Adoption of communication technologies in Sao Tome and Principe

Sao Tome and Principe: Adoption of communication technologies was 1,781 in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
1,781
Change on year
down 9.0%
World rank
200th
of 212 countries
All-time high
8,035
in 2012
All-time low
352
in 1960
Years of data
61
1960–2024

Adoption of communication technologies in Sao Tome and Principe, 1960–2024

02.0k4.0k6.0k8.0k196019922024

Source: International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2024, adoption of communication technologies in Sao Tome and Principe stood at 1,781.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 9.0% on the previous year and down 73.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, adoption of communication technologies in Sao Tome and Principe peaked at 8,035 in 2012 and was at its lowest, 352, in 1960.

Sao Tome and Principe ranks 200th of 212 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Adoption of communication technologies in Sao Tome and Principe, year by year

Annual values for Adoption of communication technologies in Sao Tome and Principe, 1960 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1960 352
1961 352 +0.0%
1962 352 +0.0%
1963 352 +0.0%
1964 352 +0.0%
1966 352 +0.0%
1967 352 +0.0%
1968 352 +0.0%
1969 352 +0.0%
1971 352 +0.0%
1972 352 +0.0%
1973 352 +0.0%
1974 352 +0.0%
1975 500 +42.0%
1976 500 +0.0%
1977 600 +20.0%
1978 600 +0.0%
1981 798 +33.0%
1982 1,222 +53.1%
1983 1,555 +27.3%
1984 1,765 +13.5%
1985 1,874 +6.2%
1986 2,001 +6.8%
1987 2,117 +5.8%
1988 2,240 +5.8%
1989 2,200 -1.8%
1990 2,200 +0.0%
1991 2,218 +0.8%
1992 2,360 +6.4%
1993 2,386 +1.1%
1994 2,460 +3.1%
1995 2,499 +1.6%
1996 2,596 +3.9%
1997 4,300 +65.6%
1998 4,295 -0.1%
1999 4,526 +5.4%
2000 4,614 +1.9%
2001 5,441 +17.9%
2002 6,366 +17.0%
2003 6,970 +9.5%
2004 7,050 +1.1%
2005 7,112 +0.9%
2006 7,593 +6.8%
2007 7,654 +0.8%
2008 7,643 -0.1%
2009 7,694 +0.7%
2010 7,804 +1.4%
2011 7,960 +2.0%
2012 8,035 +0.9%
2013 6,976 -13.2%
2014 6,800 -2.5%
2015 6,441 -5.3%
2016 5,733 -11.0%
2017 5,569 -2.9%
2018 5,299 -4.8%
2019 4,784 -9.7%
2020 2,790 -41.7%
2021 2,619 -6.1%
2022 2,501 -4.5%
2023 1,957 -21.8%
2024 1,781 -9.0%

Sao Tome and Principe compared with similar countries

  • Sao Tome and Principe's 1,781 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 102,714, 2% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
  • Sao Tome and Principe's 1,781 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 56,011, 3% of the median. (48 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Adoption of communication technologies in Sao Tome and Principe changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
1997 +65.6% 2,596 4,300
1982 +53.1% 798 1,222
2020 -41.7% 4,784 2,790
1975 +42.0% 352 500
1981 +33.0% 600 798
1983 +27.3% 1,222 1,555

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 352 352 352 9
1970s 451 352 600 8
1980s 1,752 798 2,240 9
1990s 2,984 2,200 4,526 10
2000s 6,814 4,614 7,694 10
2010s 6,540 4,784 8,035 10
2020s 2,330 1,781 2,790 5

Countries ranked near Sao Tome and Principe

  1. 197 Tuvalu 2,113 compare
  2. 198 Central African Republic 2,088 compare
  3. 199 Marshall Islands 1,947 compare
  4. 201 East Timor 1,691 compare
  5. 202 Haiti 1,357 compare
  6. 203 Benin 1,350 compare

See the full ranking of 212 places →

More reference data data for Sao Tome and Principe

All data for Sao Tome and Principe →

Frequently asked questions

What is adoption of communication technologies in Sao Tome and Principe?
Adoption of communication technologies in Sao Tome and Principe was 1,781 in 2024, according to International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest adoption of communication technologies recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
The highest recorded value was 8,035 in 2012.
What is the lowest adoption of communication technologies recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
The lowest recorded value was 352 in 1960.
How does Sao Tome and Principe rank for adoption of communication technologies?
Sao Tome and Principe ranks 200th out of 212 countries with data for 2024.
Is adoption of communication technologies rising or falling in Sao Tome and Principe?
Over the last ten years it is down 73.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Sao Tome and Principe data come from?
The figures come from International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Adoption of communication technologies. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Adoption of communication technologies in Sao Tome and Principe. Statizoid, drawing on International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/ict-adoption/sao-tome-and-principe/

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About this data

Indicator
Adoption of communication technologies
Source
International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
212 places, 11,803 data points, 1960–2024
Last refreshed