Sanitation facilities usage in Sao Tome and Principe

Sao Tome and Principe: Sanitation facilities usage was 78,551 people in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
78,551 people
Change on year
down 2.5%
World rank
70th
of 232 countries
All-time high
104,459 people
in 2000
All-time low
78,551 people
in 2024
Years of data
25
2000–2024

Sanitation facilities usage in Sao Tome and Principe, 2000–2024

025.0k50.0k75.0k100.0k2000201220242000: 104.5k people2001: 103.7k people2002: 103.7k people2003: 103.8k people2004: 103.8k people2005: 103.6k people2006: 103.4k people2007: 103.1k people2008: 102.7k people2009: 102.1k people2010: 101.4k people2011: 100.4k people2012: 99.4k people2013: 98.1k people2014: 96.8k people2015: 95.3k people2016: 93.6k people2017: 91.8k people2018: 89.9k people2019: 87.9k people2020: 86.1k people2021: 84.4k people2022: 82.5k people2023: 80.6k people2024: 78.6k people

Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.

Analysis

In 2024, sanitation facilities usage in Sao Tome and Principe stood at 78,551 people. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.5% on the previous year and down 18.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, sanitation facilities usage in Sao Tome and Principe peaked at 104,459 people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 78,551 people, in 2024.

That places Sao Tome and Principe 70th out of 232 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.

Sanitation facilities usage in Sao Tome and Principe, year by year

Annual values for Sanitation facilities usage in Sao Tome and Principe, 2000 to 2024.
Year people Change
2000 104,459 people
2001 103,738 people -0.7%
2002 103,712 people -0.0%
2003 103,796 people +0.1%
2004 103,754 people -0.0%
2005 103,617 people -0.1%
2006 103,396 people -0.2%
2007 103,088 people -0.3%
2008 102,671 people -0.4%
2009 102,109 people -0.5%
2010 101,359 people -0.7%
2011 100,435 people -0.9%
2012 99,363 people -1.1%
2013 98,146 people -1.2%
2014 96,780 people -1.4%
2015 95,270 people -1.6%
2016 93,606 people -1.7%
2017 91,798 people -1.9%
2018 89,875 people -2.1%
2019 87,861 people -2.2%
2020 86,093 people -2.0%
2021 84,398 people -2.0%
2022 82,509 people -2.2%
2023 80,578 people -2.3%
2024 78,551 people -2.5%

Sao Tome and Principe compared with similar countries

  • Sao Tome and Principe's 78,551 people is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 585,262 people, 13% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
  • Sao Tome and Principe's 78,551 people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.31 million people, 6% of the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 103,434 people 102,109 people 104,459 people 10
2010s 95,449 people 87,861 people 101,359 people 10
2020s 82,426 people 78,551 people 86,093 people 5

Countries ranked near Sao Tome and Principe

  1. 67 Turkey 122,852 people compare
  2. 68 Malaysia 110,515 people compare
  3. 69 East Timor 110,407 people compare
  4. 71 El Salvador 75,817 people compare
  5. 72 Tajikistan 47,527 people compare
  6. 73 Equatorial Guinea 44,592 people compare

See the full ranking of 232 places →

More reference data data for Sao Tome and Principe

All data for Sao Tome and Principe →

Frequently asked questions

What is sanitation facilities usage in Sao Tome and Principe?
Sanitation facilities usage in Sao Tome and Principe was 78,551 people in 2024, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest sanitation facilities usage recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
The highest recorded value was 104,459 people in 2000.
What is the lowest sanitation facilities usage recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
The lowest recorded value was 78,551 people in 2024.
How does Sao Tome and Principe rank for sanitation facilities usage?
Sao Tome and Principe ranks 70th out of 232 countries with data for 2024.
Is sanitation facilities usage rising or falling in Sao Tome and Principe?
Over the last ten years it is down 18.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Sao Tome and Principe data come from?
The figures come from WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Sanitation facilities usage. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Sanitation facilities usage in Sao Tome and Principe. Statizoid, drawing on WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/sanitation-facilities-coverage/sao-tome-and-principe/

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About this data

Indicator
Sanitation facilities usage
Unit
people
Source
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
232 places, 5,488 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

Open defecation includes defecating in fields, forests, bushes, bodies of water or other open spaces, not using any sanitation facilities.