Rural population in Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: Rural population was 30.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Rural population in Sao Tome and Principe, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
In 2025, rural population in Sao Tome and Principe stood at 30.8%. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.0% on the previous year and down 5.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Sao Tome and Principe peaked at 84.6% in 1960 and was at its lowest, 30.8%, in 2025.
Sao Tome and Principe ranks 125th of 218 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Rural population in Sao Tome and Principe, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 84.6% | — |
| 1961 | 84.1% | -0.6% |
| 1962 | 83.1% | -1.1% |
| 1963 | 81.7% | -1.7% |
| 1964 | 80.0% | -2.1% |
| 1965 | 78.1% | -2.3% |
| 1966 | 76.2% | -2.5% |
| 1967 | 74.3% | -2.5% |
| 1968 | 72.6% | -2.3% |
| 1969 | 71.2% | -1.9% |
| 1970 | 70.2% | -1.4% |
| 1971 | 69.6% | -0.8% |
| 1972 | 69.2% | -0.7% |
| 1973 | 68.8% | -0.5% |
| 1974 | 68.5% | -0.5% |
| 1975 | 68.2% | -0.4% |
| 1976 | 67.9% | -0.4% |
| 1977 | 67.7% | -0.4% |
| 1978 | 67.4% | -0.4% |
| 1979 | 67.1% | -0.5% |
| 1980 | 66.7% | -0.6% |
| 1981 | 66.2% | -0.7% |
| 1982 | 65.5% | -1.0% |
| 1983 | 64.7% | -1.3% |
| 1984 | 63.7% | -1.6% |
| 1985 | 62.5% | -1.8% |
| 1986 | 61.3% | -2.0% |
| 1987 | 60.0% | -2.1% |
| 1988 | 58.7% | -2.2% |
| 1989 | 57.5% | -2.1% |
| 1990 | 56.3% | -2.1% |
| 1991 | 55.2% | -1.9% |
| 1992 | 54.2% | -1.8% |
| 1993 | 53.3% | -1.7% |
| 1994 | 52.4% | -1.7% |
| 1995 | 51.5% | -1.7% |
| 1996 | 50.6% | -1.7% |
| 1997 | 49.8% | -1.7% |
| 1998 | 48.9% | -1.8% |
| 1999 | 48.0% | -1.9% |
| 2000 | 47.0% | -2.0% |
| 2001 | 46.0% | -2.1% |
| 2002 | 44.9% | -2.4% |
| 2003 | 43.6% | -2.9% |
| 2004 | 42.1% | -3.4% |
| 2005 | 40.6% | -3.7% |
| 2006 | 39.0% | -3.8% |
| 2007 | 37.5% | -3.9% |
| 2008 | 36.1% | -3.7% |
| 2009 | 34.9% | -3.4% |
| 2010 | 33.9% | -2.8% |
| 2011 | 33.3% | -2.0% |
| 2012 | 33.0% | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 32.9% | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 32.7% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 32.6% | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 32.5% | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 32.3% | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 32.2% | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 32.1% | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 32.0% | -0.4% |
| 2021 | 31.8% | -0.4% |
| 2022 | 31.6% | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 31.4% | -0.7% |
| 2024 | 31.1% | -0.8% |
| 2025 | 30.8% | -1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 78.6% | 71.2% | 84.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | 68.5% | 67.1% | 70.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 62.7% | 57.5% | 66.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 52.0% | 48.0% | 56.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 41.2% | 34.9% | 47.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 32.8% | 32.1% | 33.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 31.5% | 30.8% | 32.0% | 6 |
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 rural population in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Rural population in Sao Tome and Principe was 30.8% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The highest recorded value was 84.6% in 1960.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The lowest recorded value was 30.8% in 2025.
- How does Sao Tome and Principe rank for rural population?
- Sao Tome and Principe ranks 125th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sao Tome and Principe data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.