Out-of-pocket expenditure in Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: Out-of-pocket expenditure was 16.7% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Out-of-pocket 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
In 2023, out-of-pocket expenditure in Sao Tome and Principe stood at 16.7%.
That represents a change of up 9.6% on the previous year and up 17.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-pocket expenditure in Sao Tome and Principe peaked at 43.8% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 11.7%, in 2021.
That places Sao Tome and Principe 137th out of 193 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Out-of-pocket expenditure in Sao Tome and Principe, year by year
| Year | % of current health expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 43.8% | — |
| 2001 | 43.6% | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 41.9% | -3.9% |
| 2003 | 31.9% | -23.8% |
| 2004 | 35.3% | +10.5% |
| 2005 | 33.4% | -5.3% |
| 2006 | 39.9% | +19.5% |
| 2007 | 35.3% | -11.5% |
| 2008 | 30.2% | -14.4% |
| 2009 | 27.4% | -9.4% |
| 2010 | 25.7% | -6.2% |
| 2011 | 23.8% | -7.4% |
| 2012 | 17.8% | -25.2% |
| 2013 | 14.2% | -20.0% |
| 2014 | 15.0% | +5.6% |
| 2015 | 16.0% | +6.5% |
| 2016 | 13.9% | -13.1% |
| 2017 | 14.8% | +6.1% |
| 2018 | 15.8% | +7.2% |
| 2019 | 17.0% | +7.4% |
| 2020 | 11.8% | -30.3% |
| 2021 | 11.7% | -1.6% |
| 2022 | 15.2% | +30.5% |
| 2023 | 16.7% | +9.6% |
Sao Tome and Principe compared with similar countries
- Sao Tome and Principe's 16.7% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 37.6%, 44% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Sao Tome and Principe's 16.7% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 32.4%, 51% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 36.3% | 27.4% | 43.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.4% | 13.9% | 25.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.8% | 11.7% | 16.7% | 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 out-of-pocket expenditure in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Out-of-pocket expenditure in Sao Tome and Principe was 16.7% in 2023, according to Global Health Expenditure Database, updated December 12th, 2025, World Health Organization (WHO).
- What is the highest out-of-pocket expenditure recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The highest recorded value was 43.8% in 2000.
- What is the lowest out-of-pocket expenditure recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.7% in 2021.
- How does Sao Tome and Principe rank for out-of-pocket expenditure?
- Sao Tome and Principe ranks 137th out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is out-of-pocket expenditure rising or falling in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 Out-of-pocket expenditure (% of current health expenditure). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Share of out-of-pocket payments of total current health expenditures. Out-of-pocket payments are spending on health directly out-of-pocket by households.