Share of land area used for arable agriculture in Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: Share of land area used for arable agriculture was 4.2% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Share of land area used for arable agriculture in Sao Tome and Principe, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of land area.
Analysis
In 2023, share of land area used for arable agriculture in Sao Tome and Principe stood at 4.2%.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of land area used for arable agriculture in Sao Tome and Principe peaked at 6.2% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 1.0%, in 1961.
That places Sao Tome and Principe 146th out of 206 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of land area used for arable agriculture in Sao Tome and Principe, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.0% | — |
| 1962 | 1.0% | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 1.0% | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 1.0% | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 1.0% | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 1.0% | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 1.0% | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 1.0% | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 1.0% | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 1.0% | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 1.0% | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 1.0% | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 1.0% | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 1.0% | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 1.0% | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 1.0% | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 1.0% | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 1.0% | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 1.0% | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 1.0% | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 1.0% | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 1.0% | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 1.0% | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 1.0% | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 2.1% | +100.0% |
| 1986 | 2.1% | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 2.1% | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 2.1% | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 2.1% | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 2.1% | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 2.1% | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 2.1% | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 2.1% | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 3.1% | +50.0% |
| 1995 | 4.2% | +33.3% |
| 1996 | 4.2% | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 5.2% | +25.0% |
| 1998 | 5.2% | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 6.2% | +20.0% |
| 2000 | 6.2% | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 6.2% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 6.2% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 6.2% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 6.2% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 6.2% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 6.2% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 6.2% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 6.2% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 6.2% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 6.2% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 4.2% | -33.3% |
| 2012 | 4.2% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 4.2% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 4.2% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 4.2% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 4.2% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 4.2% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 4.2% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 4.2% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 4.2% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 4.2% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 4.2% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 4.2% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1.0% | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.6% | 1.0% | 2.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.6% | 2.1% | 6.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.2% | 6.2% | 6.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.4% | 4.2% | 6.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.2% | 4.2% | 4.2% | 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 land area used for arable agriculture in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Share of land area used for arable agriculture in Sao Tome and Principe was 4.2% in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of land area used for arable agriculture recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The highest recorded value was 6.2% in 1999.
- What is the lowest share of land area used for arable agriculture recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.0% in 1961.
- How does Sao Tome and Principe rank for share of land area used for arable agriculture?
- Sao Tome and Principe ranks 146th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of land area used for arable agriculture rising or falling in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sao Tome and Principe data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of land area used for arable agriculture. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
The share of land area used for arable agriculture, measured as a percentage of total land area. Arable land includes land defined by the FAO as land under temporary crops (double-cropped areas are counted once), temporary meadows for mowing or for pasture, land under market or kitchen gardens, and land temporarily fallow.