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

Updated on by Georank team

Sao Tome and Principe has a GDP of $764M compared to $2.17B for the Seychelles, ranking 189/197 and 176/197 by economy size, respectively.

Sao Tome and Principe has $332M in government debt (37.3% of GDP), compared to $1.25B (59.3% of GDP) in the Seychelles.

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

Sao Tome and Principe
GDP, current $

GDP, constant 2015 $
Seychelles
GDP, current $

GDP, constant 2015 $
Year GDP
Sao Tome Seychelles
Current $ Constant $ Current $ Constant $
1960 - - $12,012,025 $132,183,660
1961 - - $11,592,024 $125,730,088
1962 - - $12,642,026 $136,302,205
1963 - - $13,923,029 $150,117,255
1964 - - $15,393,032 $159,003,065
1965 - - $15,603,032 $157,316,725
1966 - - $16,443,034 $179,178,255
1967 - - $16,632,032 $180,082,639
1968 - - $16,074,028 $193,684,705
1969 - - $16,452,028 $193,684,705
1970 $37,211,826 $76,468,736 $18,432,032 $210,868,160
1971 $37,288,845 $80,579,183 $21,965,951 $244,294,508
1972 $41,430,257 $82,425,279 $30,645,123 $259,705,357
1973 $56,011,245 $83,737,737 $36,896,280 $283,219,564
1974 $57,817,591 $88,497,202 $43,134,496 $286,909,490
1975 $60,101,710 $93,256,667 $47,803,146 $296,025,766
1976 $52,039,421 $94,785,465 $49,278,982 $344,211,798
1977 $49,207,692 $116,981,878 $64,526,401 $322,904,307
1978 $55,044,563 $120,371,194 $85,552,366 $391,204,033
1979 $65,755,928 $140,043,649 $127,261,099 $452,992,130
1980 $81,662,231 $138,529,274 $156,783,830 $429,886,465
1981 $83,499,264 $124,241,500 $163,750,728 $413,220,699
1982 $80,307,763 $128,084,021 $157,211,790 $404,662,591
1983 $75,110,289 $123,122,082 $156,098,237 $402,168,917
1984 $78,213,796 $115,697,255 $160,992,921 $419,484,794
1985 $82,733,069 $126,456,967 $179,691,483 $462,665,475
1986 $115,928,907 $119,081,847 $221,147,061 $466,190,739
1987 $115,952,925 $115,592,613 $265,212,957 $488,915,451
1988 $99,000,764 $117,902,998 $301,985,618 $514,957,094
1989 $98,545,367 $121,599,629 $324,333,367 $567,923,802
1990 $119,297,933 $118,982,020 $392,163,561 $610,261,195
1991 $107,484,143 $120,410,999 $398,307,170 $627,107,005
1992 $94,861,781 $121,253,872 $461,409,399 $672,089,666
1993 $125,742,229 $122,587,663 $504,230,621 $721,174,866
1994 $131,338,415 $125,284,594 $517,570,058 $703,602,944
1995 $103,695,237 $127,790,288 $540,733,048 $707,015,677
1996 $135,188,166 $129,707,144 $535,250,347 $777,702,722
1997 $91,920,274 $130,999,443 $598,966,982 $872,533,006
1998 $72,285,404 $134,274,413 $647,287,376 $894,062,243
1999 $77,302,212 $137,631,282 $662,838,615 $910,799,133
2000 $76,198,395 $138,248,377 $654,212,394 $949,537,227
2001 $75,951,133 $142,484,975 $662,064,156 $927,971,690
2002 $85,171,074 $147,272,738 $742,134,838 $939,226,436
2003 $102,085,769 $159,483,886 $750,847,230 $883,932,969
2004 $114,582,284 $165,126,276 $893,012,218 $858,736,867
2005 $136,450,662 $176,048,759 $977,899,382 $936,072,663
2006 $142,775,104 $191,657,435 $1,081,441,283 $1,024,120,861
2007 $149,146,919 $198,636,586 $1,077,308,814 $1,115,022,509
2008 $188,021,165 $211,009,232 $979,597,394 $1,084,627,595
2009 $200,668,065 $217,977,601 $850,901,620 $1,057,735,599
2010 $190,021,192 $221,134,909 $981,616,542 $1,105,387,984
2011 $226,455,001 $225,556,351 $1,058,918,707 $1,210,507,987
2012 $229,371,348 $232,194,345 $1,089,407,839 $1,248,162,998
2013 $267,041,748 $244,081,947 $1,333,160,407 $1,263,811,654
2014 $293,119,143 $256,057,121 $1,387,577,870 $1,315,169,065
2015 $259,999,643 $259,999,643 $1,432,403,352 $1,432,403,352
2016 $292,267,272 $273,459,369 $1,568,513,348 $1,605,975,219
2017 $322,002,845 $284,706,697 $1,675,370,641 $1,717,657,340
2018 $383,717,328 $297,171,521 $1,784,313,927 $1,802,500,556
2019 $412,976,083 $303,157,496 $1,868,690,097 $1,901,895,701
2020 $471,229,485 $311,114,955 $1,382,551,752 $1,678,615,793
2021 $524,402,456 $317,023,958 $1,487,173,795 $1,687,886,479
2022 $540,809,499 $317,558,772 $2,018,346,589 $1,902,424,765
2023 $678,976,265 $318,740,894 $2,187,379,755 $1,945,405,358
2024 $764,274,043 $321,609,564 $2,167,239,562 $2,012,826,895

