How many people live in São Tomé and Príncipe right now?
Right now, according to UN estimates
246,502
| Today | In 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Births | · | · |
| Deaths | · | · |
| Net migration | · | · |
| Growth | · | · |
2026 figures
- Rank by population
- 188 of 237
- Share of world population
- 0.0030%
- Median age
- 19.7 years
- Children per woman
- 3.47
- Life expectancy
- 70.3 years
- People per km²
- 255
According to UN estimates, about 246,502 people live in São Tomé and Príncipe right now. It ranks 188th out of 237 countries and territories by population, between Barbados and Samoa, and it is home to one in every 33,800 people on the planet.
Every day, about 19 people are born there and about 4 die. More people leave than arrive: net migration reduces the population by about 690 people a year. Overall, the population grows by about 13 people a day (1.94% a year).
In 1950, about 60,874 people lived there. Today there are 4.0 times as many. The UN expects it to keep growing for the rest of the century. By 2050 it is projected to have about 365,115 people (48% more than today), and by 2100 about 534,014.
Half of its people are younger than 20 (worldwide, 31). Women have an average of 3.47 children each, above the 2.1 needed for each generation to replace the one before, and life expectancy at birth is 70 years (worldwide, 74). There are 255 people per square kilometer.
UN estimates up to today and projections (medium variant) from today onward.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the population of São Tomé and Príncipe in 2026?
- São Tomé and Príncipe has about 246,502 people right now, according to the UN's World Population Prospects 2024. On July 1, 2026, there were 244,994.
- How many people are born each day in São Tomé and Príncipe?
- About 19 a day (6,800 a year). About 4 people die each day (1,300 a year).
- Is the population of São Tomé and Príncipe growing?
- Yes: it grows by 1.94% a year, or about 4,800 people.
- What will the population of São Tomé and Príncipe be in 2050?
- According to the UN projection (medium variant), about 365,115.
- Why doesn't this figure match the country's official statistics?
- The UN estimates the population of every country with the same method, based on censuses, surveys and registers, and projects it year by year. Each national statistics office uses its own censuses and registers, which may be more up to date or count foreign residents differently. That is why the figures can differ slightly.
Countries with a similar population
- New Caledonia 298,674
- French Polynesia 283,264
- Barbados 282,744
- Samoa 220,922
- Curaçao 185,416
- Saint Lucia 180,577
More countries in Africa
- Nigeria 243,986,080
- Ethiopia 139,989,415
- Egypt 120,651,463
- Democratic Republic of the Congo 117,604,326
- Tanzania 73,203,959
- South Africa 65,670,771
- Kenya 58,985,439
- Sudan 53,735,015
- Uganda 53,195,472
- Algeria 48,206,551
- Angola 40,591,334
- Morocco 38,862,747
All countries and territories →
Where these figures come from
The figures are estimates from the United Nations Population Division, published in World Population Prospects 2024 (medium variant): the reference used by international organizations and by most population counters. The UN estimates how many people there are on July 1 of each year and how many are born, die and migrate; between one date and the next, this counter spreads the change continuously, second by second.
It is not a real-time headcount: nobody can count every person in a country at once. It is the best available estimate, and it may differ slightly from the figures of each country's statistics office, which use their own censuses and population registers.