Prevalence of undernourishment in Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: Prevalence of undernourishment was 17.4% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of undernourishment in Sao Tome and Principe, 2001–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in % of population.
Analysis
Sao Tome and Principe recorded 17.4% for prevalence of undernourishment in 2023.
That represents a change of up 4.2% on the previous year and unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of undernourishment in Sao Tome and Principe peaked at 18.5% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 10.4%, in 2005.
That places Sao Tome and Principe 32nd out of 168 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.
Prevalence of undernourishment in Sao Tome and Principe, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 15.5% | — |
| 2002 | 13.8% | -11.0% |
| 2003 | 12.3% | -10.9% |
| 2004 | 11.1% | -9.8% |
| 2005 | 10.4% | -6.3% |
| 2006 | 10.6% | +1.9% |
| 2007 | 11.6% | +9.4% |
| 2008 | 13.0% | +12.1% |
| 2009 | 14.7% | +13.1% |
| 2010 | 16.5% | +12.2% |
| 2011 | 17.6% | +6.7% |
| 2012 | 17.4% | -1.1% |
| 2013 | 17.4% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 18.1% | +4.0% |
| 2015 | 18.5% | +2.2% |
| 2016 | 18.3% | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 17.9% | -2.2% |
| 2018 | 17.8% | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 16.9% | -5.1% |
| 2020 | 15.9% | -5.9% |
| 2021 | 16.0% | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 16.7% | +4.4% |
| 2023 | 17.4% | +4.2% |
Sao Tome and Principe compared with similar countries
- Sao Tome and Principe's 17.4% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 12.0%, 1.4× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Sao Tome and Principe's 17.4% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 19.7%, 88% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 12.6% | 10.4% | 15.5% | 9 |
| 2010s | 17.6% | 16.5% | 18.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.5% | 15.9% | 17.4% | 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 prevalence of undernourishment in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Prevalence of undernourishment in Sao Tome and Principe was 17.4% in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The highest recorded value was 18.5% in 2015.
- What is the lowest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.4% in 2005.
- How does Sao Tome and Principe rank for prevalence of undernourishment?
- Sao Tome and Principe ranks 32nd out of 168 countries with data for 2023.
- Is prevalence of undernourishment rising or falling in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sao Tome and Principe data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Prevalence of undernourishment is the percentage of the population whose habitual food consumption is insufficient to provide the dietary energy levels that are required to maintain a normal active and healthy life. Data showing as 2.5 may signify a prevalence of undernourishment below 2.5%.