 2006 | 18.0% | -4.5% |
| 2007 | 17.5% | -2.7% |
| 2008 | 16.0% | -8.6% |
| 2009 | 15.6% | -2.3% |
| 2010 | 15.3% | -1.8% |
| 2011 | 15.0% | -2.4% |
| 2012 | 14.6% | -2.8% |
| 2013 | 14.1% | -3.3% |
| 2014 | 13.6% | -3.5% |
| 2015 | 13.4% | -1.1% |
| 2016 | 13.0% | -3.6% |
| 2017 | 12.5% | -3.4% |
| 2018 | 12.2% | -2.7% |
| 2019 | 12.0% | -1.1% |
| 2020 | 12.6% | +4.6% |
| 2021 | 12.7% | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 12.6% | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 12.5% | -1.0% |
| 2024 | 12.3% | -1.3% |
| 2025 | 12.1% | -2.1% |
Sao Tome and Principe compared with similar countries
- Sao Tome and Principe's 12.1% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 35.4%, 34% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Sao Tome and Principe's 12.1% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 44.5%, 27% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 22.5% | 21.3% | 23.5% | 9 |
| 2000s | 18.8% | 15.6% | 21.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.6% | 12.0% | 15.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.5% | 12.1% | 12.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sao Tome and Principe
- 99 Iran, Islamic Republic of 13.6% compare
- 100 Tunisia 12.5% compare
- 101 Guyana 12.2% compare
- 103 Costa Rica 11.5% compare
- 104 Mexico 11.4% compare
- 105 Kazakhstan 11.3% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Sao Tome and Principe
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 16.45 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1219 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 497.9 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.02 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3083 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 12.2% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 12.2% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.1% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.9% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Sao Tome and Principe was 12.1% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest employment in agriculture (% of total employment) recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The highest recorded value was 23.5% in 1991.
- What is the lowest employment in agriculture (% of total employment) recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.0% in 2019.
- How does Sao Tome and Principe rank for employment in agriculture (% of total employment)?
- Sao Tome and Principe ranks 102nd out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment in agriculture (% of total employment) rising or falling in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sao Tome and Principe data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Employment is defined as persons of working age who were engaged in any activity to produce goods or provide services for pay or profit, whether at work during the reference period or not at work due to temporary absence from a job, or to working-time arrangement. The agriculture sector consists of activities in agriculture, hunting, forestry and fishing, in accordance with division 1 (ISIC 2) or categories A-B (ISIC 3) or category A (ISIC 4).