Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$), per unit in Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$), per unit was 0.2631 current US$ per US$ of GDP in 2023. ▲ Rising
Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$), per unit in Sao Tome and Principe, 1970–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in current US$ per US$ of GDP.
Analysis
In 2023, merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current us$), per unit in Sao Tome and Principe stood at 0.2631 current US$ per US$ of GDP.
That represents a change of down 26.0% on the previous year and down 53.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current us$), per unit in Sao Tome and Principe peaked at 0.6879 current US$ per US$ of GDP in 1999 and was at its lowest, 0.0941 current US$ per US$ of GDP, in 1986.
That places Sao Tome and Principe 131st out of 202 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 49 years of available data.
Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$), per unit in Sao Tome and Principe, year by year
| Year | current US$ per US$ of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.2365 current US$ per US$ of GDP | — |
| 1973 | 0.1714 current US$ per US$ of GDP | -27.5% |
| 1974 | 0.1522 current US$ per US$ of GDP | -11.2% |
| 1975 | 0.1714 current US$ per US$ of GDP | +12.6% |
| 1976 | 0.1614 current US$ per US$ of GDP | -5.8% |
| 1977 | 0.2439 current US$ per US$ of GDP | +51.1% |
| 1981 | 0.2355 current US$ per US$ of GDP | -3.4% |
| 1982 | 0.2353 current US$ per US$ of GDP | -0.1% |
| 1983 | 0.0994 current US$ per US$ of GDP | -57.7% |
| 1984 | 0.1141 current US$ per US$ of GDP | +14.7% |
| 1985 | 0.1264 current US$ per US$ of GDP | +10.8% |
| 1986 | 0.0941 current US$ per US$ of GDP | -25.5% |
| 1987 | 0.1285 current US$ per US$ of GDP | +36.6% |
| 1988 | 0.3747 current US$ per US$ of GDP | +191.5% |
| 1989 | 0.4236 current US$ per US$ of GDP | +13.0% |
| 1990 | 0.3787 current US$ per US$ of GDP | -10.6% |
| 1991 | 0.3107 current US$ per US$ of GDP | -18.0% |
| 1992 | 0.3506 current US$ per US$ of GDP | +12.8% |
| 1993 | 0.3133 current US$ per US$ of GDP | -10.6% |
| 1994 | 0.4007 current US$ per US$ of GDP | +27.9% |
| 1995 | 0.4102 current US$ per US$ of GDP | +2.4% |
| 1996 | 0.2564 current US$ per US$ of GDP | -37.5% |
| 1997 | 0.4494 current US$ per US$ of GDP | +75.3% |
| 1998 | 0.6702 current US$ per US$ of GDP | +49.1% |
| 1999 | 0.6879 current US$ per US$ of GDP | +2.6% |
| 2000 | 0.3901 current US$ per US$ of GDP | -43.3% |
| 2001 | 0.3739 current US$ per US$ of GDP | -4.2% |
| 2002 | 0.3643 current US$ per US$ of GDP | -2.6% |
| 2003 | 0.3994 current US$ per US$ of GDP | +9.6% |
| 2004 | 0.3587 current US$ per US$ of GDP | -10.2% |
| 2005 | 0.3645 current US$ per US$ of GDP | +1.6% |
| 2006 | 0.4933 current US$ per US$ of GDP | +35.3% |
| 2007 | 0.5311 current US$ per US$ of GDP | +7.7% |
| 2008 | 0.5999 current US$ per US$ of GDP | +13.0% |
| 2009 | 0.5063 current US$ per US$ of GDP | -15.6% |
| 2010 | 0.5857 current US$ per US$ of GDP | +15.7% |
| 2011 | 0.5904 current US$ per US$ of GDP | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 0.6158 current US$ per US$ of GDP | +4.3% |
| 2013 | 0.5693 current US$ per US$ of GDP | -7.5% |
| 2014 | 0.579 current US$ per US$ of GDP | +1.7% |
| 2015 | 0.5455 current US$ per US$ of GDP | -5.8% |
| 2016 | 0.4783 current US$ per US$ of GDP | -12.3% |
| 2017 | 0.4685 current US$ per US$ of GDP | -2.0% |
| 2018 | 0.3864 current US$ per US$ of GDP | -17.5% |
| 2019 | 0.3575 current US$ per US$ of GDP | -7.5% |
| 2020 | 0.2933 current US$ per US$ of GDP | -18.0% |
| 2021 | 0.3199 current US$ per US$ of GDP | +9.1% |
| 2022 | 0.3557 current US$ per US$ of GDP | +11.2% |
| 2023 | 0.2631 current US$ per US$ of GDP | -26.0% |
Sao Tome and Principe compared with similar countries
- Sao Tome and Principe's 0.2631 current US$ per US$ of GDP is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.3347 current US$ per US$ of GDP, 79% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Sao Tome and Principe's 0.2631 current US$ per US$ of GDP is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.2805 current US$ per US$ of GDP, 94% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$), per unit in Sao Tome and Principe changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | +191.5% | 0.1285 current US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.3747 current US$ per US$ of GDP |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.1895 current US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.1522 current US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.2439 current US$ per US$ of GDP | 6 |
| 1980s | 0.2035 current US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.0941 current US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.4236 current US$ per US$ of GDP | 9 |
| 1990s | 0.4228 current US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.2564 current US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.6879 current US$ per US$ of GDP | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.4381 current US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.3587 current US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.5999 current US$ per US$ of GDP | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.5177 current US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.3575 current US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.6158 current US$ per US$ of GDP | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.308 current US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.2631 current US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.3557 current US$ per US$ of GDP | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sao Tome and Principe
- 128 Bahamas 0.2701 current US$ per US$ of GDP compare
- 129 Canada 0.2667 current US$ per US$ of GDP compare
- 130 Ireland 0.2646 current US$ per US$ of GDP compare
- 132 Rwanda 0.2583 current US$ per US$ of GDP compare
- 133 Costa Rica 0.2566 current US$ per US$ of GDP compare
- 134 France 0.2563 current US$ per US$ of GDP compare
More private sector data for Sao Tome and Principe
- Merchandise trade 22.5% (2025)
- Food imports 31.8% (2023)
- 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$), annual growth rate 31.03 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current us$), per unit in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current us$), per unit in Sao Tome and Principe was 0.2631 current US$ per US$ of GDP in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current us$), per unit recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The highest recorded value was 0.6879 current US$ per US$ of GDP in 1999.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current us$), per unit recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0941 current US$ per US$ of GDP in 1986.
- How does Sao Tome and Principe rank for merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current us$), per unit?
- Sao Tome and Principe ranks 131st out of 202 countries with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current us$), per unit rising or falling in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 53.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sao Tome and Principe data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$), per unit of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 49 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$) divided by GDP (current US$), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$) ÷ GDP (current US$)
Computed from
- Merchandise imports by the reporting economy Staff estimates, World Bank (WB)
- GDP Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$) divided by GDP (current US$), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.