Sao Tome and Principe population pyramid 2026
244,994 people in 2026 (projected). In 1950 male plantation workers distorted Sao Tome and Principe’s pyramid; today it is a smooth, young triangle and infant mortality is down 80% since 2000.
- 2026 population
- 245Krank 188 of 237
- Median age
- 19.7 yearsoldest rank 203
- Fertility rate
- 3.47births per woman · above replacement
- Structure
- Youthful4.0% age 65+
Sao Tome and Principe population pyramid
2026 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex
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The UN series provides historical estimates through 2023. Figures from 2024 onward—including 2026—are medium-scenario projections, not counts or predictions guaranteed to occur.
Sao Tome and Principe age distribution in 2026
Children under 15 account for 37.2% of the population, while 4.0% are aged 65 or older. The remaining 58.8% are in the conventional working-age range of 15–64. On these shares, the site classifies Sao Tome and Principe’s age structure as youthful; the guide to expansive population pyramids explains what that shape implies.
The total age dependency ratio is 70.0: about 70 people under 15 or 65+ for every 100 people aged 15–64 (63.2 children and 6.8 older people). This is an age-balance indicator, not a literal count of economic dependants per worker.
What shapes Sao Tome and Principe’s population pyramid
From plantation colony to young nation
In 1950 the islands had about 61,000 inhabitants, and the pyramid shows a large surplus of men aged 20–34, about 1.7 for every woman. This matches the well-documented use of contract labourers, mostly men brought from other Portuguese colonies, on the cocoa and coffee plantations. Many Portuguese residents left around independence in 1975, and the UN estimates net emigration of about 42,000 over 1950–99 and 31,000 over 2000–23, significant for a population this small.
Since then the pyramid has taken a more ordinary expansive form. Fertility stayed above six children per woman until the 1980s and has fallen to about 3.5, while infant mortality dropped from about 61 per 1,000 births in 2000 to about 12 in 2023, an unusually rapid improvement. The 2026 pyramid has no notable irregularities, and the three youngest bands are the largest. With about 245,000 residents, no five-year band holds more than about 32,000 people, so small shifts in migration can move them visibly.
Its structure is closest to Liberia, the Republic of the Congo and Comoros. Under the medium scenario the population reaches about 365,000 by 2050 and is still growing in 2100, at about 534,000.
What to notice across the years
Distinctive cohorts and turning points
No five-year band under age 80 is more than 10% larger or smaller than both of its neighbours, so Sao Tome and Principe’s 2026 pyramid has a comparatively smooth profile without sharp bulges or notches.
In the UN medium scenario births outnumber deaths in every year through 2100. Children under 15 outnumber people aged 65 and older in every pyramid year through 2100.
Births, deaths, and migration
A pyramid changes in only three ways: births add to the base, deaths remove people at every age, and migration adds or removes people mainly in young adulthood. In 2026, Sao Tome and Principe is projected to record 6,777 births (about 19 births a day) and 1,335 deaths, a natural increase of 5,442. Net migration adds −691 people, ranking #197 in the net migration rate ranking.
Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates 154,026 births, 32,684 deaths, and cumulative net migration of −31,409. Over that period the balance of births and deaths moved the total more than migration did. See how migration shapes a pyramid and birth rate versus fertility rate. The medium scenario assumes net migration of −18,608 between 2026 and 2050.
Annual values 1950–2100; dashed lines after 2023 are the UN medium projection. The trend table below lists the values by decade.
Life expectancy and mortality
- Life expectancy, women
- 74.3 years40.1 in 1950
- Life expectancy, men
- 66.7 years38.2 in 1950
- Further years at 65
- 14.5 yearsboth sexes
- Infant mortality
- 10.3per 1,000 births · 179 in 1950
- Under-five mortality
- 12.3per 1,000 births
- Mother’s mean age at birth
- 28.4 yearssex ratio at birth 102.7
Women in Sao Tome and Principe are projected to live 7.6 years longer than men, which is why the female side of the pyramid widens relative to the other at older ages (see the life expectancy gap ranking). Infant mortality has fallen from 179 to 10.3 deaths per 1,000 live births since 1950, ranking #109 of 237 in the infant mortality ranking (highest first). A mean age at childbearing of 28.4 years sets the spacing between generations, and so how far apart echo cohorts sit in the pyramid.
Median age, fertility rate, and global ranks for Sao Tome and Principe
The median age of 19.7 years splits the population into two equal halves. A total fertility rate of 3.47 births per woman is above the replacement level of roughly 2.1, and life expectancy at birth is 70.3 years.
