São Tomé and Príncipe’s remittance inflows rose to $0.04bn in 2025.

Higher is better. Higher is better here because every extra dollar sent home adds to household spending power and to the foreign currency available in the country. The latest figure, for 2025, is $0.04bn, against $0.01bn a year earlier, a rise of 155.9%. Since 2016 the lowest reading was $0.01bn in 2020, and the 2025 figure of $0.04bn is the highest in that span. The latest reading therefore sits at the top of its own range.

Why it matters. For households on the islands, transfers from relatives abroad help pay for food, school fees and medical bills. The country imports much of what it consumes, so a larger flow of dollars also helps cover the import bill and eases pressure on the state's foreign currency position. The 2025 jump is large in percentage terms from a small base, so the next annual reading will show whether $0.04bn holds.