São Tomé and Principe: Primary income receipts (BoP, current US$)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, São Tomé and Principe's primary income receipts (BoP, current US$) rose 130.4% on 2024 (from US$19.08 million to US$43.95 million).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1985 to 2024), the average change was +478.4% and a typical year strayed about 2,334.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 12,814.5% in 2019 and the biggest yearly fall was 99% in 2018. 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 the straight-line trend is upward, about US$3.89 million a year. A straight line explains 68% of the movement over 10 observed years.

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 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

• St. Lucia — 123rd of 136: US$59.41 million
• Malawi — 124th of 136: US$48.28 million
• Maldives — 125th of 136: US$44.46 million
• St. Kitts and Nevis — 127th of 136: US$43.86 million
• Samoa — 128th of 136: US$40.18 million
• Grenada — 129th of 136: US$36.34 million

What this measures

Primary income receipts refer to employee compensation paid to resident workers working abroad and investment income (receipts on direct investment, portfolio investment, other investments, and receipts on reserve assets). 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.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.

All 42 values

Primary income receipts (BoP, current US$) in nearby economies

• Angola — US$778.62 million (2025)
• Benin — US$344.02 million (2023)
• Botswana — US$166.83 million (2025)
• Burkina Faso — US$311.54 million (2024)
• Burundi — US$34.06 million (2025)
• Cabo Verde — US$61.42 million (2025)
• Cameroon — US$228.85 million (2024)
• Comoros — US$15.1 million (2023)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — US$399.87 million (2025)
• Congo, Rep. — US$60.42 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)

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Questions people ask

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

US$43.95 million in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1974?

It is up 111,578% from US$39,357 in 1974 (14.75% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$43.95 million in 2025 and the lowest US$25,332 in 2018.

How does São Tomé and Principe rank?

127th highest of 136 economies with data for 2025.

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

In 2025, São Tomé and Principe's primary income receipts (BoP, current US$) rose 130.4% on 2024 (from US$19.08 million to US$43.95 million). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1985 to 2024), the average change was +478.4% and a typical year strayed about 2,334.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator BX.GSR.FCTY.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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