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Economy of DR Congo vs Sao Tome and Principe compared: GDP & Debt

Updated on by Georank team

The DR Congo has a GDP of $70.7B compared to $764M for Sao Tome and Principe, ranking 87/197 and 189/197 by economy size, respectively.

The DR Congo has $13.7B in government debt (16.3% of GDP), compared to $332M (37.3% of GDP) in Sao Tome and Principe.

The chart below compares the two countries' GDP growth in both current (nominal) and constant dollars, accounting for inflation over time.

DR Congo
GDP, current $

GDP, constant 2015 $
Sao Tome and Principe
GDP, current $

GDP, constant 2015 $
Year GDP
DR Congo Sao Tome
Current $ Constant $ Current $ Constant $
1960 $3,359,404,118 $19,168,015,352 - -
1961 $3,086,746,857 $17,088,021,918 - -
1962 $3,779,841,429 $20,710,801,757 - -
1963 $6,213,185,743 $21,790,660,917 - -
1964 $2,881,545,273 $21,258,920,074 - -
1965 $4,043,901,818 $21,470,945,657 - -
1966 $4,532,660,182 $22,925,706,424 - -
1967 $3,384,063,372 $22,699,718,873 - -
1968 $3,909,780,539 $23,683,229,244 - -
1969 $5,032,434,970 $25,892,599,200 - -
1970 $4,877,684,910 $25,829,147,683 $37,211,826 $76,468,736
1971 $5,594,770,359 $27,380,192,668 $37,288,845 $80,579,183
1972 $6,173,712,814 $27,421,573,863 $41,430,257 $82,425,279
1973 $7,870,239,461 $29,652,942,981 $56,011,245 $83,737,737
1974 $9,596,960,180 $30,581,253,827 $57,817,591 $88,497,202
1975 $10,237,343,174 $29,057,808,604 $60,101,710 $93,256,667
1976 $9,648,583,225 $27,515,128,941 $52,039,421 $94,785,465
1977 $12,344,424,764 $27,724,462,281 $49,207,692 $116,981,878
1978 $15,372,608,002 $26,242,508,948 $55,044,563 $120,371,194
1979 $15,068,422,236 $26,355,374,899 $65,755,928 $140,043,649
1980 $14,394,927,495 $26,933,852,428 $81,662,231 $138,529,274
1981 $12,537,821,038 $27,566,939,114 $83,499,264 $124,241,500
1982 $13,651,667,371 $27,440,771,406 $80,307,763 $128,084,021
1983 $11,006,712,650 $27,828,153,788 $75,110,289 $123,122,082
1984 $7,857,729,193 $29,370,132,388 $78,213,796 $115,697,255
1985 $7,195,042,616 $29,507,540,832 $82,733,069 $126,456,967
1986 $8,095,367,168 $30,899,473,397 $115,928,907 $119,081,847
1987 $7,661,625,473 $31,726,232,824 $115,952,925 $115,592,613
1988 $8,861,299,977 $31,875,467,102 $99,000,764 $117,902,998
1989 $9,021,862,775 $31,471,907,548 $98,545,367 $121,599,629
1990 $9,349,764,580 $29,404,734,879 $119,297,933 $118,982,020
1991 $9,625,436,873 $26,928,547,012 $107,484,143 $120,410,999
1992 $8,227,343,907 $24,101,047,269 $94,861,781 $121,253,872
1993 $10,706,259,937 $20,854,865,032 $125,742,229 $122,587,663
1994 $5,820,382,248 $20,041,525,963 $131,338,415 $125,284,594
1995 $5,643,439,376 $20,181,816,410 $103,695,237 $127,790,288
1996 $5,771,456,952 $19,975,321,586 $135,188,166 $129,707,144
1997 $6,090,838,693 $18,853,298,464 $91,920,274 $130,999,443
1998 $6,217,805,821 $18,547,091,854 $72,285,404 $134,274,413
1999 $4,711,259,427 $17,755,104,912 $77,302,212 $137,631,282
2000 $19,088,046,306 $16,528,062,517 $76,198,395 $138,248,377
2001 $7,438,189,100 $16,180,944,606 $75,951,133 $142,484,975
2002 $8,728,038,525 $16,657,920,858 $85,171,074 $147,272,738
2003 $8,937,567,060 $17,587,070,084 $102,085,769 $159,483,886
2004 $10,297,483,481 $18,772,152,630 $114,582,284 $165,126,276
2005 $11,964,484,466 $19,923,852,569 $136,450,662 $176,048,759
2006 $14,451,901,696 $20,983,996,693 $142,775,104 $191,657,435
2007 $16,737,071,816 $22,297,485,300 $149,146,919 $198,636,586
2008 $19,788,515,590 $23,685,703,159 $188,021,165 $211,009,232
2009 $18,648,372,553 $24,361,945,146 $200,668,065 $217,977,601
2010 $21,565,721,045 $26,093,586,500 $190,021,192 $221,134,909
2011 $25,839,749,199 $27,887,434,695 $226,455,001 $225,556,351
2012 $29,306,235,285 $29,863,789,011 $229,371,348 $232,194,345
2013 $32,679,745,048 $32,396,822,645 $267,041,748 $244,081,947
2014 $35,909,040,926 $35,464,895,084 $293,119,143 $256,057,121
2015 $37,917,706,497 $37,917,706,497 $259,999,643 $259,999,643
2016 $37,134,801,555 $38,827,503,534 $292,267,272 $273,459,369
2017 $38,019,264,795 $40,274,584,268 $322,002,845 $284,706,697
2018 $47,568,210,010 $42,619,016,591 $383,717,328 $297,171,521
2019 $51,775,829,877 $44,487,659,679 $412,976,083 $303,157,496
2020 $48,716,961,860 $45,259,708,654 $471,229,485 $311,114,955
2021 $55,328,482,784 $48,065,880,295 $524,402,456 $317,023,958
2022 $65,801,547,756 $52,355,494,716 $540,809,499 $317,558,772
2023 $67,006,756,666 $56,862,826,231 $678,976,265 $318,740,894
2024 $70,749,355,652 $60,658,948,871 $764,274,043 $321,609,564

