Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas was 11.1% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Sao Tome and Principe, 1991–2023
Source: ILO via World Bank – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Sao Tome and Principe recorded 11.1% for share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 33 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.8% on the previous year and down 22.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Sao Tome and Principe peaked at 27.1% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 11.1%, in 2023.
Sao Tome and Principe ranks 108th of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.
Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Sao Tome and Principe, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 27.1% | — |
| 1992 | 26.8% | -1.2% |
| 1993 | 26.5% | -1.0% |
| 1994 | 26.1% | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 25.9% | -1.0% |
| 1996 | 25.5% | -1.6% |
| 1997 | 25.0% | -2.0% |
| 1998 | 24.5% | -1.8% |
| 1999 | 23.9% | -2.6% |
| 2000 | 23.3% | -2.5% |
| 2001 | 23.3% | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 22.5% | -3.1% |
| 2003 | 21.7% | -3.7% |
| 2004 | 20.8% | -4.2% |
| 2005 | 19.9% | -4.2% |
| 2006 | 19.1% | -4.2% |
| 2007 | 18.4% | -3.7% |
| 2008 | 17.3% | -5.8% |
| 2009 | 16.7% | -3.3% |
| 2010 | 15.9% | -5.1% |
| 2011 | 15.3% | -3.5% |
| 2012 | 14.9% | -2.9% |
| 2013 | 14.3% | -4.0% |
| 2014 | 13.8% | -3.7% |
| 2015 | 13.3% | -3.1% |
| 2016 | 13.2% | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 12.5% | -5.1% |
| 2018 | 12.0% | -4.3% |
| 2019 | 11.7% | -2.6% |
| 2020 | 11.7% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 11.7% | -0.6% |
| 2022 | 11.3% | -3.0% |
| 2023 | 11.1% | -1.8% |
Sao Tome and Principe compared with similar countries
- Sao Tome and Principe's 11.1% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 34.4%, 32% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Sao Tome and Principe's 11.1% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 43.0%, 26% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 25.7% | 23.9% | 27.1% | 9 |
| 2000s | 20.3% | 16.7% | 23.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.7% | 11.7% | 15.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.4% | 11.1% | 11.7% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sao Tome and Principe
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 share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Sao Tome and Principe was 11.1% in 2023, according to ILO via World Bank – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The highest recorded value was 27.1% in 1991.
- What is the lowest share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.1% in 2023.
- How does Sao Tome and Principe rank for share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas?
- Sao Tome and Principe ranks 108th out of 186 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.2%. 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 via World Bank – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The share of people employed in agriculture includes working-age people with a job in farming, forestry, fishing, and related activities, including those temporarily absent.