Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: Share of children in primary school age who are in school was 97.1% in 2017. ▬ Flat
Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Sao Tome and Principe, 1983–2017
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Sao Tome and Principe recorded 97.1% for share of children in primary school age who are in school in 2017.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.9% on the previous year and up 5.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children in primary school age who are in school in Sao Tome and Principe peaked at 99.1% in 1988 and was at its lowest, 79.9%, in 1999.
Sao Tome and Principe ranks 92nd of 209 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Sao Tome and Principe, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 93.8% | — |
| 1984 | 95.8% | +2.1% |
| 1987 | 96.6% | +0.9% |
| 1988 | 99.1% | +2.5% |
| 1990 | 96.2% | -2.9% |
| 1999 | 79.9% | -16.9% |
| 2002 | 95.1% | +19.0% |
| 2003 | 95.9% | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 97.3% | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 98.0% | +0.8% |
| 2007 | 92.1% | -6.0% |
| 2008 | 92.5% | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 92.9% | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 92.8% | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 91.4% | -1.5% |
| 2014 | 91.4% | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 90.8% | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 97.1% | +6.9% |
Sao Tome and Principe compared with similar countries
- Sao Tome and Principe's 97.1% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 93.7%, 1.0× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Sao Tome and Principe's 97.1% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 84.5%, 1.2× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 96.3% | 93.8% | 99.1% | 4 |
| 1990s | 88.1% | 79.9% | 96.2% | 2 |
| 2000s | 94.8% | 92.1% | 98.0% | 7 |
| 2010s | 92.7% | 90.8% | 97.1% | 5 |
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 share of children in primary school age who are in school in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Sao Tome and Principe was 97.1% in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of children in primary school age who are in school recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The highest recorded value was 99.1% in 1988.
- What is the lowest share of children in primary school age who are in school recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The lowest recorded value was 79.9% in 1999.
- How does Sao Tome and Principe rank for share of children in primary school age who are in school?
- Sao Tome and Principe ranks 92nd out of 209 countries with data for 2017.
- Is share of children in primary school age who are in school rising or falling in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Sao Tome and Principe data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children in primary school age who are in school. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of children of primary school age (typically 6–11 years) who are enrolled in primary education.