Economic indicators

DR Congo Sao Tome
Gross domestic product
$70.7B
2024
$764M
2024
GDP rank
87/197
2024
189/197
2024
GDP growth
5.59%
2023-2024
12.6%
2023-2024
GDP per capita
$647
2024
$3,245
2024
GDP per capita rank
189/197
2024
138/197
2024
GDP per capita, PPP
$1,710
2024
$6,230
2024
Government debt
$13.7B
2024
$332M
2024
Debt-to-GDP ratio
16.3%
2025
37.3%
2025
Government debt per person
$125
2024
$1,410
2024
Government debt per person rank
183/185
2024
133/185
2024
Average annual personal income after taxes
$1,758
2025
$2,715
2025
Income share by richest 10%
35.7%
2020
32.8%
2017
Income share by poorest 10%
2.1%
2020
2.6%
2017
Government expenditure, % of GDP
17.4%
2025
24.5%
2025
Consumer prices inflation
2.89%
2015-2016
9.7%
2024-2025
Central bank interest rate
25%
2023
n/a
Unemployment rate
1.47%
2020
8.81%
2017
Population
115740092
244055

GDP per capita in DR Congo vs Sao Tome and Principe

The DR Congo's GDP per capita is $647, ranking 189/197, compared to $3,245 in Sao Tome and Principe, ranking 138/197. Adjusted for purchasing power (GDP per capita PPP), the DR Congo ranks 191st at $1,710, while Sao Tome and Principe ranks 151st at $6,230.

