Sao Tome and Principe Demographics

What is the population of Sao Tome and Principe?

Population 211,122
Population Growth Rate 1.94%
Urban Population 62.7%
Population in Major Urban Areas SAO TOME (capital) 64,000
Nationality Noun Sao Tomean(s)
Nationality Adjective Sao Tomean
Ethnic Groups mestico, angolares (descendants of Angolan slaves), forros (descendants of freed slaves), servicais (contract laborers from Angola, Mozambique, and Cape Verde), tongas (children of servicais born on the islands), Europeans (primarily Portuguese)
Languages Spoken Portuguese (official)

Sao Tome and Principe Health Information

What are the health conditions in Sao Tome and Principe?

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate - female 15-49 38.4%
Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population 7.68
Drinking Water Source - percent of rural population improved 93.6%
Drinking Water Source - percent of total population unimproved 3%
Drinking Water Source - percent of urban population improved 98.9%
Food or Waterborne Disease (s) bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Health Expenditures - percent of GDP 7.7%
HIV/Aids Deaths 100
Hospital Bed Density - beds/1,000 population 2.9
Infant Mortality Rate - female deaths/1,000 live births 48.39
Infant Mortality Rate - male deaths/1,000 live births 52.51
Infant Mortality Rate - total deaths/1,000 live births 50.48
Major Infectious Diseases - degree of risk high
Maternal Mortality Rate - deaths/100,000 live births 70
Mean Age for Mother's First Birth 19.4
Obesity - adult prevalence rate 9.5%
Physicians Density - physicians/1,000 population .49
Sanitation Facility Access - percent of total population unimproved 65.6%
Sanitation Facility Access - percent of urban population improved 40.8%
Sanitation Facility Access - percent of rural population improved 23.3%
Total Fertility Rate - children born/woman 4.81
Underweight - percent of children under five years 14.4%
Vectorborne Disease (s) malaria and dengue fever
Water contact disease (s) schistosomiasis

Sao Tome and Principe Life Expectancy

How long do people live in Sao Tome and Principe?

Life Expectancy at Birth 63 Years
Life Expectancy at Birth - female 65 Years
Life Expectancy at Birth - male 62 Years
Median Age 17 Years
Median Age - female 18 Years
Median Age - male 17 Years

Sao Tome and Principe Infant Mortality - per 1,000 live births

Sao Tome and Principe median age, birth rate and death rates

Birth Rate - births/1,000 population 36
Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population 7.68
Median Age 17 Years
Median Age - female 18 Years
Median Age - male 17 Years
Net Migration Rate - migrant(s)/1,000 population -8.96
Population Growth Rate 1.94%
Sex Ratio 0-14 Years - male/female 1.04
Sex Ratio 15-24 Years - male/female 1.03
Sex Ratio 25-54 Years - male/female .96
Sex Ratio 55-64 Years - male/female 1
Sex Ratio at Birth - male/female 1.03
Sex Ratio of Total Population - male/female 1
Sex Ratio Over 64 Years - male/female .84

Sao Tome and Principe Medical Information

What are the health conditions in Sao Tome and Principe?

Medical Facilities and Health Information

Medical facilities in São Tomé and Príncipe are extremely limited. There is one hospital in the country on the island of São Tomé, Hospital Central Ayres de Menezes, phone number 239 2-221-222. A few clinics also exist, but the service provided is very basic. For all but minor medical needs, it is necessary to travel to Libreville (Gabon), Lisbon (Portugal), or elsewhere. You should carry an ample supply of properly-labeled prescription drugs and other medications with you; an adequate supply of prescription or over-the-counter drugs in local stores or pharmacies is generally not available.

Cerebral malaria is endemic in all areas of São Tomé and Príncipe. Travelers should discuss prophylaxis with a physician well before planned travel as some prophylactic medications must be started two weeks before arriving in a malarial zone. Even with prophylaxis you should familiarize yourself with the symptoms of malaria and seek medical treatment immediately if you experience symptoms.

Tap water may not be potable and you should drink and cook with bottled water only. Schistosomiasis, also known as bilharzia, is endemic to São Tomé and Príncipe. Schistosomiasisis a parasite that can penetrate intact skin of those swimming or bathing in fresh water from lakes, rivers and streams. It is recommended to avoid contact with untreated fresh water to prevent schistosomiasis infection.

Tuberculosis (TB) is an increasingly serious health concern in São Tomé and Príncipe.

Sao Tome and Principe Education

What is school like in Sao Tome and Principe?

Education Expenditures - percent of GDP 9.5%
Literacy - female 62%
Literacy - male 85%
Literacy - total population 84.9%
Literacy Definition age 15 and over can read and write
School Life Expectancy - female 11 Years
School Life Expectancy - male 11 Years
Total School Life Expectancy - (primary to tertiary) 11 Years

Sao Tome and Principe Literacy

Can people in Sao Tome and Principe read?

Literacy - female 62%
Literacy - male 85%
Literacy - total population 84.9%
Literacy Definition age 15 and over can read and write
Predominant Language Portuguese (official)

Sao Tome and Principe Crime

Is Sao Tome and Principe a safe place to visit?

Crime Information

Crimes such as burglary, pick-pocketing, and armed home invasions do occur on the islands, particularly around the winter holidays. Pick-pocketing can occur anywhere but is more prevalent in public places, such as in markets, on the streets, or near hotels. Do not display large amounts of cash in public. Store valuables and extra cash in your hotel safe while sightseeing or visiting the beach. When dining in restaurants or visiting markets, carry a minimal amount of cash and avoid wearing flashy or expensive jewelry. If you are the victim of an attempted robbery or carjacking, you are encouraged to comply with the attacker to avoid injury, and to report all incidents to the police and the U.S. Embassy in Libreville. Police response time to reports of crime can be slow.

While scams and confidence schemes are not common, travelers should exercise caution. For general information on scams, see the Department of State’s Financial Scams web page.

Don’t buy counterfeit and pirated goods, even if they are widely available. Not only are the bootlegs illegal in the United States, if you purchase them you may also be breaking local law.

Sao Tome and Principe Penalties for Crime

Criminal Penalties

While you are traveling in São Tomé and Príncipe, you are subject to its laws even if you are a U.S. citizen. Foreign laws and legal systems can be vastly different than our own and criminal penalties will vary from country to country. There are also some things that might be legal in the country you visit, but still illegal in the United States, and you can be prosecuted under U.S. law if you buy pirated goods. Engaging in sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime prosecutable in the United States. If you break local laws in São Tomé and Príncipe, your U.S. passport won’t help you avoid arrest or prosecution. It’s very important to know what’s legal and what’s not wherever you go.

Persons violating the laws of São Tomé and Príncipe, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested, or imprisoned. Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs in São Tomé and Príncipe are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines.

While some countries will automatically notify the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate if a U.S. citizen is detained or arrested in a foreign country, that might not always be the case. To ensure that the United States is aware of your circumstances, request that the police and prison officials notify the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate as soon as you are arrested or detained overseas.

Sao Tome and Principe Population Comparison

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