Society · Adult literacy rate · São Tomé and Príncipe
São Tomé and Príncipe’s adult literacy rate was 87.4% of adults in 2019.
87.4% of adults
2019
Down 2.7 pp from 2012.
Stale — last updated 18 Oct 2026
In plain words
87.4% of adults
What it is. The adult literacy rate is the share of adults who can read and write a short, simple statement about everyday life. The bar is basic: someone who manages a few plain sentences about daily matters counts as literate. The measure leaves out how well people handle longer or technical texts, and it says nothing about the quality of the schooling behind the skill.
Higher is better. A higher rate means more adults can follow written instructions, fill in forms and help children with schoolwork. The latest figure is 87.4% of adults, dated 2019. Since 1981 the rate has ranged from 57.3% of adults in 1981 to 90.1% of adults in 2012, so the 2019 figure sits near the top of that range and below the 2012 high.
Why it matters. At 87.4% of adults, most people in São Tomé and Príncipe can read a medicine label or a school notice. Adults who cannot read depend more on relatives or neighbours for paperwork, and printed health and civic messages reach them less well. The next survey figure after 2019 will show whether the rate returns to the 2012 level of 90.1% of adults.
| Period | Adult literacy rate · São Tomé and Príncipe |
|---|---|
| 1981 | 57.3% of adults |
| 1991 | 73.2% of adults |
| 2001 | 84.9% of adults |
| 2012 | 90.1% of adults |
| 2019 | 87.4% of adults |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0) · Licence: CC BY 4.0
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Strata-AF™ Data, Adult literacy rate, São Tomé and Príncipe, 2019; source World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0), retrieved 18 Oct 2026; https://data.strata-af.com/society/adult-literacy/sao-tome-and-principe
Data insights · Worked out from the published figures
What this means
Working this out from the published figures…
Strata AI commentary is coming — reviewed, dated, and generated only from the figures on this page.
Methodology
People aged 15 and over who can read and write a short, simple statement about everyday life, as a share of that age group. Unit: % of adults. Literacy is measured in surveys and censuses, so new figures arrive every few years.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (series SE.ADT.LITR.ZS), retrieved through the World Bank API and published under CC BY 4.0. Updated annually; the World Bank's own source notes apply.