Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) was 9.0% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Sao Tome and Principe, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Sao Tome and Principe stood at 9.0%.
The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and down 3.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Sao Tome and Principe peaked at 12.3% in 1992 and was at its lowest, 8.6%, in 2018.
Sao Tome and Principe ranks 41st of 187 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Sao Tome and Principe, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 12.2% | — |
| 1992 | 12.3% | +1.1% |
| 1993 | 12.2% | -1.4% |
| 1994 | 12.1% | -0.4% |
| 1995 | 12.0% | -0.6% |
| 1996 | 12.0% | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 12.1% | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 12.0% | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 12.0% | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 12.0% | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 9.0% | -25.1% |
| 2002 | 11.6% | +29.7% |
| 2003 | 9.7% | -16.5% |
| 2004 | 10.5% | +7.7% |
| 2005 | 10.2% | -2.7% |
| 2006 | 10.5% | +3.1% |
| 2007 | 10.4% | -1.2% |
| 2008 | 10.3% | -1.0% |
| 2009 | 10.4% | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 10.4% | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 10.5% | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 10.4% | -0.8% |
| 2013 | 9.9% | -4.3% |
| 2014 | 9.5% | -4.1% |
| 2015 | 9.3% | -2.5% |
| 2016 | 9.0% | -3.3% |
| 2017 | 8.7% | -3.0% |
| 2018 | 8.6% | -1.1% |
| 2019 | 8.7% | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 9.7% | +10.9% |
| 2021 | 9.6% | -1.0% |
| 2022 | 8.8% | -7.9% |
| 2023 | 8.9% | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 8.9% | +0.3% |
| 2025 | 9.0% | +0.5% |
Sao Tome and Principe compared with similar countries
- Sao Tome and Principe's 9.0% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 4.3%, 2.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Sao Tome and Principe's 9.0% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.3%, 1.7× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | +29.7% | 9.0% | 11.6% |
| 2001 | -25.1% | 12.0% | 9.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 12.1% | 12.0% | 12.3% | 9 |
| 2000s | 10.5% | 9.0% | 12.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.5% | 8.6% | 10.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.2% | 8.8% | 9.7% | 6 |
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 unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Sao Tome and Principe was 9.0% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, male (% of male labor force) recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The highest recorded value was 12.3% in 1992.
- What is the lowest unemployment, male (% of male labor force) recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.6% in 2018.
- How does Sao Tome and Principe rank for unemployment, male (% of male labor force)?
- Sao Tome and Principe ranks 41st out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, male (% of male labor force) rising or falling in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sao Tome and Principe data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment.