Government expenditure on education, total in Sao Tome and Principe

Sao Tome and Principe: Government expenditure on education, total was 5.0% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
5.0%
Change on year
down 3.2%
World rank
64th
of 196 countries
All-time high
10.0%
in 2009
All-time low
2.7%
in 2002
Years of data
22
2002–2023

Government expenditure on education, total in Sao Tome and Principe, 2002–2023

2468102002201220232002: 2.7 % of GDP2003: 3.2 % of GDP2004: 3.2 % of GDP2005: 4.9 % of GDP2006: 4.3 % of GDP2007: 6.3 % of GDP2008: 5.6 % of GDP2009: 10 % of GDP2010: 10 % of GDP2011: 8.8 % of GDP2012: 6.9 % of GDP2013: 6.7 % of GDP2014: 4.4 % of GDP2015: 4.7 % of GDP2016: 6.1 % of GDP2017: 5.9 % of GDP2018: 5.6 % of GDP2019: 6.1 % of GDP2020: 5 % of GDP2021: 5.5 % of GDP2022: 5.2 % of GDP2023: 5 % of GDP

Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of GDP.

Analysis

The most recent figure for government expenditure on education, total in Sao Tome and Principe is 5.0%, measured in 2023.

That represents a change of down 3.2% on the previous year and down 24.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government expenditure on education, total in Sao Tome and Principe peaked at 10.0% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 2.7%, in 2002.

Sao Tome and Principe ranks 64th of 196 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.

Government expenditure on education, total in Sao Tome and Principe, year by year

Annual values for Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) in Sao Tome and Principe, 2002 to 2023.
Year % of GDP Change
2002 2.7%
2003 3.2% +19.3%
2004 3.2% -0.4%
2005 4.9% +50.1%
2006 4.3% -12.1%
2007 6.3% +47.2%
2008 5.6% -11.6%
2009 10.0% +79.9%
2010 10.0% -0.1%
2011 8.8% -12.0%
2012 6.9% -21.2%
2013 6.7% -3.5%
2014 4.4% -33.7%
2015 4.7% +6.0%
2016 6.1% +30.2%
2017 5.9% -3.9%
2018 5.6% -4.3%
2019 6.1% +8.6%
2020 5.0% -17.6%
2021 5.5% +10.2%
2022 5.2% -6.2%
2023 5.0% -3.2%

Sao Tome and Principe compared with similar countries

  • Sao Tome and Principe's 5.0% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 4.0%, 1.3× the median. (47 countries reporting)
  • Sao Tome and Principe's 5.0% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.2%, 1.6× the median. (47 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Government expenditure on education, total 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.

YearChange FromTo
2009 +79.9% 5.6% 10.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 5.0% 2.7% 10.0% 8
2010s 6.5% 4.4% 10.0% 10
2020s 5.2% 5.0% 5.5% 4

Countries ranked near Sao Tome and Principe

  1. 61 Grenada 5.1% compare
  2. 62 Australia 5.1% compare
  3. 63 Belarus 5.0% compare
  4. 65 Argentina 5.0% compare
  5. 66 Chile 4.9% compare
  6. 67 Kazakhstan 4.9% compare

See the full ranking of 242 places →

More education data for Sao Tome and Principe

All data for Sao Tome and Principe →

Frequently asked questions

What is government expenditure on education, total in Sao Tome and Principe?
Government expenditure on education, total in Sao Tome and Principe was 5.0% in 2023, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
The highest recorded value was 10.0% in 2009.
What is the lowest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
The lowest recorded value was 2.7% in 2002.
How does Sao Tome and Principe rank for government expenditure on education, total?
Sao Tome and Principe ranks 64th out of 196 countries with data for 2023.
Is government expenditure on education, total rising or falling in Sao Tome and Principe?
Over the last ten years it is down 24.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Sao Tome and Principe data come from?
The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Government expenditure on education, total in Sao Tome and Principe. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/government-expenditure-on-education-total-percent-of-gdp/sao-tome-and-principe/

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About this data

Indicator
Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP)
Unit
% of GDP
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
242 places, 6,340 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

General government expenditure on education (current, capital, and transfers) is expressed as a percentage of GDP. It includes expenditure funded by transfers from international sources to government. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.