Economic indicators

Sao Tome Seychelles
Gross domestic product
$764M
2024
$2.17B
2024
GDP rank
189/197
2024
176/197
2024
GDP growth
12.6%
2023-2024
-0.92%
2023-2024
GDP per capita
$3,245
2024
$17,859
2024
GDP per capita rank
138/197
2024
63/197
2024
GDP per capita, PPP
$6,230
2024
$33,239
2024
Government debt
$332M
2024
$1.25B
2024
Debt-to-GDP ratio
37.3%
2025
59.3%
2025
Government debt per person
$1,410
2024
$10,323
2024
Government debt per person rank
133/185
2024
59/185
2024
Average annual personal income after taxes
$2,715
2025
$9,988
2025
Market capitalization of domestic companies n/a
$811M
2024
Income share by richest 10%
32.8%
2017
23.9%
2018
Income share by poorest 10%
2.6%
2017
2.6%
2018
Government expenditure, % of GDP
24.5%
2025
36%
2025
Consumer prices inflation
9.7%
2024-2025
0.31%
2023-2024
Central bank interest rate n/a
1.75%
2024
Unemployment rate
8.81%
2017
2.59%
2024
Population
244055
125181

GDP per capita in Sao Tome and Principe vs Seychelles

Sao Tome and Principe's GDP per capita is $3,245, ranking 138/197, compared to $17,859 in the Seychelles, ranking 63/197. Adjusted for purchasing power (GDP per capita PPP), Sao Tome and Principe ranks 151st at $6,230, while the Seychelles ranks 67th at $33,239.

Sao Tome and Principe
GDP per capita

GDP per capita, PPP
Seychelles
GDP per capita

GDP per capita, PPP
Year Current $
Sao Tome Seychelles
GDP per capita GDP per capita, PPP GDP per capita GDP per capita, PPP
1960 - - $288.1 -
1961 - - $270.3 -
1962 - - $287 -
1963 - - $308 -
1964 - - $332 -
1965 - - $328 -
1966 - - $338 -
1967 - - $333 -
1968 - - $314 -
1969 - - $314 -
1970 $479 - $344 -
1971 $470 - $402 -
1972 $511 - $547 -
1973 $676 - $649 -
1974 $683 - $745 -
1975 $693 - $806 -
1976 $585 - $814 -
1977 $539 - $1,044 -
1978 $587 - $1,377 -
1979 $683 - $2,030 -
1980 $829 - $2,478 -
1981 $830 - $2,557 -
1982 $783 - $2,441 -
1983 $720 - $2,426 -
1984 $735 - $2,488 -
1985 $761 - $2,754 -
1986 $1,043 - $3,368 -
1987 $1,018 - $3,872 -
1988 $847 - $4,392 -
1989 $821 - $4,689 -
1990 $970 $1,504 $5,642 $8,955
1991 $855 $1,540 $5,655 $9,387
1992 $740 $1,556 $6,520 $10,243
1993 $964 $1,581 $6,979 $11,020
1994 $990 $1,623 $6,975 $10,692
1995 $769 $1,663 $7,181 $10,809
1996 $987 $1,693 $7,004 $11,931
1997 $662 $1,714 $7,747 $13,458
1998 $514 $1,754 $8,210 $13,675
1999 $543 $1,802 $8,243 $13,853
2000 $529 $1,830 $8,064 $14,638
2001 $519 $1,898 $8,153 $14,615
2002 $568 $1,945 $8,864 $14,570
2003 $664 $2,094 $9,070 $14,142
2004 $727 $2,171 $10,828 $14,160
2005 $844 $2,329 $11,802 $15,846
2006 $862 $2,551 $12,783 $17,503
2007 $879 $2,650 $12,669 $19,473
2008 $1,082 $2,802 $11,265 $18,881
2009 $1,128 $2,846 $9,747 $18,453
2010 $1,045 $2,859 $10,935 $18,982
2011 $1,220 $2,914 $12,110 $21,781
2012 $1,211 $2,695 $12,337 $22,264
2013 $1,383 $2,946 $14,821 $22,487
2014 $1,490 $3,233 $15,188 $24,985
2015 $1,298 $3,172 $15,333 $25,435
2016 $1,435 $3,320 $16,567 $28,811
2017 $1,556 $3,436 $17,480 $30,675
2018 $1,826 $3,941 $18,440 $32,091
2019 $1,935 $4,655 $19,142 $34,219
2020 $2,167 $5,145 $14,041 $31,056
2021 $2,363 $5,733 $14,983 $29,980
2022 $2,390 $6,034 $16,837 $29,973
2023 $2,941 $6,150 $18,263 $31,781
2024 $3,245 $6,230 $17,859 $33,239

