Food imports in Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: Food imports was 31.8% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Food imports in Sao Tome and Principe, 1999–2023
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
In 2023, food imports in Sao Tome and Principe stood at 31.8%.
The figure is up 15.9% on the previous year and up 3.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food imports in Sao Tome and Principe peaked at 41.7% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 17.7%, in 1999.
That places Sao Tome and Principe 11th out of 196 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Food imports in Sao Tome and Principe, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 17.7% | — |
| 2000 | 30.8% | +73.8% |
| 2001 | 36.6% | +18.7% |
| 2002 | 41.7% | +13.9% |
| 2003 | 38.4% | -7.8% |
| 2004 | 38.7% | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 38.5% | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 30.6% | -20.3% |
| 2007 | 28.3% | -7.5% |
| 2008 | 27.3% | -3.5% |
| 2009 | 35.9% | +31.3% |
| 2010 | 29.8% | -16.9% |
| 2011 | 32.4% | +8.7% |
| 2012 | 30.4% | -6.3% |
| 2013 | 30.6% | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 32.4% | +5.6% |
| 2015 | 31.0% | -4.1% |
| 2016 | 32.3% | +3.9% |
| 2017 | 29.7% | -7.8% |
| 2018 | 29.2% | -1.7% |
| 2019 | 30.9% | +5.9% |
| 2020 | 33.5% | +8.4% |
| 2021 | 34.8% | +3.6% |
| 2022 | 27.5% | -21.0% |
| 2023 | 31.8% | +15.9% |
Sao Tome and Principe compared with similar countries
- Sao Tome and Principe's 31.8% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 18.4%, 1.7× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Sao Tome and Principe's 31.8% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 20.0%, 1.6× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Food imports 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.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | +73.8% | 17.7% | 30.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 17.7% | 17.7% | 17.7% | 1 |
| 2000s | 34.7% | 27.3% | 41.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 30.9% | 29.2% | 32.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 31.9% | 27.5% | 34.8% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sao Tome and Principe
- 8 Benin 33.3% compare
- 9 Cape Verde 32.6% compare
- 10 Sierra Leone 32.3% compare
- 12 Equatorial Guinea 31.8%
- 13 Palestine, State of 30.9% compare
- 14 Aruba 30.7% compare
More private sector data for Sao Tome and Principe
- Merchandise trade 22.5% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 37.1% (2023)
- Merchandise imports 183.00 million current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 98.2% (2023)
- Manufactures exports 1.5% (2023)
- Merchandise exports 38.00 million current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 158.17 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.0387 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 31.03 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 761.69 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food imports in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Food imports in Sao Tome and Principe was 31.8% in 2023, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food imports recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The highest recorded value was 41.7% in 2002.
- What is the lowest food imports recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.7% in 1999.
- How does Sao Tome and Principe rank for food imports?
- Sao Tome and Principe ranks 11th out of 196 countries with data for 2023.
- Is food imports rising or falling in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sao Tome and Principe data come from?
- The figures come from Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division, published as part of Food imports (% of merchandise imports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Food comprises the commodities in SITC (Rev. 3) sections 0 (food and live animals), 1 (beverages and tobacco), and 4 (animal and vegetable oils and fats) and division 22 (oil seeds, oil nuts, and oil kernels). This indicator is expressed as a percentage of merchandise imports which is comprised of goods whose economic ownership is changed between a non-resident and a resident and that are not included in the following specific categories: goods under merchanting, non-monetary gold, and parts of travel, construction, and government goods and services n.i.e.