São Tomé and Príncipe
São Tomé and Príncipe is a lower-middle-income economy in Sub-Saharan Africa, with its capital at Sao Tome. 77.7% of its people had electricity in 2024.
- Electricity access
- 77.7%
- 2024, world 91.9%
- Renewable electricity
- 6.1%
- 2021, world 27.8%
- CO₂ per person
- 0.63 t
- 2024, world 4.69 t
- Clean cooking
- 7.0%
- 2024, world 75.4%
- GDP per person
- 4,084
- 2025, world 14,406
Electricity generation mix
- Oil
- Coal
- Gas
- Hydro
- Nuclear
- Solar, wind & other
São Tomé and Príncipe2021
Sub-Saharan Africa2024
World2024
View data table
| Economy | Oil | Coal | Gas | Hydro | Nuclear | Solar, wind & other | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| São Tomé and Príncipe | 93.9% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 5.9% | 0.0% | 0.2% | 2021 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 5.0% | 42.9% | 14.0% | 29.9% | 2.5% | 4.3% | 2024 |
| World | 2.3% | 34.5% | 21.9% | 14.6% | 9.8% | 12.4% | 2024 |
Share of electricity production by source, latest year available. Shares may not sum to exactly 100% because of rounding and minor sources.
Access to electricity
% of population, compared with Sub-Saharan Africa and the world.
- São Tomé and Príncipe
- World
- Sub-Saharan Africa
0%
50%
100%
WorldSão Tomé and PríncipeSub-Saharan Africa View data table
| Year | São Tomé and Príncipe | World | Sub-Saharan Africa |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 77.7% | 91.9% | 55.1% |
| 2023 | 81.3% | 91.6% | 53.3% |
| 2022 | 78.0% | 91.3% | 51.5% |
| 2021 | 78.5% | 91.3% | 50.7% |
| 2020 | 76.8% | 90.4% | 48.5% |
| 2019 | 75.1% | 90.1% | 47.2% |
| 2018 | 71.0% | 89.8% | 46.4% |
| 2017 | 74.3% | 88.9% | 43.8% |
| 2016 | 69.4% | 88.1% | 43.8% |
| 2015 | 67.3% | 86.9% | 39.2% |
| 2014 | 68.6% | 86.2% | 38.4% |
| 2013 | 65.0% | 85.7% | 38.0% |
| 2012 | 57.9% | 84.9% | 36.8% |
| 2011 | 62.6% | 84.5% | 35.9% |
| 2010 | 61.4% | 83.5% | 33.3% |
| 2009 | 56.9% | 82.9% | 32.6% |
| 2008 | 59.1% | 82.7% | 32.4% |
| 2007 | 58.0% | 82.0% | 32.5% |
| 2006 | 56.9% | 81.4% | 31.2% |
| 2005 | 55.8% | 80.7% | 29.4% |
| 2004 | 54.7% | 80.0% | 29.4% |
| 2003 | 53.6% | 80.0% | 29.6% |
| 2002 | 52.5% | 79.1% | 27.3% |
| 2001 | 51.5% | 78.7% | 26.2% |
| 2000 | 52.9% | 78.2% | 25.7% |
| 1999 | – | 74.5% | 30.1% |
| 1998 | – | 73.2% | 28.6% |
| 1997 | – | – | 28.4% |
| 1996 | – | – | 28.5% |
Energy production and use
| Measure | Latest | Year | World rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oil consumption | 1 thousand b/d | 2024 | 206 of 216 |
| Electricity generation | 0.1 TWh | 2024 | 199 of 211 |
| Renewable generation | 0.0 TWh | 2024 | 193 of 206 |
| Primary energy consumption | 0.00 quad Btu | 2024 | 205 of 215 |
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, International Energy Statistics.
Power generation
Ember publishes no generation mix for São Tomé and Príncipe.
São Tomé and Príncipe in world rankings
- Oil consumption#200 of 203
- Electricity generation#196 of 202
- Renewable generation#189 of 200
- Primary energy consumption#200 of 203
Emissions
CO₂ per person, tonnes, excluding land use.
