Merchandise imports from high-income economies in Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: Merchandise imports from high-income economies was 50.1% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Merchandise imports from high-income economies in Sao Tome and Principe, 1969–2023
Source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total merchandise imports.
Analysis
In 2023, merchandise imports from high-income economies in Sao Tome and Principe stood at 50.1%. That is the lowest value across all 50 years on record.
The figure is down 7.3% on the previous year and down 26.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports from high-income economies in Sao Tome and Principe peaked at 100.0% in 1981 and was at its lowest, 50.1%, in 2023.
Sao Tome and Principe ranks 134th of 206 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 50 years of available data.
Merchandise imports from high-income economies in Sao Tome and Principe, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1969 | 68.0% | — |
| 1970 | 72.7% | +7.0% |
| 1973 | 71.9% | -1.2% |
| 1974 | 76.1% | +5.9% |
| 1975 | 81.6% | +7.1% |
| 1976 | 75.0% | -8.0% |
| 1977 | 86.7% | +15.6% |
| 1981 | 100.0% | +15.4% |
| 1982 | 98.5% | -1.5% |
| 1983 | 100.0% | +1.5% |
| 1984 | 94.7% | -5.3% |
| 1985 | 97.3% | +2.8% |
| 1986 | 97.0% | -0.3% |
| 1987 | 92.4% | -4.8% |
| 1988 | 98.4% | +6.5% |
| 1989 | 99.4% | +1.0% |
| 1990 | 99.2% | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 97.1% | -2.2% |
| 1992 | 91.5% | -5.8% |
| 1993 | 88.2% | -3.5% |
| 1994 | 95.5% | +8.2% |
| 1995 | 86.9% | -8.9% |
| 1996 | 89.6% | +3.1% |
| 1997 | 88.4% | -1.4% |
| 1998 | 93.6% | +5.9% |
| 1999 | 94.0% | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 86.2% | -8.3% |
| 2001 | 80.0% | -7.1% |
| 2002 | 84.0% | +4.9% |
| 2003 | 85.4% | +1.7% |
| 2004 | 80.0% | -6.4% |
| 2005 | 73.0% | -8.7% |
| 2006 | 75.2% | +2.9% |
| 2007 | 75.1% | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 66.2% | -11.9% |
| 2009 | 67.1% | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 72.8% | +8.5% |
| 2011 | 77.4% | +6.3% |
| 2012 | 67.9% | -12.2% |
| 2013 | 68.0% | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 70.8% | +4.1% |
| 2015 | 70.0% | -1.0% |
| 2016 | 73.5% | +4.9% |
| 2017 | 66.5% | -9.5% |
| 2018 | 62.7% | -5.6% |
| 2019 | 61.4% | -2.2% |
| 2020 | 62.1% | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 61.7% | -0.6% |
| 2022 | 54.1% | -12.3% |
| 2023 | 50.1% | -7.3% |
Sao Tome and Principe compared with similar countries
- Sao Tome and Principe's 50.1% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 43.4%, 1.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Sao Tome and Principe's 50.1% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 42.2%, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 68.0% | 68.0% | 68.0% | 1 |
| 1970s | 77.3% | 71.9% | 86.7% | 6 |
| 1980s | 97.5% | 92.4% | 100.0% | 9 |
| 1990s | 92.4% | 86.9% | 99.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 77.2% | 66.2% | 86.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 69.1% | 61.4% | 77.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 57.0% | 50.1% | 62.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sao Tome and Principe
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 from high-income economies in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Merchandise imports from high-income economies in Sao Tome and Principe was 50.1% in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise imports from high-income economies recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The highest recorded value was 100.0% in 1981.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports from high-income economies recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The lowest recorded value was 50.1% in 2023.
- How does Sao Tome and Principe rank for merchandise imports from high-income economies?
- Sao Tome and Principe ranks 134th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise imports from high-income economies rising or falling in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 26.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sao Tome and Principe data come from?
- The figures come from Staff estimates, World Bank (WB), published as part of Merchandise imports from high-income economies (% of total merchandise imports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 50 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Merchandise imports from high-income economies are the sum of merchandise imports by the reporting economy from high-income economies according to the World Bank classification of economies. Data are expressed as a percentage of total merchandise imports by the economy. Data are computed only if at least half of the economies in the partner country group had non-missing data.