Which has higher human development index, Ghana or Sao Tome and Principe?

Sao Tome and Principe, at 0.637 against 0.628 in Ghana as of 2023.

What is the difference in human development index between Ghana and Sao Tome and Principe?

0.009, with Sao Tome and Principe ahead.

How many years of comparable data are there for Ghana and Sao Tome and Principe?

19 years are reported by both, from 2005 to 2023.

Where does this data come from?

UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Human Development Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Ghana vs Sao Tome and Principe: Human Development Index

Ghana

0.628

in 2023

Sao Tome and Principe

0.637

in 2023

Ghana rank

143rd

Sao Tome and Principe rank

141st

Human Development Index over time

Ghana
Sao Tome and Principe

How they compare

Sao Tome and Principe currently reports 0.637 against 0.628 in Ghana, a difference of 0.009.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 19 shared years of data; in 2005 it was Sao Tome and Principe ahead.

Ghana ranks 143rd and Sao Tome and Principe ranks 141st of 192 countries.

Sao Tome and Principe has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Ghana	Sao Tome and Principe	Difference	Ahead
2000s	0.534	0.5502	0.0162	Sao Tome and Principe
2010s	0.5844	0.5972	0.0128	Sao Tome and Principe
2020s	0.6212	0.633	0.0118	Sao Tome and Principe

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher human development index, Ghana or Sao Tome and Principe?: Sao Tome and Principe, at 0.637 against 0.628 in Ghana as of 2023.
What is the difference in human development index between Ghana and Sao Tome and Principe?: 0.009, with Sao Tome and Principe ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Ghana and Sao Tome and Principe?: 19 years are reported by both, from 2005 to 2023.
How do Ghana and Sao Tome and Principe rank globally for human development index?: Ghana ranks 143rd and Sao Tome and Principe ranks 141st of 192 countries.
Where does this data come from?: UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Human Development Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator: Human Development Index
Source: UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 192 places, 5,938 data points, 1990–2023
Last refreshed: 06 August 2026

The Human Development Index (HDI) is a summary measure of key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, a good education, and a decent standard of living. Higher values indicate higher human development.