External health expenditure in Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: External health expenditure was 43.9% in 2023. ▲ Rising
External health expenditure in Sao Tome and Principe, 2000–2023
Source: Global Health Expenditure Database, updated December 12th, 2025, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in % of current health expenditure.
Analysis
The most recent figure for external health expenditure in Sao Tome and Principe is 43.9%, measured in 2023.
The figure is up 3.7% on the previous year and down 11.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external health expenditure in Sao Tome and Principe peaked at 51.3% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 13.3%, in 2003.
Sao Tome and Principe ranks 11th of 177 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
External health expenditure in Sao Tome and Principe, year by year
| Year | % of current health expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 16.4% | — |
| 2001 | 15.8% | -3.3% |
| 2002 | 16.1% | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 13.3% | -17.1% |
| 2004 | 14.3% | +6.9% |
| 2005 | 15.9% | +11.7% |
| 2006 | 48.7% | +206.0% |
| 2007 | 37.3% | -23.4% |
| 2008 | 44.9% | +20.2% |
| 2009 | 40.7% | -9.3% |
| 2010 | 34.6% | -15.1% |
| 2011 | 32.2% | -6.8% |
| 2012 | 46.8% | +45.5% |
| 2013 | 49.8% | +6.3% |
| 2014 | 47.7% | -4.3% |
| 2015 | 51.3% | +7.7% |
| 2016 | 43.9% | -14.5% |
| 2017 | 37.9% | -13.6% |
| 2018 | 37.2% | -1.8% |
| 2019 | 40.3% | +8.4% |
| 2020 | 45.8% | +13.4% |
| 2021 | 43.7% | -4.5% |
| 2022 | 42.3% | -3.1% |
| 2023 | 43.9% | +3.7% |
Sao Tome and Principe compared with similar countries
- Sao Tome and Principe's 43.9% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 11.8%, 3.7× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Sao Tome and Principe's 43.9% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 20.5%, 2.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where External health expenditure in Sao Tome and Principe changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | +206.0% | 15.9% | 48.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 26.3% | 13.3% | 48.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 42.2% | 32.2% | 51.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 43.9% | 42.3% | 45.8% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sao Tome and Principe
More health data for Sao Tome and Principe
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -6.25 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 1.35 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 793.5 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 15 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2021)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.58 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0651 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.65 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external health expenditure in Sao Tome and Principe?
- External health expenditure in Sao Tome and Principe was 43.9% in 2023, according to Global Health Expenditure Database, updated December 12th, 2025, World Health Organization (WHO).
- What is the highest external health expenditure recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The highest recorded value was 51.3% in 2015.
- What is the lowest external health expenditure recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.3% in 2003.
- How does Sao Tome and Principe rank for external health expenditure?
- Sao Tome and Principe ranks 11th out of 177 countries with data for 2023.
- Is external health expenditure rising or falling in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sao Tome and Principe data come from?
- The figures come from Global Health Expenditure Database, updated December 12th, 2025, World Health Organization (WHO), published as part of External health expenditure (% of current health expenditure). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Share of current health expenditures funded from external sources. External sources compose of direct foreign transfers and foreign transfers distributed by government encompassing all financial inflows into the national health system from outside the country. External sources either flow through the government scheme or are channeled through non-governmental organizations or other schemes.