Transport services (% of commercial service imports) in Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: Transport services (% of commercial service imports) was 9.4% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Transport services in Sao Tome and Principe, 1974–2025
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of commercial service imports.
Analysis
In 2025, transport services in Sao Tome and Principe stood at 9.4%. That is the lowest value across all 46 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 51.0% on the previous year and down 76.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, transport services in Sao Tome and Principe peaked at 91.5% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 9.4%, in 2025.
That places Sao Tome and Principe 191st out of 197 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 46 years of available data.
Transport services (% of commercial service imports) in Sao Tome and Principe, year by year
| Year | % of commercial service imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 64.3% | — |
| 1975 | 62.0% | -3.6% |
| 1976 | 69.8% | +12.6% |
| 1977 | 82.6% | +18.3% |
| 1978 | 84.9% | +2.8% |
| 1979 | 82.7% | -2.5% |
| 1980 | 79.7% | -3.6% |
| 1981 | 75.7% | -5.1% |
| 1982 | 76.0% | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 74.8% | -1.5% |
| 1984 | 81.1% | +8.3% |
| 1985 | 82.3% | +1.5% |
| 1986 | 84.7% | +2.9% |
| 1987 | 80.1% | -5.4% |
| 1988 | 78.8% | -1.6% |
| 1989 | 70.6% | -10.4% |
| 1990 | 68.0% | -3.8% |
| 1997 | 62.1% | -8.6% |
| 1998 | 63.5% | +2.2% |
| 1999 | 68.9% | +8.5% |
| 2000 | 70.4% | +2.2% |
| 2001 | 71.1% | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 72.8% | +2.5% |
| 2003 | 74.7% | +2.5% |
| 2004 | 74.9% | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 89.8% | +19.9% |
| 2006 | 86.5% | -3.7% |
| 2007 | 89.4% | +3.3% |
| 2008 | 91.5% | +2.4% |
| 2009 | 91.3% | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 91.4% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 88.0% | -3.7% |
| 2012 | 82.5% | -6.2% |
| 2013 | 47.4% | -42.6% |
| 2014 | 33.7% | -28.9% |
| 2015 | 39.5% | +17.3% |
| 2016 | 41.6% | +5.3% |
| 2017 | 41.1% | -1.3% |
| 2018 | 35.0% | -14.8% |
| 2019 | 33.2% | -5.2% |
| 2020 | 45.8% | +38.0% |
| 2021 | 46.4% | +1.2% |
| 2022 | 17.4% | -62.6% |
| 2023 | 23.6% | +36.2% |
| 2024 | 19.3% | -18.4% |
| 2025 | 9.4% | -51.0% |
Sao Tome and Principe compared with similar countries
- Sao Tome and Principe's 9.4% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 40.9%, 23% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Sao Tome and Principe's 9.4% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 41.1%, 23% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Transport services (% of commercial service 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -62.6% | 46.4% | 17.4% |
| 2025 | -51.0% | 19.3% | 9.4% |
| 2013 | -42.6% | 82.5% | 47.4% |
| 2020 | +38.0% | 33.2% | 45.8% |
| 2023 | +36.2% | 17.4% | 23.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 74.4% | 62.0% | 84.9% | 6 |
| 1980s | 78.4% | 70.6% | 84.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 65.6% | 62.1% | 68.9% | 4 |
| 2000s | 81.2% | 70.4% | 91.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 53.3% | 33.2% | 91.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.0% | 9.4% | 46.4% | 6 |
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)
- Commercial service imports 231.13 million current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 98.2% (2023)
- Manufactures exports 1.5% (2023)
- Merchandise exports 38.00 million current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service exports 105.01 million current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 158.17 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is transport services in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Transport services in Sao Tome and Principe was 9.4% in 2025, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest transport services recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The highest recorded value was 91.5% in 2008.
- What is the lowest transport services recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.4% in 2025.
- How does Sao Tome and Principe rank for transport services?
- Sao Tome and Principe ranks 191st out of 197 countries with data for 2025.
- Is transport services rising or falling in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 76.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sao Tome and Principe data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Transport services (% of commercial service imports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 46 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Transport is the process of carriage of people and objects from one location to another as well as related supporting and auxiliary services. Also included are postal and courier services. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of service imports which are commercial services provided by non-residents to residents.