Employment in services (% of total employment) in Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: Employment in services (% of total employment) was 65.4% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment in services (% of total employment) in Sao Tome and Principe, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Sao Tome and Principe recorded 65.4% for employment in services (% of total employment) in 2025. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 1.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in services (% of total employment) in Sao Tome and Principe peaked at 65.4% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 54.5%, in 1991.
That places Sao Tome and Principe 76th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Employment in services (% of total employment) in Sao Tome and Principe, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 54.5% | — |
| 1992 | 54.7% | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 54.9% | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 55.2% | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 55.3% | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 55.6% | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 55.9% | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 56.2% | +0.6% |
| 1999 | 56.5% | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 56.7% | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 56.9% | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 57.2% | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 57.6% | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 57.4% | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 60.6% | +5.6% |
| 2006 | 60.9% | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 61.2% | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 62.3% | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 62.5% | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 62.9% | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 63.3% | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 63.6% | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 63.9% | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 64.1% | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 64.3% | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 64.6% | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 64.9% | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 65.1% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 65.3% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 64.6% | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 64.4% | -0.3% |
| 2022 | 64.6% | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 64.9% | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 65.2% | +0.4% |
| 2025 | 65.4% | +0.3% |
Sao Tome and Principe compared with similar countries
- Sao Tome and Principe's 65.4% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 46.5%, 1.4× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Sao Tome and Principe's 65.4% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 41.4%, 1.6× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 55.4% | 54.5% | 56.5% | 9 |
| 2000s | 59.3% | 56.7% | 62.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 64.2% | 62.9% | 65.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 64.9% | 64.4% | 65.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sao Tome and Principe
More work & labour data for Sao Tome and Principe
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.2544 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.2707 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.2382 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate 0.0643 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.73 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 323.75 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 56 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 271.01 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 263 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 534.01 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in services (% of total employment) in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Employment in services (% of total employment) in Sao Tome and Principe was 65.4% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest employment in services (% of total employment) recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The highest recorded value was 65.4% in 2025.
- What is the lowest employment in services (% of total employment) recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The lowest recorded value was 54.5% in 1991.
- How does Sao Tome and Principe rank for employment in services (% of total employment)?
- Sao Tome and Principe ranks 76th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment in services (% of total employment) rising or falling in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sao Tome and Principe data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Employment in services (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Employment is defined as persons of working age who were engaged in any activity to produce goods or provide services for pay or profit, whether at work during the reference period or not at work due to temporary absence from a job, or to working-time arrangement. The services sector consists of wholesale and retail trade and restaurants and hotels; transport, storage, and communications; financing, insurance, real estate, and business services; and community, social, and personal services, in accordance with divisions 6-9 (ISIC 2) or categories G-Q (ISIC 3) or categories G-U (ISIC 4).