These ranks compare all 237 countries and areas in this dataset using the same 2026 UN medium projection. Ranks use the stored source precision, so displayed rounding can make adjacent values look identical; small differences should not be overinterpreted.
| Indicator | 2026 value | Global rank | Ranking direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 244,994 | #188 | Largest first |
| Median age | 19.7 years | #203 | Oldest first |
| Fertility rate | 3.47 | #42 | Highest first |
| Annual growth | +1.9% | #46 | Fastest first |
| Life expectancy | 70.3 years | #175 | Highest first |
| Population aged 65+ | 4.0% | #187 | Highest share first |
Largest age groups in Sao Tome and Principe
The five largest cohorts identify where the 2026 population is concentrated. They can reflect past birth patterns, survival, and migration; the chart alone does not establish which cause dominates.
| Rank | Age group | Population | Share of total | Male / female |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0–4 | 32,177 | 13.1% | 16.3K / 15.9K |
| 2 | 10–14 | 29,455 | 12.0% | 14.8K / 14.7K |
| 3 | 5–9 | 29,420 | 12.0% | 14.8K / 14.6K |
| 4 | 15–19 | 27,628 | 11.3% | 13.8K / 13.8K |
| 5 | 20–24 | 24,346 | 9.9% | 12K / 12.4K |
Sex ratio and the balance by age
In the 2026 projection, Sao Tome and Principe has 121,674 males and 123,320 females. That is 98.7 males per 100 females, ranking #107 when the dataset is ordered from the highest male-to-female ratio to the lowest.
Males account for 49.7% of the population and females for 50.3%. There are 1,646 more females than males overall. Among people aged 65 and older, the ratio is 79.1 males per 100 females.
The overall balance can conceal large differences by age; how sex ratios change with age explains the usual pattern. The ratio reflects the male/female categories in the UN source and is not a measure of gender identity. Compare all profiles in the sex-ratio ranking.
At birth, 102.7 boys are projected to be born for every 100 girls in 2026, slightly below the typical value of about 105 (compare the sex ratio at birth ranking). The ratio at birth sets the balance at the base of the pyramid; how it changes with age then depends on survival and migration.
How Sao Tome and Principe has changed since 1950
The population has increased from 60,874 in 1950 to 244,994 in 2026, a change of 302%. Over the same span, median age moved from 23.7 to 19.7 years.
The under-15 share changed from 33.4% to 37.2%, while the share aged 65 and older changed from 3.9% to 4.0%. These shifts show why total population growth and age-structure change need to be read separately.
How the population could change by 2050
Under the UN medium scenario, Sao Tome and Principe’s population is projected to grow by about 49%, reaching 365,115 in 2050. The median age changes from 19.7 to 24.8 years.
The 65+ share is projected to rise by 2.7 percentage points to 6.7%. At the same time, the under-15 share is projected at 30.2%. How UN projections work explains the assumptions behind these figures.
The population is still rising at the end of the UN medium projection in 2100, when it reaches 534,014. The page therefore does not assign a peak year beyond the available horizon.
Population trend: 1950–2100
Mid-year population for every year. Estimates through 2023; dashed line shows the UN medium projection.
| Year | Population | Median age | Fertility | Life exp. | Births | Deaths | Net migration | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 60,874 | 23.7 | 6.23 | 39.1 | 2,776 | 1,575 | −306 | +1.5% |
| 1960 | 68,012 | 23.3 | 6.24 | 43.6 | 3,030 | 1,484 | −860 | +1.0% |
| 1970 | 77,626 | 15.7 | 6.47 | 56.3 | 3,012 | 1,033 | −279 | +2.2% |
| 1980 | 98,544 | 16.2 | 6.39 | 59.4 | 4,101 | 1,135 | −770 | +2.2% |
| 1990 | 122,980 | 16.2 | 5.83 | 60.7 | 5,011 | 1,292 | −727 | +2.4% |
| 2000 | 144,018 | 16.8 | 5.16 | 61.2 | 5,724 | 1,390 | −2,798 | +1.1% |
| 2010 | 181,802 | 17.7 | 4.77 | 63.9 | 6,785 | 1,394 | −1,529 | +2.1% |
| 2020 | 217,435 | 18.5 | 3.83 | 68.0 | 6,228 | 1,354 | 0 | +2.2% |
| 2023 | 230,871 | 19.1 | 3.64 | 69.7 | 6,507 | 1,287 | −592 | +2.0% |
| 2024* | 235,536 | 19.3 | 3.60 | 69.9 | 6,617 | 1,303 | −604 | +2.0% |
| 2026* | 244,994 | 19.7 | 3.47 | 70.3 | 6,777 | 1,335 | −691 | +1.9% |
| 2030* | 264,564 | 20.7 | 3.26 | 71.0 | 7,102 | 1,407 | −724 | +1.9% |
| 2040* | 315,842 | 22.8 | 2.87 | 72.6 | 7,525 | 1,662 | −775 | +1.6% |
| 2050* | 365,115 | 24.8 | 2.59 | 74.2 | 7,525 | 2,016 | −754 | +1.3% |
| 2060* | 411,256 | 27.4 | 2.39 | 75.8 | 7,682 | 2,441 | −724 | +1.1% |
| 2070* | 453,954 | 30.1 | 2.25 | 77.3 | 7,639 | 2,905 | −814 | +0.9% |
| 2080* | 489,154 | 32.7 | 2.13 | 78.8 | 7,343 | 3,416 | −752 | +0.7% |
| 2090* | 515,960 | 35.1 | 2.05 | 80.2 | 7,137 | 4,094 | −746 | +0.5% |
| 2100* | 534,014 | 37.3 | 1.97 | 81.6 | 6,804 | 4,697 | −779 | +0.3% |
* 2024 onward is the UN medium projection. Fertility is births per woman; life expectancy is years at birth; births, deaths, and net migration are counts for that calendar year.
