São Tomé and Principe: Net secondary income (current US$, BoP)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, São Tomé and Principe's net secondary income (current US$, BoP) fell US$19.89 million on 2024 (from US$51.81 million to US$31.92 million).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1988 to 2024), the average change was +US$1.1 million and a typical year strayed about US$9.18 million from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was US$30.4 million in 2013 and the biggest yearly fall was US$20.33 million in 2021. 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 29% 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 84th highest value of the 136 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

• Chile — 81st of 136: US$93.63 million
• Uruguay — 82nd of 136: US$83.74 million
• St. Vincent and the Grenadines — 83rd of 136: US$59.89 million
• St. Lucia — 85th of 136: US$21.33 million
• Dominica — 86th of 136: US$15.71 million
• Seychelles — 87th of 136: −US$11.62 million

What this measures

Net secondary income (from abroad) comprises transfers of income between residents of the reporting country and the rest of the world that carry no provisions for repayment. Net secondary income is equal to the unrequited transfers of income from nonresidents to residents minus the unrequited transfers from residents to nonresidents. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.

Limitations: Discrepancies may arise in the balance of payments because there is no single source for balance of payments data and therefore no way to ensure that the data are fully consistent. Sources include customs data, monetary accounts of the banking system, external debt records, information provided by enterprises, surveys to estimate service transactions, and foreign exchange records. Differences in collection methods - such as in timing, definitions of residence and ownership, and the exchange rate used to value transactions - contribute to net errors and omissions. In addition, smuggling and other illegal or quasi-legal transactions may be unrecorded or misrecorded.

All 46 values

Net secondary income (current US$, BoP) in nearby economies

• Angola — −US$399.46 million (2025)
• Benin — US$258.86 million (2023)
• Botswana — US$1.81 billion (2025)
• Burkina Faso — US$769.8 million (2024)
• Burundi — US$505.67 million (2025)
• Cabo Verde — US$501.52 million (2025)
• Cameroon — US$941.82 million (2024)
• Comoros — US$323.58 million (2023)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — US$975.88 million (2025)
• Congo, Rep. — US$101.7 million (2021)

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

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Questions people ask

What is São Tomé and Principe's net secondary income (current US$, BoP)?

US$31.92 million in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1974?

It is up 9,531% from −US$338,474 in 1974. The highest value was US$51.81 million in 2024 and the lowest −US$338,474 in 1974.

How does São Tomé and Principe rank?

84th highest of 136 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in net secondary income (current US$, BoP) unusual for São Tomé and Principe?

In 2025, São Tomé and Principe's net secondary income (current US$, BoP) fell US$19.89 million on 2024 (from US$51.81 million to US$31.92 million). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1988 to 2024), the average change was +US$1.1 million and a typical year strayed about US$9.18 million from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator BN.TRF.CURR.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF) 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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