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Economy of Sao Tome and Principe vs United Arab Emirates compared: GDP & Debt

Updated on by Georank team

Sao Tome and Principe has a GDP of $764M compared to $537B for the United Arab Emirates, ranking 189/197 and 29/197 by economy size, respectively.

Sao Tome and Principe has $332M in government debt (37.3% of GDP), compared to $172B (32.8% of GDP) in the United Arab Emirates.

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 $
United Arab Emirates
GDP, current $

GDP, constant 2015 $
Year GDP
Sao Tome UAE
Current $ Constant $ Current $ Constant $
1970 $37,211,826 $76,468,736 $685,986,701 $14,070,592,924
1971 $37,288,845 $80,579,183 $939,893,600 $19,222,171,572
1972 $41,430,257 $82,425,279 $1,415,086,929 $26,734,126,559
1973 $56,011,245 $83,737,737 $4,231,243,616 $47,217,855,776
1974 $57,817,591 $88,497,202 $11,651,505,689 $54,063,519,993
1975 $60,101,710 $93,256,667 $14,720,728,249 $57,430,272,387
1976 $52,039,421 $94,785,465 $19,213,158,779 $66,921,691,096
1977 $49,207,692 $116,981,878 $24,871,775,165 $81,269,253,405
1978 $55,044,563 $120,371,194 $23,775,764,225 $79,977,394,655
1979 $65,755,928 $140,043,649 $31,225,659,621 $96,711,523,271
1980 $81,662,231 $138,529,274 $43,599,160,050 $119,801,181,765
1981 $83,499,264 $124,241,500 $49,333,424,135 $125,382,930,480
1982 $80,307,763 $128,084,021 $46,622,718,605 $116,958,054,939
1983 $75,110,289 $123,122,082 $42,803,323,345 $111,407,435,357
1984 $78,213,796 $115,697,255 $41,807,954,236 $115,882,617,757
1985 $82,733,069 $126,456,967 $40,603,650,232 $111,717,244,274
1986 $115,928,907 $119,081,847 $33,943,612,095 $95,006,426,309
1987 $115,952,925 $115,592,613 $36,384,908,744 $98,219,526,270
1988 $99,000,764 $117,902,998 $36,275,674,203 $95,647,247,530
1989 $98,545,367 $121,599,629 $41,464,995,914 $107,448,100,944
1990 $119,297,933 $118,982,020 $50,701,443,748 $127,141,173,341
1991 $107,484,143 $120,410,999 $51,552,165,622 $128,234,691,621
1992 $94,861,781 $121,253,872 $54,239,171,888 $132,524,071,346
1993 $125,742,229 $122,587,663 $55,625,170,253 $134,195,452,934
1994 $131,338,415 $125,284,594 $59,305,093,980 $143,449,770,720
1995 $103,695,237 $127,790,288 $65,743,666,576 $153,043,528,513
1996 $135,188,166 $129,707,144 $73,571,233,996 $161,917,610,698
1997 $91,920,274 $130,999,443 $78,839,008,445 $175,179,308,497
1998 $72,285,404 $134,274,413 $75,674,336,283 $175,690,822,167
1999 $77,302,212 $137,631,282 $84,445,473,111 $180,789,745,171
2000 $76,198,395 $138,248,377 $104,337,372,362 $200,410,321,466
2001 $75,951,133 $142,484,975 $103,311,640,572 $203,214,232,287
2002 $85,171,074 $147,272,738 $109,816,201,498 $208,159,362,863
2003 $102,085,769 $159,483,886 $124,346,358,067 $226,478,512,549
2004 $114,582,284 $165,126,276 $147,824,370,320 $248,144,435,950
2005 $136,450,662 $176,048,759 $180,617,467,965 $260,192,198,684
2006 $142,775,104 $191,657,435 $222,116,541,865 $285,788,137,283
2007 $149,146,919 $198,636,586 $257,916,133,424 $294,888,746,643
2008 $188,021,165 $211,009,232 $315,474,615,739 $304,301,112,625
2009 $200,668,065 $217,977,601 $253,547,358,747 $288,346,842,937
2010 $190,021,192 $221,134,909 $300,189,052,689 $292,968,610,444
2011 $226,455,001 $225,556,351 $360,832,739,551 $311,179,896,154
2012 $229,371,348 $232,194,345 $384,610,125,391 $316,857,313,566
2013 $267,041,748 $244,081,947 $400,218,529,748 $332,876,224,084
2014 $293,119,143 $256,057,121 $414,105,366,753 $346,742,821,790
2015 $259,999,643 $259,999,643 $370,275,469,571 $370,275,469,571
2016 $292,267,272 $273,459,369 $369,255,326,236 $390,868,305,597
2017 $322,002,845 $284,706,697 $390,516,804,030 $393,741,456,224
2018 $383,717,328 $297,171,521 $427,049,432,158 $398,914,879,875
2019 $412,976,083 $303,157,496 $417,989,721,743 $403,336,245,504
2020 $471,229,485 $311,114,955 $349,473,015,330 $383,342,656,333
2021 $524,402,456 $317,023,958 $415,178,792,757 $400,036,290,964
2022 $540,809,499 $317,558,772 $502,731,935,194 $430,077,804,445
2023 $678,976,265 $318,740,894 $514,130,432,648 $445,641,058,044
2024 $764,274,043 $321,609,564 $537,078,829,135 $462,404,360,915

