Literacy in Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: Literacy was 87.44 in 2019. ▲ Rising
Latest (2019)
87.44
World rank
54th
of 89 countries
All-time high
90.14
in 2012
All-time low
57.32
in 1981
Years of data
5
1981–2019
Literacy in Sao Tome and Principe, 1981–2019
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Sao Tome and Principe recorded 87.44 for literacy in 2019.
The figure is down 3.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy in Sao Tome and Principe peaked at 90.14 in 2012 and was at its lowest, 57.32, in 1981.
That places Sao Tome and Principe 54th out of 89 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the middle of the range.
Literacy in Sao Tome and Principe, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 57.32 | — |
| 1991 | 73.24 | +27.8% |
| 2001 | 84.91 | +15.9% |
| 2012 | 90.14 | +6.2% |
| 2019 | 87.44 | -3.0% |
Sao Tome and Principe compared with similar countries
- Sao Tome and Principe's 87.44 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 78.16, 1.1× the median. (31 countries reporting)
- Sao Tome and Principe's 87.44 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 70.87, 1.2× the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 57.32 | 57.32 | 57.32 | 1 |
| 1990s | 73.24 | 73.24 | 73.24 | 1 |
| 2000s | 84.91 | 84.91 | 84.91 | 1 |
| 2010s | 88.79 | 87.44 | 90.14 | 2 |
Countries ranked near Sao Tome and Principe
More education data for Sao Tome and Principe
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 96.27 (2017)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 97.12 (2017)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Literacy in Sao Tome and Principe was 87.44 in 2019, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest literacy recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The highest recorded value was 90.14 in 2012.
- What is the lowest literacy recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The lowest recorded value was 57.32 in 1981.
- How does Sao Tome and Principe rank for literacy?
- Sao Tome and Principe ranks 54th out of 89 countries with data for 2019.
- Is literacy rising or falling in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sao Tome and Principe data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Literacy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).