Share of population living in urban and rural areas in Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: Share of population living in urban and rural areas was 83.4% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Share of population living in urban and rural areas in Sao Tome and Principe, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of population living in urban and rural areas in Sao Tome and Principe is 83.4%, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in urban and rural areas in Sao Tome and Principe peaked at 83.4% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 75.4%, in 1970.
That places Sao Tome and Principe 63rd out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in urban and rural areas in Sao Tome and Principe, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 78.6% | — |
| 1955 | 77.9% | -0.9% |
| 1960 | 76.9% | -1.2% |
| 1965 | 76.0% | -1.3% |
| 1970 | 75.4% | -0.8% |
| 1975 | 75.5% | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 77.2% | +2.3% |
| 1985 | 78.7% | +2.0% |
| 1990 | 79.6% | +1.2% |
| 1995 | 80.1% | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 80.6% | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 81.2% | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 81.8% | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 82.3% | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 83.4% | +1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 78.2% | 77.9% | 78.6% | 2 |
| 1960s | 76.5% | 76.0% | 76.9% | 2 |
| 1970s | 75.4% | 75.4% | 75.5% | 2 |
| 1980s | 77.9% | 77.2% | 78.7% | 2 |
| 1990s | 79.9% | 79.6% | 80.1% | 2 |
| 2000s | 80.9% | 80.6% | 81.2% | 2 |
| 2010s | 82.1% | 81.8% | 82.3% | 2 |
| 2020s | 83.4% | 83.4% | 83.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Sao Tome and Principe
- 60 Netherlands 84.3% compare
- 61 Saudi Arabia 83.6% compare
- 62 China 83.6% compare
- 64 India 83.4% compare
- 65 Gabon 83.1% compare
- 66 Tajikistan 82.8% compare
More reference data data for Sao Tome and Principe
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0038 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.006 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.01 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0003 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.01 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0126 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.014 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.0319 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.0601 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0015 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in urban and rural areas in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Share of population living in urban and rural areas in Sao Tome and Principe was 83.4% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in urban and rural areas recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The highest recorded value was 83.4% in 2020.
- What is the lowest share of population living in urban and rural areas recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The lowest recorded value was 75.4% in 1970.
- How does Sao Tome and Principe rank for share of population living in urban and rural areas?
- Sao Tome and Principe ranks 63rd out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in urban and rural areas rising or falling in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sao Tome and Principe data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in urban and rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated share of the population living in urban areas (the sum of cities and towns and suburbs). Urban areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.