DR Congo
GDP per capita

GDP per capita, PPP
Sao Tome and Principe
GDP per capita

GDP per capita, PPP
Year Current $
DR Congo Sao Tome
GDP per capita GDP per capita, PPP GDP per capita GDP per capita, PPP
1960 $220.1 - - -
1961 $197.1 - - -
1962 $235.1 - - -
1963 $376 - - -
1964 $169.9 - - -
1965 $232 - - -
1966 $252.8 - - -
1967 $183.3 - - -
1968 $205.6 - - -
1969 $257.1 - - -
1970 $242.2 - $479 -
1971 $270.3 - $470 -
1972 $290.5 - $511 -
1973 $361 - $676 -
1974 $428 - $683 -
1975 $445 - $693 -
1976 $408 - $585 -
1977 $509 - $539 -
1978 $615 - $587 -
1979 $582 - $683 -
1980 $539 - $829 -
1981 $456 - $830 -
1982 $482 - $783 -
1983 $376 - $720 -
1984 $259.8 - $735 -
1985 $230.1 - $761 -
1986 $250.9 - $1,043 -
1987 $230.1 - $1,018 -
1988 $257.7 - $847 -
1989 $254.2 - $821 -
1990 $254.9 $832 $970 $1,504
1991 $253.8 $762 $855 $1,540
1992 $209.7 $674 $740 $1,556
1993 $263.3 $576 $964 $1,581
1994 $136.5 $540 $990 $1,623
1995 $127 $532 $769 $1,663
1996 $127.4 $526 $987 $1,693
1997 $132.3 $497 $662 $1,714
1998 $131.5 $481 $514 $1,754
1999 $96.3 $452 $543 $1,802
2000 $378 $417 $529 $1,830
2001 $142.7 $404 $519 $1,898
2002 $162.4 $410 $568 $1,945
2003 $161.5 $428 $664 $2,094
2004 $180.7 $456 $727 $2,171
2005 $203.6 $484 $844 $2,329
2006 $238.4 $509 $862 $2,551
2007 $267.9 $539 $879 $2,650
2008 $307 $567 $1,082 $2,802
2009 $280.8 $569 $1,128 $2,846
2010 $315 $597 $1,045 $2,859
2011 $365 $630 $1,220 $2,914
2012 $400 $632 $1,211 $2,695
2013 $431 $712 $1,383 $2,946
2014 $458 $805 $1,490 $3,233
2015 $468 $859 $1,298 $3,172
2016 $442 $914 $1,435 $3,320
2017 $437 $1,003 $1,556 $3,436
2018 $528 $1,069 $1,826 $3,941
2019 $557 $1,167 $1,935 $4,655
2020 $508 $1,136 $2,167 $5,145
2021 $558 $1,314 $2,363 $5,733
2022 $643 $1,484 $2,390 $6,034
2023 $633 $1,616 $2,941 $6,150
2024 $647 $1,710 $3,245 $6,230

Spending and national debt comparison

In 2024, the DR Congo's government spending was $12.6B, accounting for 17.4% of its GDP, while Sao Tome and Principe's spent $148M, or 24.5% of GDP.

Debt-to-GDP ratio is 16.3% in the DR Congo and 37.3% in Sao Tome and Principe, ranking 175/185 and 141/185, respectively.

DR Congo
Government spending

Government debt
Sao Tome and Principe
Government spending

Government debt
Year % of GDP
DR Congo Sao Tome
Government spending Government debt Government spending Government debt
1996 2.17% - - -
1997 2.51% - - -
1998 2.78% - - -
1999 2.15% - - -
2000 2.49% 135% 10.7% -
2001 4.26% 185.4% 52.8% 418%
2002 4.17% 136% 44.3% 367%
2003 9.19% 114.5% 51.9% 329%
2004 8.11% 164.1% 60.6% 354%
2005 8.28% 112% 43.7% 334%
2006 8.45% 107.5% 32.5% 283.2%
2007 8.78% 85.1% 38.9% 110.1%
2008 10.1% 80.3% 30.4% 60.7%
2009 12.4% 91.6% 48.6% 70.3%
2010 15.4% 31.8% 51.7% 83%
2011 13.7% 29.3% 53.4% 86%
2012 13.4% 25.1% 50.5% 86.3%
2013 11.9% 23.8% 35.5% 77.1%
2014 12.9% 22.8% 36% 67.4%
2015 15.2% 25.5% 41.6% 84.3%
2016 13.9% 33% 38.3% 81.7%
2017 10.4% 23.2% 31.9% 74.7%
2018 11.7% 19.3% 28% 71.5%
2019 13.4% 19.4% 22.8% 76.4%
2020 12.6% 24.9% 23.2% 70.8%
2021 14.4% 24.7% 25.6% 59.2%
2022 18.2% 22.6% 27.7% 55.1%
2023 17.2% 25.1% 24.3% 44.7%
2024 17.8% 19.3% 19.3% 43.5%
2025 17.4% 16.3% 24.5% 37.3%