Spending and national debt comparison

In 2024, Sao Tome and Principe's government spending was $148M, accounting for 24.5% of its GDP, while the Seychelles' spent $739M, or 36% of GDP.

Debt-to-GDP ratio is 37.3% in Sao Tome and Principe and 59.3% in the Seychelles, ranking 141/185 and 85/185, respectively.

Sao Tome and Principe
Government spending

Government debt
Seychelles
Government spending

Government debt
Year % of GDP
Sao Tome Seychelles
Government spending Government debt Government spending Government debt
1983 - - 47.9% 12.4%
1984 - - 50.5% 15.3%
1985 - - 53% 26.5%
1986 - - 58% 31.5%
1987 - - 49.7% 37%
1988 - - 46.7% 41.3%
1989 - - 51.7% 39.9%
1990 - - 46.1% 80.4%
1991 - - 52.1% 89.2%
1992 - - 50.7% 79.9%
1993 - - 60.4% 82.2%
1994 - - 63.6% 123.5%
1995 - - 53.1% 133.5%
1996 - - 59.1% 146.7%
1997 - - 54.7% 143%
1998 - - 60.7% 161.2%
1999 - - 56.1% 159.8%
2000 10.7% - 55.4% 177.8%
2001 52.8% 418% 46.8% 199.8%
2002 44.3% 367% 56.3% 195.9%
2003 51.9% 329% 44.6% 177%
2004 60.6% 354% 39.9% 163.2%
2005 43.7% 334% 39% 144.1%
2006 32.5% 283.2% 43.6% 135.1%
2007 38.9% 110.1% 41.9% 144%
2008 30.4% 60.7% 27% 192.1%
2009 48.6% 70.3% 32.1% 106.1%
2010 51.7% 83% 34.6% 82.2%
2011 53.4% 86% 36.4% 82.5%
2012 50.5% 86.3% 38.6% 80.1%
2013 35.5% 77.1% 37.8% 68.2%
2014 36% 67.4% 33.4% 70.4%
2015 41.6% 84.3% 31.5% 64.7%
2016 38.3% 81.7% 34.5% 62.8%
2017 31.9% 74.7% 34.3% 56.7%
2018 28% 71.5% 33% 51.3%
2019 22.8% 76.4% 31.7% 48.9%
2020 23.2% 70.8% 46.7% 77.4%
2021 25.6% 59.2% 38.8% 71.2%
2022 27.7% 55.1% 31.3% 60%
2023 24.3% 44.7% 32.9% 55.3%
2024 19.3% 43.5% 34.1% 57.8%
2025 24.5% 37.3% 36% 59.3%

Government deficit by year

In 2024, Sao Tome and Principe's government surplus, the difference between spending and revenue, was $7.16M, equivalent to 0.94% of GDP. This compares to the Seychelles' deficit of -$31.8M, or -1.47% of GDP.

Over the past 25 years, Sao Tome and Principe recorded a fiscal deficit in 17 of those years, while the Seychelles ran a deficit in 12 years. On average, Sao Tome and Principe posted an annual surplus equal to +3.63% of GDP, compared to deficit of -2.04% of GDP for the Seychelles.

Deficit/surplus
Sao Tome and Principe

Seychelles
Year Deficit/surplus, % of GDP
Sao Tome Seychelles
1983 - -3.13%
1984 - -6.09%
1985 - -4.86%
1986 - -10.1%
1987 - 2.77%
1988 - 11.8%
1989 - 8.26%
1990 - 11.9%
1991 - 3.15%
1992 - 6.44%
1993 - -3.62%
1994 - -6.95%
1995 - -2.58%
1996 - -9.69%
1997 - -5.91%
1998 - -16.7%
1999 - -10.3%
2000 51.5% -14.7%
2001 -13.5% -8.93%
2002 -10.4% -16.3%
2003 -15.9% 3.4%
2004 -25.1% 0.44%
2005 26.8% 0.42%
2006 18% -2.54%
2007 125.1% -9.93%
2008 13.6% 7.88%
2009 -18% 4.84%
2010 -12.1% 0.52%
2011 -13% 3.36%
2012 -12.3% 2.93%
2013 2.13% 0.33%
2014 -6.27% 2.87%
2015 -7.6% 1.39%
2016 -5.01% 0.02%
2017 -3.11% -1.67%
2018 -2.02% -0.8%
2019 -0.07% 0.42%
2020 2.94% -15.7%
2021 -1.52% -5.76%
2022 -2.24% -0.76%
2023 -2.17% -1.14%
2024 0.94% -1.47%
2025 2.56% -1.19%

