Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP was 5.6% in 2018. ▲ Rising
Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Sao Tome and Principe, 2002–2018
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Sao Tome and Principe is 5.6%, measured in 2018.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.3% on the previous year and up 1.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp 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 23rd of 185 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 16 years of available data.
Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Sao Tome and Principe, year by year
| Year | % | 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% |
| 2012 | 6.9% | -30.6% |
| 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% |
Sao Tome and Principe compared with similar countries
- Sao Tome and Principe's 5.6% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 3.7%, 1.5× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Sao Tome and Principe's 5.6% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.5%, 1.6× the median. (44 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5.0% | 2.7% | 10.0% | 8 |
| 2010s | 6.3% | 4.4% | 10.0% | 8 |
Countries ranked near Sao Tome and Principe
More education data for Sao Tome and Principe
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 936 (2016)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 4,544 (2017)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 4,458 (2016)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 4,769 (2016)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 25,875 (2017)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 37,172 (2017)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.14 % change on previous year (2017)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2017)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1796 units per person (2017)
Frequently asked questions
- What is initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Sao Tome and Principe was 5.6% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The highest recorded value was 10.0% in 2009.
- What is the lowest initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.7% in 2002.
- How does Sao Tome and Principe rank for initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp?
- Sao Tome and Principe ranks 23rd out of 185 countries with data for 2018.
- Is initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp rising or falling in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sao Tome and Principe data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release