São Tomé and Principe's external balance on goods and services (current LCU) was -4.27 billion in 2025, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is down 63.02% from -2.62 billion in 2015.
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | -4.27 billion | 2025 |
| Five years earlier | -2.8 billion | 2020 |
| Ten years earlier | -2.62 billion | 2015 |
| Highest | -1.5 billion | 2008 |
| Lowest | -4.27 billion | 2025 |
| Average since 2016 | -2.99 billion | 2016–2025 |
| First recorded | -1.5 billion |
What the numbers say
In 2025, São Tomé and Principe's external balance on goods and services (current LCU) fell 1.79 billion on 2024 (from -2.48 billion to -4.27 billion).
Across the 16 yearly changes before that (2009 to 2024), the average change was −61.22 million and a typical year strayed about 335.18 million from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 5.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 474.59 million in 2015 and the biggest yearly fall was 1.79 billion in 2025. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2016 to 2025 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 30% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
How it compares
In 2025, São Tomé and Principe had the 68th highest value of the 137 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.
Closest to São Tomé and Principe in the 2025 ranking
- Latvia — 65th of 137: -1.97 billion
- Montenegro — 66th of 137: -2.1 billion
- Kosovo — 67th of 137: -3.34 billion
- Seychelles — 69th of 137: -4.59 billion
- Croatia — 70th of 137: -4.69 billion
- West Bank and Gaza — 71st of 137: -5.55 billion
What this measures
The balance of international trade in goods and services is the difference between the exports and imports of goods and services. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This series is expressed in local currency units.
All 18 values
| Year | External balance on goods and services (current LCU) |
|---|---|
| 2025 | -4,265,646,500 |
| 2024 | -2,475,773,900 |
| 2023 | -2,913,916,900 |
| 2022 | -3,254,696,000 |
| 2021 | -3,034,862,600 |
| 2020 | -2,802,235,100 |
| 2019 | -3,108,281,800 |
| 2018 | -2,978,868,900 |
| 2017 | -2,729,821,500 |
| 2016 | -2,379,840,900 |
External balance on goods and services (current LCU) in nearby economies
- Angola — 14.62 trillion (2025)
- Benin — -430.6 billion (2025)
- Botswana — -14.74 billion (2025)
- Burkina Faso — 800.13 billion (2025)
- Cabo Verde — -34.03 billion (2025)
- Cameroon — -2.47 trillion (2025)
- Central African Republic — -253.67 billion (2025)
- Chad — 1.59 trillion (2025)
- Comoros — -176.53 billion (2025)
More economic policy & debt data for São Tomé and Principe
- GDP (current US$) — US$981.29 million (2025)
- GDP (current LCU) — 21.28 billion (2025)
- GDP (constant 2015 US$) — US$326.78 million (2025)
- GDP (constant LCU) — 4.28 billion (2025)
- GDP per capita (current US$) — US$4,084 (2025)
- GDP per capita (current LCU) — 88,591 (2025)
- GDP per capita (constant 2015 US$) — US$1,360 (2025)
- GDP per capita (constant LCU) — 17,810 (2025)
- GNI (current US$) — US$1.06 billion (2025)
- GNI (current LCU) — 23.04 billion (2025)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is São Tomé and Principe's external balance on goods and services (current LCU)?
- -4.27 billion in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 2008?
- It is down 185.08% from -1.5 billion in 2008. The highest value was -1.5 billion in 2008 and the lowest -4.27 billion in 2025.
- How does São Tomé and Principe rank?
- 68th highest of 137 economies with data for 2025.
- Is the latest change in external balance on goods and services (current LCU) unusual for São Tomé and Principe?
- In 2025, São Tomé and Principe's external balance on goods and services (current LCU) fell 1.79 billion on 2024 (from -2.48 billion to -4.27 billion). Across the 16 yearly changes before that (2009 to 2024), the average change was −61.22 million and a typical year strayed about 335.18 million from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 5.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator NE.RSB.GNFS.CN, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks; National Accounts data files, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); Staff estimates, World Bank (WB) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.
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