Government deficit by year

In 2024, the DR Congo's government deficit, the difference between spending and revenue, was -$1.43B, equivalent to -2.02% of GDP. This compares to Sao Tome and Principe's surplus of $7.16M, or 0.94% of GDP.

Over the past 25 years, the DR Congo recorded a fiscal deficit in 15 of those years, while Sao Tome and Principe ran a deficit in 17 years. On average, the DR Congo posted an annual deficit equal to -0.48% of GDP, compared to surplus of +3.63% of GDP for Sao Tome and Principe.

Deficit/surplus
DR Congo

Sao Tome and Principe
Year Deficit/surplus, % of GDP
DR Congo Sao Tome
1996 -0.56% -
1997 -1.06% -
1998 -1.55% -
1999 -1.35% -
2000 -1.85% 51.5%
2001 -1.27% -13.5%
2002 0.72% -10.4%
2003 -4.24% -15.9%
2004 -1.09% -25.1%
2005 0.61% 26.8%
2006 0.99% 18%
2007 0.41% 125.1%
2008 -0.41% 13.6%
2009 0.92% -18%
2010 -0.97% -12.1%
2011 -0.96% -13%
2012 1.71% -12.3%
2013 1.76% 2.13%
2014 4.36% -6.27%
2015 0.66% -7.6%
2016 -0.48% -5.01%
2017 0.24% -3.11%
2018 -1.17% -2.02%
2019 -2.63% -0.07%
2020 -3.19% 2.94%
2021 -1.4% -1.52%
2022 -0.91% -2.24%
2023 -1.73% -2.17%
2024 -2.02% 0.94%
2025 -2.58% 2.56%

Inflation comparison by year

Over the past 21 years, the DR Congo has recorded an average annual inflation rate of 97%, compared with 18.6% in Sao Tome and Principe. In 2016, inflation was 2.89% in the DR Congo and 9.7% in Sao Tome and Principe.

Inflation
DR Congo

Sao Tome and Principe
Year Inflation
DR Congo Sao Tome DR Congo Sao Tome
1996 492% 42%
1997 198.5% 69%
1998 29.1% 42.1%
1999 284.9% 11%
2000 514% 11%
2001 360% 9.2%
2002 31.5% 10.1%
2003 12.9% 9.8%
2004 3.99% 13.3%
2005 21.3% 17.2%
2006 13.1% 23.1%
2007 16.9% 18.6%
2008 17.3% 32%
2009 2.8% 17%
2010 7.1% 13.3%
2011 15.3% 14.3%
2012 9.72% 10.6%
2013 0.81% 8.1%
2014 1.24% 7%
2015 0.74% 6.1%
2016 2.89% 5.4%
2017 - 5.7%
2018 - 7.9%
2019 - 7.7%
2020 - 9.8%
2021 - 8.1%
2022 - 18%
2023 - 21.2%
2024 - 14.4%
2025 - 9.7%

Balance of trade

DR Congo Sao Tome
Current account balance
-$2.72B
2024
-$79.4M
2022
Current account balance ranking
150/189
2024
85/189
2022
Current account balance, % of GDP
-3.84%
2024
-14.7%
2022
Goods imports
$31B
2024
$165M
2022
Goods exports
$34.9B
2024
$21.9M
2022
Service imports
$6.14B
2024
$54.6M
2022
Service exports
$322M
2024
$75.1M
2022
Imports of goods and services, % of GDP
50.9%
2024
n/a
Exports of goods and services, % of GDP
46.6%
2024
10%
2025

Economic freedom indices

The indices of economic freedom below are issued by the Heritage Foundation. Higher scores indicate stronger economic health.