- São Tomé and Príncipe
- World
- Sub-Saharan Africa
0 t
2 t
4 t
6 t
WorldSub-Saharan AfricaSão Tomé and Príncipe View data table
| Year | São Tomé and Príncipe | World | Sub-Saharan Africa |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 0.63 t | 4.69 t | 0.70 t |
| 2023 | 0.63 t | 4.68 t | 0.70 t |
| 2022 | 0.62 t | 4.67 t | 0.72 t |
| 2021 | 0.71 t | 4.68 t | 0.75 t |
| 2020 | 0.71 t | 4.47 t | 0.73 t |
| 2019 | 0.75 t | 4.70 t | 0.79 t |
| 2018 | 0.73 t | 4.73 t | 0.80 t |
| 2017 | 0.72 t | 4.67 t | 0.80 t |
| 2016 | 0.72 t | 4.65 t | 0.81 t |
| 2015 | 0.70 t | 4.70 t | 0.82 t |
| 2014 | 0.67 t | 4.78 t | 0.86 t |
| 2013 | 0.69 t | 4.81 t | 0.85 t |
| 2012 | 0.70 t | 4.77 t | 0.82 t |
| 2011 | 0.69 t | 4.76 t | 0.82 t |
| 2010 | 0.68 t | 4.67 t | 0.84 t |
| 2009 | 0.64 t | 4.45 t | 0.82 t |
| 2008 | 0.60 t | 4.56 t | 0.89 t |
| 2007 | 0.58 t | 4.59 t | 0.86 t |
| 2006 | 0.57 t | 4.48 t | 0.86 t |
| 2005 | 0.55 t | 4.39 t | 0.89 t |
| 2004 | 0.52 t | 4.28 t | 0.89 t |
| 2003 | 0.47 t | 4.15 t | 0.86 t |
| 2002 | 0.43 t | 4.02 t | 0.84 t |
| 2001 | 0.38 t | 4.01 t | 0.85 t |
| 2000 | 0.38 t | 4.01 t | 0.85 t |
| 1999 | 0.41 t | 3.95 t | 0.85 t |
| 1998 | 0.40 t | 3.98 t | 0.89 t |
| 1997 | 0.39 t | 4.02 t | 0.91 t |
| 1996 | 0.40 t | 4.01 t | 0.90 t |
| 1995 | 0.39 t | 3.99 t | 0.87 t |
Currency
21.91 STN
per US dollar, mid-market reference. 1 STN = ₦60.77
Sunshine in Sao Tome
5.5 kWh/m² today
- Th5.5 kWh per square metre
- Fr4.7 kWh per square metre
- Sa2.8 kWh per square metre
- Su4.1 kWh per square metre
- Mo5.5 kWh per square metre
- Tu5.5 kWh per square metre
- We3.9 kWh per square metre
Open-Meteo forecast, modelled irradiation.
Power plants
Installed capacity by fuel
The Global Power Plant Database has no records for São Tomé and Príncipe.
All indicators
São Tomé and Príncipe in numbers
Energy access
| Indicator | São Tomé and Príncipe | Year | Sub-Saharan Africa | World |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Access to electricity % of population | 77.7% | 2024 | 55.1% | 91.9% |
| Access to electricity, rural % of rural population | 75.1% | 2024 | 35.7% | 84.9% |
| Access to electricity, urban % of urban population | 78.9% | 2024 | 82.9% | 97.8% |
| Access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking % of population | 7.0% | 2024 | 22.9% | 75.4% |
Power supply and mix
| Indicator | São Tomé and Príncipe | Year | Sub-Saharan Africa | World |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electricity production from coal % of total | 0.0% | 2021 | 42.9% | 34.5% |
| Electricity production from natural gas % of total | 0.0% | 2021 | 14.0% | 21.9% |
| Electricity production from oil % of total | 93.9% | 2021 | 5.0% | 2.3% |
| Electricity production from nuclear % of total | 0.0% | 2021 | 2.5% | 9.8% |
| Electricity production from hydroelectric sources % of total | 5.9% | 2021 | 29.9% | 14.6% |
| Electric power transmission and distribution losses % of output | – | 13.4% | 6.9% | |
| Electric power consumption per capita kWh per capita | – | 380 kWh | 3,708 kWh |
Energy transition
| Indicator | São Tomé and Príncipe | Year | Sub-Saharan Africa | World |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electricity production from renewables, excluding hydro % of total | 0.2% | 2021 | 4.3% | 12.4% |
| Renewable electricity output % of total electricity output | 6.1% | 2021 | 32.6% | 27.8% |
| Renewable energy consumption % of total final energy consumption | 42.5% | 2022 | 70.3% | 19.7% |
| CO₂ emissions per capita (excluding LULUCF) t CO₂e per capita | 0.63 t | 2024 | 0.70 t | 4.69 t |
| CO₂ emissions, total (excluding LULUCF) Mt CO₂e | 0.1 Mt | 2024 | 896.3 Mt | 39,632.7 Mt |
| Energy intensity of primary energy MJ per $2017 PPP GDP | 3.64 MJ/$ | 2022 | 6.14 MJ/$ | 4.54 MJ/$ |
Energy economy
| Indicator | São Tomé and Príncipe | Year | Sub-Saharan Africa | World |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel exports % of merchandise exports | 0.0% | 2022 | 40.9% | 9.5% |
| Oil rents % of GDP | 0.00% | 2021 | 3.80% | 1.36% |
| Natural gas rents % of GDP | 0.00% | 2021 | 0.49% | 0.52% |
| GDP per capita current US$ | 4,084 | 2025 | 1,673 | 14,406 |
| Population, total people | 240,254 | 2025 | 1.3B | 8.2B |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0). Latest year available per series.