Economic indicators

Sao Tome UAE
Gross domestic product
$764M
2024
$537B
2024
GDP rank
189/197
2024
29/197
2024
GDP growth
12.6%
2023-2024
4.46%
2023-2024
GDP per capita
$3,245
2024
$49,378
2024
GDP per capita rank
138/197
2024
24/197
2024
GDP per capita, PPP
$6,230
2024
$77,959
2024
Government debt
$332M
2024
$172B
2024
Debt-to-GDP ratio
37.3%
2025
32.8%
2025
Government debt per person
$1,410
2024
$15,857
2024
Government debt per person rank
133/185
2024
39/185
2024
Average annual personal income after taxes
$2,715
2025
$40,921
2025
Market capitalization of domestic companies n/a
$1.05T
2024
Number of millionaires n/a
202,201
2024
Number of billionaires n/a
6
2025
Income share by richest 10%
32.8%
2017
20.5%
2018
Income share by poorest 10%
2.6%
2017
2.8%
2018
Government expenditure, % of GDP
24.5%
2025
24%
2025
Consumer prices inflation
9.7%
2024-2025
1.6%
2024-2025
Central bank interest rate n/a
4.15%
2025
Unemployment rate
8.81%
2017
1.88%
2024
Population
244055
11372700

GDP per capita in Sao Tome and Principe vs United Arab Emirates

Sao Tome and Principe's GDP per capita is $3,245, ranking 138/197, compared to $49,378 in the United Arab Emirates, ranking 24/197. Adjusted for purchasing power (GDP per capita PPP), Sao Tome and Principe ranks 151st at $6,230, while the United Arab Emirates ranks 16th at $77,959.

