Forest area in Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: Forest area was 52.1% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Forest area in Sao Tome and Principe, 1990–2023
Source: FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in % of land area.
Analysis
The most recent figure for forest area in Sao Tome and Principe is 52.1%, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 34 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.2% on the previous year and down 11.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forest area in Sao Tome and Principe peaked at 61.1% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 52.1%, in 2023.
Sao Tome and Principe ranks 47th of 214 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Forest area in Sao Tome and Principe, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 61.1% | — |
| 1991 | 61.0% | -0.0% |
| 1992 | 61.0% | -0.0% |
| 1993 | 61.0% | -0.0% |
| 1994 | 61.0% | -0.0% |
| 1995 | 60.9% | -0.0% |
| 1996 | 60.9% | -0.0% |
| 1997 | 60.9% | -0.0% |
| 1998 | 60.8% | -0.0% |
| 1999 | 60.8% | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 60.8% | -0.0% |
| 2001 | 60.8% | -0.0% |
| 2002 | 60.7% | -0.0% |
| 2003 | 60.7% | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 60.7% | -0.0% |
| 2005 | 60.7% | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 60.6% | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 60.6% | -0.0% |
| 2008 | 60.6% | -0.0% |
| 2009 | 60.5% | -0.0% |
| 2010 | 60.5% | -0.0% |
| 2011 | 59.9% | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 59.2% | -1.1% |
| 2013 | 58.6% | -1.1% |
| 2014 | 57.9% | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 57.3% | -1.1% |
| 2016 | 56.6% | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 56.0% | -1.1% |
| 2018 | 55.4% | -1.2% |
| 2019 | 54.7% | -1.2% |
| 2020 | 54.1% | -1.2% |
| 2021 | 53.4% | -1.2% |
| 2022 | 52.8% | -1.2% |
| 2023 | 52.1% | -1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 60.9% | 60.8% | 61.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 60.7% | 60.5% | 60.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 57.6% | 54.7% | 60.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 53.1% | 52.1% | 54.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sao Tome and Principe
- 44 Cayman Islands 52.5% compare
- 45 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 52.2% compare
- 46 Marshall Islands 52.2% compare
- 48 Angola 52.1% compare
- 49 Grenada 52.1% compare
- 50 Guam 51.9% 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 forest area in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Forest area in Sao Tome and Principe was 52.1% in 2023, according to FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest forest area recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The highest recorded value was 61.1% in 1990.
- What is the lowest forest area recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The lowest recorded value was 52.1% in 2023.
- How does Sao Tome and Principe rank for forest area?
- Sao Tome and Principe ranks 47th out of 214 countries with data for 2023.
- Is forest area rising or falling in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sao Tome and Principe data come from?
- The figures come from FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Forest area (% of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Forest area (% of land area) is the share of total land area that is under natural or planted stands of trees of at least 5 meters in situ, whether productive or not, and excludes tree stands in agricultural production systems (for example, in fruit plantations and agroforestry systems) and trees in urban parks and gardens.