Inflation comparison by year

Over the past 29 years, Sao Tome and Principe has recorded an average annual inflation rate of 16.7%, compared with 4.82% in the Seychelles. In 2024, inflation was 9.7% in Sao Tome and Principe and 0.31% in the Seychelles.

Inflation
Sao Tome and Principe

Seychelles
Year Inflation
Sao Tome Seychelles Sao Tome Seychelles
1996 42% -1.1%
1997 69% 0.62%
1998 42.1% 2.58%
1999 11% 6.35%
2000 11% 6.27%
2001 9.2% 5.97%
2002 10.1% 0.18%
2003 9.8% 3.3%
2004 13.3% 3.86%
2005 17.2% 0.91%
2006 23.1% -0.35%
2007 18.6% 5.32%
2008 32% 37%
2009 17% 31.8%
2010 13.3% -2.4%
2011 14.3% 2.56%
2012 10.6% 7.11%
2013 8.1% 4.34%
2014 7% 1.39%
2015 6.1% 4.04%
2016 5.4% -1.02%
2017 5.7% 2.86%
2018 7.9% 3.7%
2019 7.7% 1.81%
2020 9.8% 1.2%
2021 8.1% 9.77%
2022 18% 2.63%
2023 21.2% -1.04%
2024 14.4% 0.31%
2025 9.7% -

Balance of trade

Sao Tome Seychelles
Current account balance
-$79.4M
2022
-$155M
2023
Current account balance ranking
85/189
2022
90/189
2023
Current account balance, % of GDP
-14.7%
2022
-7.09%
2023
Goods imports
$165M
2022
$1.43B
2023
Goods exports
$21.9M
2022
$542M
2023
Service imports
$54.6M
2022
$1.01B
2023
Service exports
$75.1M
2022
$1.83B
2023
Imports of goods and services, % of GDP n/a
103.2%
2024
Exports of goods and services, % of GDP
10%
2025
85.2%
2024

Economic freedom indices

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

Sao Tome Seychelles
Economic freedom 60.4 66.4
Economic freedom ranking 93/197 58/197
Property rights 53 74
Government integrity 47.7 75
Judicial effectiveness 60.6 63.7
Tax burden 88.6 79.7
Government spending 81.5 64.6
Fiscal health 93.6 83.2
Business freedom 52.8 78.8
Labor freedom 45.2 56.5
Monetary freedom 57.2 75.6
Trade freedom 65 85.2
Investment freedom 50 30
Financial freedom 30 30

Economic freedom by year comparison

The Economic Freedom Index for Sao Tome and Principe is 60.4, ranking 93/197, compared to 66.4 for the Seychelles, ranking 58/197. The chart below displays a comparison of annual changes in economic freedom indexes.

Sao Tome and Principe
Seychelles
Year Economic freedom index
Sao Tome Seychelles
2009 43.8 47.8
2010 48.8 47.9
2011 49.5 51.2
2012 50.2 53
2013 48 54.9
2014 48.8 56.2
2015 53.3 57.5
2016 56.7 62.2
2017 55.4 61.8
2018 53.6 61.6
2019 54 61.4
2020 56.2 64.3
2021 55.9 66.3
2022 60.3 61.1
2023 61.5 59.5
2024 60.5 60.4
2025 60.4 66.4

More economic indicators

Sao Tome Seychelles
Services, % of GDP
76.6%
2024
65.8%
2024
Industry, % of GDP
2.91%
2024
12.3%
2024
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, % of GDP
12.8%
2024
2.45%
2024
GNI, Atlas method
$653M
2024
$2.12B
2024
GNI per capita, PPP
$6,220
2024
$32,180
2024
Total reserves including gold
$46.2M
2023
$774M
2024
Total reserves ranking
176/177
2023
146/177
2024
Net foreign direct investment
-$127M
2022
-$279M
2023
Net inflows of foreign direct investment
$21.9M
2024
$299M
2024
Net outflows of foreign direct investment
$1.8M
2024
$46.1M
2024
Servicing debt to the IMF, % of GNI
0.94%
2023
n/a
Poverty at national poverty lines
66.2%
2020
25.3%
2018
Gross capital formation, % of GDP
n/a
17.2%
2024

GDP per capita map

GDP per capita

Compare countries by 7 more topics

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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.