Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: Self-employed, female (% of female employment) was 44.4% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Sao Tome and Principe, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Sao Tome and Principe is 44.4%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 0.3% on the previous year and down 1.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Sao Tome and Principe peaked at 53.7% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 43.5%, in 2019.
Sao Tome and Principe ranks 67th of 187 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Sao Tome and Principe, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 53.7% | — |
| 1992 | 53.4% | -0.6% |
| 1993 | 53.1% | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 52.8% | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 52.4% | -0.7% |
| 1996 | 52.1% | -0.7% |
| 1997 | 51.7% | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 51.3% | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 50.9% | -0.8% |
| 2000 | 50.6% | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 50.2% | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 49.8% | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 49.4% | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 49.0% | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 48.6% | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 48.1% | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 47.6% | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 47.3% | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 46.7% | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 46.4% | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 46.0% | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 45.8% | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 45.5% | -0.6% |
| 2014 | 45.2% | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 44.9% | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 44.5% | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 44.2% | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 43.8% | -0.8% |
| 2019 | 43.5% | -0.8% |
| 2020 | 45.3% | +4.1% |
| 2021 | 44.8% | -1.1% |
| 2022 | 44.9% | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 44.7% | -0.4% |
| 2024 | 44.6% | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 44.4% | -0.3% |
Sao Tome and Principe compared with similar countries
- Sao Tome and Principe's 44.4% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 72.6%, 61% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Sao Tome and Principe's 44.4% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 80.9%, 55% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 52.4% | 50.9% | 53.7% | 9 |
| 2000s | 48.7% | 46.7% | 50.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 45.0% | 43.5% | 46.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 44.8% | 44.4% | 45.3% | 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 self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Sao Tome and Principe was 44.4% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest self-employed, female (% of female employment) recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The highest recorded value was 53.7% in 1991.
- What is the lowest self-employed, female (% of female employment) recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The lowest recorded value was 43.5% in 2019.
- How does Sao Tome and Principe rank for self-employed, female (% of female employment)?
- Sao Tome and Principe ranks 67th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is self-employed, female (% of female employment) rising or falling in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 Self-employed, female (% of female employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Self-employed workers are those workers who, working on their own account or with one or a few partners or in cooperative, hold the type of jobs defined as a "self-employment jobs." i.e. jobs where the remuneration is directly dependent upon the profits derived from the goods and services produced. Self-employed workers include sub-categories of employers, own-account workers and members of producers' cooperatives and contributing family workers.