Country page · Sub-Saharan Africa
If you were born in São Tomé & Príncipe
1 in 19,875 babies · 0.01% of births · about 6,750 a year
Right now, about 0.01% of the world's babies are born in São Tomé & Príncipe — 1 in 19,875, or roughly 6,750 a year and 18 a day. Life expectancy there is 69.9 years.
How the 1 in 19,875 is calculated
This number is not based on population. It uses births: São Tomé & Príncipe has about 6,750 births a year, and the world has about 134,147,481. Divide one by the other and you get 0.01% — 1 in 19,875. Using population instead would understate young countries and overstate ageing ones, so every draw is weighted by births.
Life in São Tomé & Príncipe, in numbers
| Indicator | Value | World rank |
|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy women 73.9 · men 66.4 | 69.9 years | 116th highest of 172 countries |
| Chance of dying before 5 13.6 / 1,000 | 1.4% | 80th lowest of 170 countries |
| Chance of dying before 1 9.2 / 1,000 | 0.9% | 68th lowest of 170 countries |
| Mothers who die giving birth per 100,000 births | 75 | 102nd lowest of 170 countries |
| Children per woman | 3.60 | 135th lowest of 172 countries |
| Expected years of schooling | 12.4 years | 98th highest of 168 countries |
| Tertiary enrollment | 12.8% | 127th highest of 168 countries |
| Income per person (PPP) GDP per capita, PPP | $6,388 | 128th highest of 170 countries |
| Income inequality closer to 0 = more equal | 40.70 | 39th highest of 157 countries |
| People living in cities | 69.2% | 70th highest of 172 countries |
| People working in farming | 12.1% | 72nd lowest of 171 countries |
| People using the internet | 59.1% | 118th highest of 172 countries |
| Homicide per 100,000 people | 3.2 | 91st lowest of 155 countries |
| Health costs paid out of pocket share of health spending | 16.7% | 44th lowest of 168 countries |
| Adults living with HIV | — | — |
| People who smoke | 8.3% | — |
How to read these numbers
Income is shown in purchasing-power-parity dollars, so it compares what money buys locally rather than market exchange rates. The under-5 rate is the share of babies who die before their fifth birthday; the maternal mortality ratio is per 100,000 live births. A Gini index closer to 0 means a more equal income distribution, and a higher number means a more unequal one.
Each indicator uses the most recent year with a non-empty value, which can differ by country; the rank compares this country with the other 171 in the dataset, not with every country on Earth. Where a value is missing, the page shows a dash rather than an estimate.
São Tomé & Príncipe compared with Sub-Saharan Africa
Life expectancy in São Tomé & Príncipe is 69.9 years, against a Sub-Saharan Africa average of 0.0. The under-5 death rate is 1.4%, versus 0.0% across the region. Income per person is $6,388, against $0 regionally; expected schooling is 12.4 years against 0.0. 69.2% of people live in cities, against 0.0% in the region.
| Indicator | São Tomé & Príncipe | Sub-Saharan Africa | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy | 69.9 years old | — | 73.3 years old |
| Under-5 deaths | 1.4% | — | 2.6% |
| Income per person (PPP) | $6,388 | — | $30,311 |
| Expected schooling | 12.4 years | — | 13.0 years |
| People in cities | 69.2% | — | 61.6% |
What a life there looks like
Put those numbers together and you get a life: about 69.9 years on average, with roughly 13.6 of every 1,000 babies dying before their fifth birthday. A child can expect 12.4 years of school, and income per person is around $6,388. These are averages — every life still lands somewhere on the distribution.
If you play as someone born in São Tomé & Príncipe
The game draws São Tomé & Príncipe in about 1 of every 19,875 births. From there the life runs year by year: 69.9 years of life expectancy on average, a 1.4% chance of dying before five, and an income of about $6,388 per person. Choices move the odds; the starting statistics do not.
Nearby and similar countries
- Chance of being born in Cape Verde — 1 in 20,814
- Chance of being born in Mauritius — 1 in 10,472
- Chance of being born in Comoros — 1 in 5,382
- All 172 countries
Frequently asked questions
What are the odds of being born in São Tomé & Príncipe?
What is life expectancy in São Tomé & Príncipe?
How many babies are born in São Tomé & Príncipe each year?
Is São Tomé & Príncipe a good country to be born in, in the game?
Source: World Bank World Development Indicators, with UN World Population Prospects 2024 and UN IGME for births and mortality. Values are the most recent non-empty year for each indicator; the year is noted where it differs. Page updated Oct 24, 2026.