Download every year, 1950–2100 (CSV)
2026 population by age and sex
The table provides the counts behind the chart. Age groups are five-year bands, with everyone aged 100 or older combined.
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 16,295 | 15,882 | 32,177 | 13.1% |
| 5–9 | 14,845 | 14,575 | 29,420 | 12.0% |
| 10–14 | 14,764 | 14,691 | 29,455 | 12.0% |
| 15–19 | 13,790 | 13,838 | 27,628 | 11.3% |
| 20–24 | 11,973 | 12,373 | 24,346 | 9.9% |
| 25–29 | 9,050 | 9,456 | 18,506 | 7.6% |
| 30–34 | 7,314 | 7,461 | 14,775 | 6.0% |
| 35–39 | 6,484 | 6,705 | 13,189 | 5.4% |
| 40–44 | 6,558 | 6,670 | 13,228 | 5.4% |
| 45–49 | 5,746 | 5,742 | 11,488 | 4.7% |
| 50–54 | 4,486 | 4,322 | 8,808 | 3.6% |
| 55–59 | 3,466 | 3,353 | 6,819 | 2.8% |
| 60–64 | 2,577 | 2,782 | 5,359 | 2.2% |
| 65–69 | 1,863 | 2,073 | 3,936 | 1.6% |
| 70–74 | 1,182 | 1,415 | 2,597 | 1.1% |
| 75–79 | 675 | 881 | 1,556 | 0.6% |
| 80–84 | 373 | 618 | 991 | 0.4% |
| 85–89 | 182 | 363 | 545 | 0.2% |
| 90–94 | 47 | 104 | 151 | 0.1% |
| 95–99 | 6 | 16 | 22 | 0.0% |
| 100+ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.0% |
Countries with the most similar age structure
These profiles have the 2026 age distributions closest to Sao Tome and Principe’s, measured by the total difference in the share of the population in each five-year band. Similar shapes can arise from very different histories, so the match is a starting point for comparison, not an explanation.
- Liberia97% overlap · median age 19.0
- Republic of the Congo97% overlap · median age 18.7
- Comoros97% overlap · median age 20.7
- Togo97% overlap · median age 19.2
- Rwanda97% overlap · median age 20.2
- Solomon Islands97% overlap · median age 20.9
To calculate school-age, working-age, or older groups with other boundaries, use the age-group calculator for Sao Tome and Principe.
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APA
World Population Pyramid. (2026, October 19). Sao Tome and Principe Population Pyramid 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/sao-tome-and-principe/
MLA
“Sao Tome and Principe Population Pyramid 2026.” World Population Pyramid, 19 Oct. 2026, worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/sao-tome-and-principe/.
Chicago
World Population Pyramid. “Sao Tome and Principe Population Pyramid 2026.” Last modified October 19, 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/sao-tome-and-principe/.
Underlying data: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024.
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Sao Tome and Principe in 2026?
Under the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium scenario, Sao Tome and Principe's population in 2026 is projected at 244,994.
What is the median age in Sao Tome and Principe?
The projected median age in Sao Tome and Principe in 2026 is 19.7 years: half the population is younger and half is older.
What is the fertility rate in Sao Tome and Principe?
The projected total fertility rate in 2026 is 3.47 births per woman, above the replacement level of about 2.1 in low-mortality populations.
Is Sao Tome and Principe's population projected to grow?
Between 2026 and 2050, the UN medium scenario indicates the population will grow by about 49%, from 245K to 365.1K.
What share of Sao Tome and Principe is aged 65 or older?
In 2026, 4.0% of the projected population is aged 65 or older. By 2050, the medium scenario places the share at 6.7%.
How many babies are born in Sao Tome and Principe each year?
The UN medium scenario projects 6,777 births and 1,335 deaths in 2026, about 19 births a day. Births exceed deaths by 5,442.
What is life expectancy in Sao Tome and Principe for men and women?
Life expectancy at birth in 2026 is projected at 74.3 years for women and 66.7 years for men, a gap of 7.6 years in favour of women.
Does Sao Tome and Principe have more immigrants or emigrants?
Sao Tome and Principe is projected to lose about 691 more people through emigration than it gains in 2026. Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates cumulative net migration of −31,409.
What is the sex ratio in Sao Tome and Principe?
The projected 2026 population sex ratio is 98.7 males per 100 females. This all-age ratio is different from the sex ratio at birth and can vary substantially by age.
Sources and notes
- United Nations, DESA, Population Division: World Population Prospects 2024, medium scenario.
- Population values are mid-year figures. Source values published in thousands are converted to people; displayed figures may imply more precision than is appropriate for planning.
- Historical values through 2023 are estimates. Values from 2024 onward are projections.
- Calculations follow the site methodology.