Unemployment rate in Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: Unemployment rate was 9.13 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
9.13
Change on year
up 0.8%
World rank
44th
of 186 countries
All-time high
17.63
in 2002
All-time low
8.71
in 2018
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Unemployment rate in Sao Tome and Principe, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment rate in Sao Tome and Principe is 9.13, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of up 0.8% on the previous year and down 13.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Sao Tome and Principe peaked at 17.63 in 2002 and was at its lowest, 8.71, in 2018.
That places Sao Tome and Principe 44th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment rate in Sao Tome and Principe, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 14.49 | — |
| 1992 | 14.65 | +1.1% |
| 1993 | 14.46 | -1.3% |
| 1994 | 14.41 | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 14.34 | -0.5% |
| 1996 | 14.33 | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 14.41 | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 14.4 | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 14.35 | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 14.4 | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 15.73 | +9.2% |
| 2002 | 17.63 | +12.1% |
| 2003 | 16.36 | -7.2% |
| 2004 | 16.12 | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 16.47 | +2.2% |
| 2006 | 16.65 | +1.1% |
| 2007 | 16.02 | -3.8% |
| 2008 | 15.42 | -3.7% |
| 2009 | 15.14 | -1.8% |
| 2010 | 14.63 | -3.4% |
| 2011 | 14.23 | -2.7% |
| 2012 | 13.59 | -4.5% |
| 2013 | 12.48 | -8.2% |
| 2014 | 11.43 | -8.4% |
| 2015 | 10.59 | -7.3% |
| 2016 | 9.68 | -8.6% |
| 2017 | 8.81 | -9.0% |
| 2018 | 8.71 | -1.1% |
| 2019 | 8.84 | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 9.68 | +9.6% |
| 2021 | 9.56 | -1.2% |
| 2022 | 8.96 | -6.3% |
| 2023 | 9.03 | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 9.06 | +0.3% |
| 2025 | 9.13 | +0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 14.43 | 14.33 | 14.65 | 9 |
| 2000s | 15.99 | 14.4 | 17.63 | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.3 | 8.71 | 14.63 | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.24 | 8.96 | 9.68 | 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 unemployment rate in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Unemployment rate in Sao Tome and Principe was 9.13 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The highest recorded value was 17.63 in 2002.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.71 in 2018.
- How does Sao Tome and Principe rank for unemployment rate?
- Sao Tome and Principe ranks 44th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sao Tome and Principe data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).