São Tomé and Príncipe’s population rose to 0.24 m people in 2025.

Neither way is good in itself. Population has no good or bad direction, because a rising total brings both more workers and more people to house, teach and feed, while a falling one eases pressure and shrinks the domestic market. The latest figure, for January 2025, is 0.24 million, up 2% from a year earlier. Since 2016 the series has ranged from 0.2 million to 0.24 million, so the latest reading sits at the top of its range and the population has grown across the period.

Why it matters. A population growing by 2% a year adds steadily to demand for school places, housing, electricity and jobs on a small island economy. Public budgets for health and education have to cover more people each year, and the labour market has to absorb more young people as they come of working age. The figure is worth checking against future January estimates to see whether growth holds near 2%.