São Tomé and Principe's imports of goods and services (constant LCU) was 2.94 billion in 2025, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is down 7.59% from 3.18 billion in 2015 (0.79% a year on average, compounded).
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 2.94 billion | 2025 |
| Five years earlier | 2.42 billion | 2020 |
| Ten years earlier | 3.18 billion | 2015 |
| Highest | 3.33 billion | 2014 |
| Lowest | 1.75 billion | 2008 |
| Average since 2016 | 2.78 billion | 2016–2025 |
| First recorded | 1.75 billion |
What the numbers say
In 2025, São Tomé and Principe's imports of goods and services (constant LCU) rose 23.3% on 2024 (from 2.38 billion to 2.94 billion).
Across the 16 yearly changes before that (2009 to 2024), the average change was +2.8% and a typical year strayed about 14% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.5 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 36.5% in 2014 and the biggest yearly fall was 19.7% in 2023. 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 19% 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 127th highest value of the 128 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
- Kosovo — 123rd of 128: 5.79 billion
- Montenegro — 124th of 128: 3.86 billion
- Venezuela, RB — 125th of 128: 3.45 billion
- Sudan — 127th of 128: 1.31 billion
- Samoa — 128th of 128: 1.26 billion
What this measures
Imports of goods includes change in the economic ownership of goods from non-residents to residents of the compiling economy, irrespective of physical movement of goods across national borders. Imports of services includes services provided by non-residents to residents. This indicator is expressed in constant prices, meaning the series has been adjusted to account for price changes over time. The reference year for this adjustment varies by country. This series is expressed in local currency units.
All 18 values
| Year | Imports of goods and services (constant LCU) |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,935,669,000 |
| 2024 | 2,381,225,000 |
| 2023 | 2,491,609,000 |
| 2022 | 3,103,923,000 |
| 2021 | 2,643,398,000 |
| 2020 | 2,422,215,000 |
| 2019 | 2,796,401,000 |
| 2018 | 2,907,941,000 |
| 2017 | 3,076,961,000 |
| 2016 | 3,025,976,000 |
Imports of goods and services (constant LCU) in nearby economies
- Angola — 2.5 trillion (2024)
- Benin — 2.73 trillion (2025)
- Botswana — 66.47 billion (2025)
- Burkina Faso — 4.26 trillion (2025)
- Cabo Verde — 136.49 billion (2025)
- Cameroon — 5.54 trillion (2025)
- Central African Republic — 287.93 billion (2025)
- Chad — 1.97 trillion (2025)
- Comoros — 183.97 billion (2025)
- Congo, Dem. Rep.
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 imports of goods and services (constant LCU)?
- 2.94 billion in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 2008?
- It is up 67.38% from 1.75 billion in 2008 (3.08% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 3.33 billion in 2014 and the lowest 1.75 billion in 2008.
- How does São Tomé and Principe rank?
- 127th highest of 128 economies with data for 2025.
- Is the latest change in imports of goods and services (constant LCU) unusual for São Tomé and Principe?
- In 2025, São Tomé and Principe's imports of goods and services (constant LCU) rose 23.3% on 2024 (from 2.38 billion to 2.94 billion). Across the 16 yearly changes before that (2009 to 2024), the average change was +2.8% and a typical year strayed about 14% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.5 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator NE.IMP.GNFS.KN, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs); National Accounts data files, Central Banks; 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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