Sao Tome and Principe
GDP per capita

GDP per capita, PPP
United Arab Emirates
GDP per capita

GDP per capita, PPP
Year Current $
Sao Tome UAE
GDP per capita GDP per capita, PPP GDP per capita GDP per capita, PPP
1970 $479 - $2,394 -
1971 $470 - $2,805 -
1972 $511 - $3,675 -
1973 $676 - $9,696 -
1974 $683 - $23,823 -
1975 $693 - $27,117 -
1976 $585 - $31,197 -
1977 $539 - $35,020 -
1978 $587 - $29,379 -
1979 $683 - $34,238 -
1980 $829 - $42,925 -
1981 $830 - $44,854 -
1982 $783 - $39,972 -
1983 $720 - $34,650 -
1984 $735 - $32,012 -
1985 $761 - $29,468 -
1986 $1,043 - $23,132 -
1987 $1,018 - $23,113 -
1988 $847 - $21,570 -
1989 $821 - $23,167 -
1990 $970 $1,504 $26,710 $86,949
1991 $855 $1,540 $25,691 $85,765
1992 $740 $1,556 $25,648 $86,019
1993 $964 $1,581 $25,033 $84,860
1994 $990 $1,623 $25,473 $88,427
1995 $769 $1,663 $27,003 $92,107
1996 $987 $1,693 $28,323 $93,009
1997 $662 $1,714 $27,983 $94,374
1998 $514 $1,754 $24,889 $88,693
1999 $543 $1,802 $25,856 $86,165
2000 $529 $1,830 $29,866 $91,318
2001 $519 $1,898 $27,745 $88,832
2002 $568 $1,945 $27,754 $86,960
2003 $664 $2,094 $29,660 $91,059
2004 $727 $2,171 $33,377 $96,982
2005 $844 $2,329 $38,719 $99,577
2006 $862 $2,551 $44,343 $104,995
2007 $879 $2,650 $45,855 $99,097
2008 $1,082 $2,802 $50,054 $93,017
2009 $1,128 $2,846 $37,803 $83,337
2010 $1,045 $2,859 $43,697 $83,671
2011 $1,220 $2,914 $50,789 $87,709
2012 $1,211 $2,695 $52,034 $87,340
2013 $1,383 $2,946 $52,024 $85,515
2014 $1,490 $3,233 $51,381 $85,248
2015 $1,298 $3,172 $43,535 $71,720
2016 $1,435 $3,320 $41,326 $67,702
2017 $1,556 $3,436 $42,341 $68,043
2018 $1,826 $3,941 $45,690 $75,071
2019 $1,935 $4,655 $44,251 $76,885
2020 $2,167 $5,145 $37,174 $65,353
2021 $2,363 $5,733 $43,360 $67,401
2022 $2,390 $6,034 $49,899 $73,778
2023 $2,941 $6,150 $49,041 $76,110
2024 $3,245 $6,230 $49,378 $77,959

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 United Arab Emirates' spent $125B, or 24% of GDP.

Debt-to-GDP ratio is 37.3% in Sao Tome and Principe and 32.8% in the United Arab Emirates, ranking 141/185 and 156/185, respectively.

Sao Tome and Principe
Government spending

Government debt
United Arab Emirates
Government spending

Government debt
Year % of GDP
Sao Tome UAE
Government spending Government debt Government spending Government debt
1991 - - 36% 4.97%
1992 - - 29.6% 5.31%
1993 - - 31.5% 6.01%
1994 - - 30.1% 5.58%
1995 - - 26.1% 5.06%
1996 - - 27.6% 3.48%
1997 - - 22.6% 2.86%
1998 - - 25.8% 4.18%
1999 - - 24.3% 4.73%
2000 10.7% - 21.8% 3.12%
2001 52.8% 418% 25.2% 2.69%
2002 44.3% 367% 21.3% 3.43%
2003 51.9% 329% 20% 3.33%
2004 60.6% 354% 17.7% 4.08%
2005 43.7% 334% 15.7% 4.48%
2006 32.5% 283.2% 15.6% 5.05%
2007 38.9% 110.1% 17.7% 8.89%
2008 30.4% 60.7% 22% 8.95%
2009 48.6% 70.3% 35% 21.1%
2010 51.7% 83% 31.1% 18.8%
2011 53.4% 86% 30.3% 20.9%
2012 50.5% 86.3% 28.4% 20.7%
2013 35.5% 77.1% 29.6% 15.6%
2014 36% 67.4% 32.2% 13.8%
2015 41.6% 84.3% 27.2% 16.1%
2016 38.3% 81.7% 32.8% 19.3%
2017 31.9% 74.7% 28.1% 21.9%
2018 28% 71.5% 26.7% 21.3%
2019 22.8% 76.4% 28.4% 26.8%
2020 23.2% 70.8% 31.1% 41.3%
2021 25.6% 59.2% 26.4% 36.3%
2022 27.7% 55.1% 23.1% 32.1%
2023 24.3% 44.7% 23% 32.4%
2024 19.3% 43.5% 23.2% 32.1%
2025 24.5% 37.3% 24% 32.8%

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 United Arab Emirates' surplus of $25.9B, or 4.83% of GDP.

Over the past 25 years, Sao Tome and Principe recorded a fiscal deficit in 17 of those years, while the United Arab Emirates ran a deficit in 6 years. On average, Sao Tome and Principe posted an annual surplus equal to +3.63% of GDP, compared to surplus of +5.1% of GDP for the United Arab Emirates.

