Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in in Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in was 34.1% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in in Sao Tome and Principe, 1969–2023
Source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total merchandise imports.
Analysis
The most recent figure for merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in in Sao Tome and Principe is 34.1%, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 47 years on record.
The figure is up 1.0% on the previous year and up 20.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in in Sao Tome and Principe peaked at 34.1% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1989.
Sao Tome and Principe ranks 11th of 206 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in in Sao Tome and Principe, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1969 | 32.0% | — |
| 1970 | 27.3% | -14.8% |
| 1973 | 28.1% | +3.1% |
| 1974 | 23.9% | -15.2% |
| 1975 | 18.4% | -22.7% |
| 1976 | 11.9% | -35.5% |
| 1977 | 6.7% | -44.0% |
| 1984 | 5.3% | -20.5% |
| 1985 | 0.2% | -97.1% |
| 1986 | 0.2% | +59.0% |
| 1987 | 0.2% | -13.6% |
| 1988 | 0.3% | +31.7% |
| 1989 | 0.0% | -85.8% |
| 1990 | 0.2% | +502.8% |
| 1991 | 1.0% | +339.2% |
| 1992 | 4.8% | +368.6% |
| 1993 | 8.4% | +73.9% |
| 1994 | 3.3% | -60.5% |
| 1995 | 4.9% | +46.7% |
| 1996 | 6.0% | +21.7% |
| 1997 | 9.0% | +51.3% |
| 1998 | 5.1% | -43.2% |
| 1999 | 4.4% | -14.6% |
| 2000 | 13.6% | +210.2% |
| 2001 | 19.7% | +45.3% |
| 2002 | 16.0% | -18.6% |
| 2003 | 14.2% | -11.7% |
| 2004 | 18.2% | +28.6% |
| 2005 | 21.7% | +18.9% |
| 2006 | 22.0% | +1.6% |
| 2007 | 21.5% | -2.1% |
| 2008 | 28.8% | +33.4% |
| 2009 | 19.7% | -31.5% |
| 2010 | 23.1% | +17.6% |
| 2011 | 14.7% | -36.4% |
| 2012 | 25.8% | +75.0% |
| 2013 | 28.3% | +9.8% |
| 2014 | 24.7% | -12.9% |
| 2015 | 23.7% | -4.0% |
| 2016 | 18.4% | -22.3% |
| 2017 | 23.5% | +28.0% |
| 2018 | 25.3% | +7.4% |
| 2019 | 26.6% | +5.2% |
| 2020 | 24.5% | -8.1% |
| 2021 | 23.8% | -2.6% |
| 2022 | 33.8% | +41.9% |
| 2023 | 34.1% | +1.0% |
Sao Tome and Principe compared with similar countries
- Sao Tome and Principe's 34.1% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.9%, 18.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Sao Tome and Principe's 34.1% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 15.0%, 2.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | +502.8% | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| 1992 | +368.6% | 1.0% | 4.8% |
| 1991 | +339.2% | 0.2% | 1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 32.0% | 32.0% | 32.0% | 1 |
| 1970s | 19.4% | 6.7% | 28.1% | 6 |
| 1980s | 1.0% | 0.0% | 5.3% | 6 |
| 1990s | 4.7% | 0.2% | 9.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 19.5% | 13.6% | 28.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 23.4% | 14.7% | 28.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 29.1% | 23.8% | 34.1% | 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 low- and middle-income economies in in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in in Sao Tome and Principe was 34.1% in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The highest recorded value was 34.1% in 2023.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1989.
- How does Sao Tome and Principe rank for merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in?
- Sao Tome and Principe ranks 11th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in rising or falling in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- 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 low- and middle-income economies in Sub-Saharan Africa (% of total merchandise imports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 47 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in Sub-Saharan Africa are the sum of merchandise imports by the reporting economy from low- and middle-income economies in the Sub-Saharan Africa region 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.