Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: Population density (people per sq. km of land area) was 245.35 people per sq. km of land area in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
245.35 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 2.0%
World rank
57th
of 216 countries
All-time high
245.35 people per sq. km of land area
in 2024
All-time low
71.57 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Population density in Sao Tome and Principe, 1961–2024
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population density in Sao Tome and Principe is 245.35 people per sq. km of land area, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
The figure is up 2.0% on the previous year and up 19.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Sao Tome and Principe peaked at 245.35 people per sq. km of land area in 2024 and was at its lowest, 71.57 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
Sao Tome and Principe ranks 57th of 216 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Sao Tome and Principe, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 71.57 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 72.29 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1963 | 73.03 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1964 | 73.82 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1965 | 74.67 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1966 | 75.6 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1967 | 76.66 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 1968 | 77.88 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 1969 | 79.25 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1970 | 80.86 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1971 | 82.64 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1972 | 84.42 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1973 | 86.25 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1974 | 88.2 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1975 | 90.32 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1976 | 92.63 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1977 | 95.11 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1978 | 97.7 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1979 | 100.26 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1980 | 102.65 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1981 | 104.81 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1982 | 106.78 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1983 | 108.73 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1984 | 110.83 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1985 | 113.19 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1986 | 115.78 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1987 | 118.67 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1988 | 121.81 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1989 | 124.98 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1990 | 128.1 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1991 | 130.93 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1992 | 133.45 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1993 | 135.9 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1994 | 138.26 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 1995 | 140.52 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 1996 | 142.67 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 144.71 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 1998 | 146.62 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1999 | 148.38 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2000 | 150.02 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 2001 | 152.47 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 156.17 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2003 | 160.22 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 2004 | 164.28 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 2005 | 168.37 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 2006 | 172.54 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 2007 | 176.77 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 181.03 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2009 | 185.26 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 2010 | 189.38 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 2011 | 193.38 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 2012 | 197.33 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 2013 | 201.2 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 2014 | 204.97 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 2015 | 208.64 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 2016 | 212.18 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 2017 | 215.59 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 218.94 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 2019 | 222.28 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 226.5 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 2021 | 231.21 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 2022 | 235.73 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 2023 | 240.49 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 2024 | 245.35 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
Sao Tome and Principe compared with similar countries
- Sao Tome and Principe's 245.35 people per sq. km of land area is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 82.92 people per sq. km of land area, 3.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Sao Tome and Principe's 245.35 people per sq. km of land area is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 69.86 people per sq. km of land area, 3.5× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 74.98 people per sq. km of land area | 71.57 people per sq. km of land area | 79.25 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 89.84 people per sq. km of land area | 80.86 people per sq. km of land area | 100.26 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 112.82 people per sq. km of land area | 102.65 people per sq. km of land area | 124.98 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 138.95 people per sq. km of land area | 128.1 people per sq. km of land area | 148.38 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 166.71 people per sq. km of land area | 150.02 people per sq. km of land area | 185.26 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 206.39 people per sq. km of land area | 189.38 people per sq. km of land area | 222.28 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 235.86 people per sq. km of land area | 226.5 people per sq. km of land area | 245.35 people per sq. km of land area | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sao Tome and Principe
- 54 Liechtenstein 252.81 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 55 Uganda 249.43 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 56 Qatar 248.72 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 58 Germany 239.01 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 59 Dominican Republic 237.1 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 60 American Samoa 235 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Sao Tome and Principe
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 15.12 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 0.9998 Hectares (2020)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO 100.0% (2017)
- Dollar value of all resources made available to strengthen 1.22 million (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Population density in Sao Tome and Principe was 245.35 people per sq. km of land area in 2024, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The highest recorded value was 245.35 people per sq. km of land area in 2024.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The lowest recorded value was 71.57 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does Sao Tome and Principe rank for population density?
- Sao Tome and Principe ranks 57th out of 216 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population density rising or falling in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 19.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sao Tome and Principe data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.