DR Congo Sao Tome
Economic freedom 47.3 60.4
Economic freedom ranking 177/197 93/197
Property rights 15.6 53
Government integrity 11.7 47.7
Judicial effectiveness 12 60.6
Tax burden 74.2 88.6
Government spending 92.4 81.5
Fiscal health 97 93.6
Business freedom 32.8 52.8
Labor freedom 54.4 45.2
Monetary freedom 59.4 57.2
Trade freedom 68.2 65
Investment freedom 30 50
Financial freedom 20 30

Economic freedom by year comparison

The Economic Freedom Index for the DR Congo is 47.3, ranking 177/197, compared to 60.4 for Sao Tome and Principe, ranking 93/197. The chart below displays a comparison of annual changes in economic freedom indexes.

DR Congo
Sao Tome and Principe
Year Economic freedom index
DR Congo Sao Tome
1995 41.4 -
1996 39.5 -
1997 39.5 -
1998 40.6 -
1999 34 -
2000 34.8 -
2001 - -
2002 - -
2003 - -
2004 - -
2005 - -
2006 - -
2007 - -
2008 - -
2009 42.8 43.8
2010 41.4 48.8
2011 40.7 49.5
2012 41.1 50.2
2013 39.6 48
2014 40.6 48.8
2015 45 53.3
2016 46.4 56.7
2017 56.4 55.4
2018 52.1 53.6
2019 50.3 54
2020 49.5 56.2
2021 49 55.9
2022 47.6 60.3
2023 47.9 61.5
2024 47.6 60.5
2025 47.3 60.4

More economic indicators

DR Congo Sao Tome
Services, % of GDP
33%
2024
76.6%
2024
Industry, % of GDP
46.6%
2024
2.91%
2024
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, % of GDP
17.1%
2024
12.8%
2024
GNI, Atlas method
$70.4B
2024
$653M
2024
GNI per capita, PPP
$1,650
2024
$6,220
2024
Total reserves including gold
$5.1B
2023
$46.2M
2023
Total reserves ranking
99/177
2023
176/177
2023
Net foreign direct investment
-$2.92B
2024
-$127M
2022
Net inflows of foreign direct investment
$2.92B
2024
$21.9M
2024
Net outflows of foreign direct investment
$198M
2024
$1.8M
2024
Servicing debt to the IMF, % of GNI
0.76%
2023
0.94%
2023
Poverty at national poverty lines
56.2%
2020
66.2%
2020
Gross capital formation, % of GDP
33.4%
2024
n/a

GDP per capita map

GDP per capita

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The current account balance is the sum of net trade in goods and services, net earnings from cross-border investments, and net transfer payments. It reflects a country's economic transactions with the rest of the world and is a fundamental component of the balance of payments. A surplus indicates that a country exports more than it imports, while a deficit shows the opposite.

Gross National Income (GNI) measures a country's total income. It encompasses income earned by residents, businesses, and foreign sources, defined as employee compensation and investment profits. GNI adds product taxes not included elsewhere and subtracts subsidies. It accounts for income from residents working abroad but excludes earnings from foreigners within the country.

A negative value for Net Foreign Direct Investment indicates a country is a net receiver of investments, as foreign inflows exceed outflows after Balance of Payments adjustments. A positive value indicates a net provider, with outflows exceeding inflows. Inflows are credits (increasing foreign claims on domestic assets), while outflows are debits (increasing domestic assets abroad).

Foreign direct investment (FDI, net inflows) shows how much capital foreign investors bring into a country after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of overseas companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in the reporting country. A positive number means more capital entered the country than was withdrawn, while a negative number means foreign investors pulled out more than they invested.

Foreign direct investment (FDI, net outflows) shows how much capital residents of a country invest abroad after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of domestic companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in other countries. A positive number means more capital was invested abroad than withdrawn, while a negative number means residents pulled back more than they invested.

Principal and interest payments to the IMF in currency, goods, or services on long-term debt expressed as a share of GNI.

Formerly gross domestic investment, gross capital formation measures the share of a country’s economic output invested in fixed assets, including buildings, machinery, and infrastructure. It indicates how much of the economy is devoted to building productive capacity.