Demographic features of the population of São Tomé and Príncipe include population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects.

Of São Tomé and Príncipe's total population of some 201,800,official estimate as at 13 May 2018 by Instituto Nacional de Estatistica. about 193,380 live on São Tomé and 8,420 on Príncipe. All are descended from various ethnic groups that have migrated to the islands since 1485. 70% of the people on São Tomé and Príncipe are black and 30% of the people are mixed race, mostly black and white. Six groups are identifiable:

Luso-Africans, or mixed-heritage, descendants of Portuguese colonists and enslaved Africans brought to the islands during the early years of settlement from Benin, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Angola (these people also are known as filhos da terra or "children of the land"); Angolares, reputedly descendants of Angolan slaves who survived a 1540 shipwreck and now earn their livelihood fishing; Forros, descendants of freed slaves when slavery was abolished; Serviçais, contract laborers from Angola, Mozambique, and Cape Verde, living temporarily on the islands; Tongas, children of serviçais born on the islands; and Europeans, primarily Portuguese. Asians, mostly Chinese minority, including Macanese people of mixed Portuguese and Chinese blood from Macau.

Although a small country, São Tomé and Príncipe has four national languages: Portuguese (the official language, spoken by 95% of the population), and the Portuguese-based creoles Forro (85%), Angolar (3%) and Principense (0.1%). French is also learned in schools, as the country is a member of Francophonie.

In the 1970s, there were two significant population movements—the exodus of most of the 4,000 Portuguese residents and the influx of several hundred São Toméan refugees from Angola. The islanders have been absorbed largely into a common Luso-African culture. Almost all belong to the Roman Catholic, Evangelical Protestant, or Seventh-day Adventist churches, which in turn retain close ties with churches in Portugal. There is a small but growing Muslim population.

Population

According to the 2022 revision of the world factbook the total population was 217,164 in 2022, compared to only 60,000 in 1950. The proportion of children below the age of 15 in 2020 was 39.8%, 57.4% was between 15 and 65 years of age, while 2.9% was 65 years or older. Total populationPopulation aged 0–14 (%)Population aged 15–64 (%)Population aged 65+ (%) 1950 60,00032.963.14.0 1955 59,00032.963.14.0 1960 64,00032.963.24.0 1965 65,00041.156.32.6 1970 74,00046.748.44.9 1975 82,00047.049.13.9 1980 95,00046.648.64.8 1985 104,00046.648.84.7 1990 116,00046.649.04.4 1995 128,00044.850.84.4 2000 141,00042.653.14.3 2005 153,00041.654.04.4 2010 165,00040.355.83.9 2020 211,12239.857.42.9

Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2017): Age groupMaleFemaleTotal% Total 97 988 99 712 197 700 100 0–4 12 031 12 102 24 133 12.21 5–9 13 833 13 667 27 500 13.91 10–14 12 677 12 714 25 390 12.84 15–19 10 673 10 672 21 345 10.80 20–24 9 278 9 062 18 341 9.28 25–29 7 895 7 946 15 841 8.01 30–34 7 276 7 389 14 665 7.42 35–39 6 105 6 252 12 358 6.25 40–44 4 762 4 784 9 546 4.83 45–49 3 831 3 822 7 654 3.87 50–54 2 880 3 153 6 033 3.05 55–59 2 384 2 620 5 004 2.53 60–64 1 573 1 858 3 431 1.74 65–69 1 076 1 173 2 249 1.14 70–74 665 835 1 500 0.76 75–79 535 777 1 313 0.66 80+ 514 886 1 400 0.71Age group MaleFemaleTotalPercent 0–14 38 541 38 483 77 024 38.96 15–64 56 657 57 558 114 215 57.77 65+ 2 790 3 671 6 461 3.27

Vital statistics Registration of vital events is in São Tomé & Príncipe not available for recent years. The Population Departement of the United Nations prepared the following estimates.Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision PeriodLive births per yearDeaths per yearNatural change per yearCBR*CDR*NC*TFR*IMR* 1950–1955 3 000 1 000 2 00047.721.026.76.20124 1955–1960 3 000 1 000 2 00047.718.529.26.20112 1960–1965 3 000 1 000 2 00047.016.830.16.3099 1965–1970 3 000 1 000 2 00042.713.129.66.4088 1970–1975 3 000 1 000 2 00040.713.227.66.5280 1975–1980 4 000 1 000 3 00041.111.030.16.5070 1980–1985 4 000 1 000 3 00040.411.528.96.2466 1985–1990 4 000 1 000 3 00038.810.728.15.6663 1990–1995 5 000 1 000 3 00037.09.827.15.1661 1995–2000 5 000 1 000 4 00035.99.226.74.8058 2000–2005 5 000 1 000 4 00034.88.826.04.3455 2005–2010 5 000 1 000 4 00032.48.224.23.8552 * CBR = crude birth rate (per 1000); CDR = crude death rate (per 1000); NC = natural change (per 1000); IMR = infant mortality rate per 1000 births; TFR = total fertility rate (number of children per woman)

Registered births and deaths

YearPopulationLive birthsDeathsNatural increaseCrude birth rateCrude death rateRate of natural increaseTFR 2012 5 173 1 287 3 886 27.6 6.9 20.7 2015 5 022 1 226 3 796 2017 5 190 1 202 3 988 26.3 6.1 20.2

Demographic and Health Surveys

+ Fertility Rate (TFR) (Wanted Fertility Rate) and CBR (Crude Birth Rate): Year Total Urban Rural CBR TFR CBR TFR CBR TFR 2008–2009 34.5 4.9 (3.3) 32.4 4.4 (3.0) 36.7 5.5 (3.7)

Fertility data as of 2008–2009 (DHS Program):

Region Total fertility rate Percentage of women age 15–49 currently pregnant Mean number of children ever born to women age 40–49 Centro 4.6 8.2 5.5 Sul 5.4 8.3 6.2 Norte 5.7 8.8 6.7 Príncipe 5.0 11.6 6.1

Life expectancy PeriodLife expectancy in Years1950–195546.40 1955–1960 48.89 1960–1965 51.86 1965–1970 54.42 1970–1975 57.36 1975–1980 60.21 1980–1985 60.59 1985–1990 61.40 1990–1995 62.22 1995–2000 63.01 2000–2005 63.80 2005–2010 65.47 2010–2015 66.14

Ethnic groups Mestiços, angolares (descendants of Angolan slaves), forros (descendants of freed slaves), serviçais (contract laborers from Angola, Mozambique, and Cape Verde), tongas (children of serviçais born on the islands) and Europeans (primarily Portuguese).

Languages

Portuguese 98.4% (official) Forro 36.2% Cabo Verdian 8.5% French 6.8% Angolar 6.6% English 4.9% Lunguie 1% Other (including sign language) 2.4%

Religion Catholic 55.7%, Adventist 4.1%, Assembly of God 3.4%, New Apostolic 2.9%, Mana 2.3%, Universal Kingdom of God 2%, Jehovah's Witness 1.2%, other 6.2%, none 21.2%, unspecified 1% (2012 est.)

References