Deficit/surplus
Sao Tome and Principe

United Arab Emirates
Year Deficit/surplus, % of GDP
Sao Tome UAE
1991 - 3.89%
1992 - 3.34%
1993 - -2.89%
1994 - -1.78%
1995 - 3.58%
1996 - 0.92%
1997 - 6.71%
1998 - 1%
1999 - 1.31%
2000 51.5% 10.7%
2001 -13.5% 1.21%
2002 -10.4% -1.24%
2003 -15.9% 2.35%
2004 -25.1% 6.4%
2005 26.8% 16%
2006 18% 20.2%
2007 125.1% 17.1%
2008 13.6% 17.6%
2009 -18% -6.13%
2010 -12.1% 0.53%
2011 -13% 5.17%
2012 -12.3% 8.77%
2013 2.13% 8.18%
2014 -6.27% 1.79%
2015 -7.6% -6.56%
2016 -5.01% -3.05%
2017 -3.11% -0.16%
2018 -2.02% 3.77%
2019 -0.07% 2.59%
2020 2.94% -2.47%
2021 -1.52% 4.03%
2022 -2.24% 9.97%
2023 -2.17% 5.91%
2024 0.94% 4.83%
2025 2.56% 2.89%

Inflation comparison by year

Over the past 30 years, Sao Tome and Principe has recorded an average annual inflation rate of 16.4%, compared with 2.72% in the United Arab Emirates. In 2025, inflation was 9.7% in Sao Tome and Principe and 1.6% in the United Arab Emirates.

Inflation
Sao Tome and Principe

United Arab Emirates
Year Inflation
Sao Tome UAE Sao Tome UAE
1996 42% 3%
1997 69% 3%
1998 42.1% 2%
1999 11% 2.1%
2000 11% 1.3%
2001 9.2% 2.8%
2002 10.1% 2.9%
2003 9.8% 3.1%
2004 13.3% 5%
2005 17.2% 6.2%
2006 23.1% 9.3%
2007 18.6% 11.1%
2008 32% 12.3%
2009 17% -4.7%
2010 13.3% 0.9%
2011 14.3% 0.9%
2012 10.6% 0.7%
2013 8.1% 1.1%
2014 7% 2.3%
2015 6.1% 4.1%
2016 5.4% 1.6%
2017 5.7% 2%
2018 7.9% 3.1%
2019 7.7% -1.9%
2020 9.8% -2.1%
2021 8.1% -0.1%
2022 18% 4.8%
2023 21.2% 1.6%
2024 14.4% 1.7%
2025 9.7% 1.6%

Top exports between countries

Sao Tome
Export category Export value
UAE
Export category Export value
Raw materials & minerals $272K
Chemicals & pharma $247K
Textiles & consumer goods $217K
Machinery & equipment $188K
Animal & marine products $62K
Metals $26K
Miscellaneous $19K
Wood & paper products $19K
Raw agricultural goods $13K
Precious metals & jewellery $6K

Balance of trade

Sao Tome UAE
Current account balance
-$79.4M
2022
n/a
Current account balance ranking
85/189
2022
n/a
Current account balance, % of GDP
-14.7%
2022
n/a
Goods imports
$165M
2022
n/a
Goods exports
$21.9M
2022
n/a
Service imports
$54.6M
2022
n/a
Service exports
$75.1M
2022
n/a
Imports of goods and services, % of GDP n/a
93.7%
2023
Exports of goods and services, % of GDP
10%
2025
108.6%
2023

Economic freedom indices

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

Sao Tome UAE
Economic freedom 60.4 71.6
Economic freedom ranking 93/197 29/197
Property rights 53 65.4
Government integrity 47.7 65.9
Judicial effectiveness 60.6 35.2
Tax burden 88.6 96.9
Government spending 81.5 82.3
Fiscal health 93.6 97.9
Business freedom 52.8 84.2
Labor freedom 45.2 62.1
Monetary freedom 57.2 80.5
Trade freedom 65 78.4
Investment freedom 50 50
Financial freedom 30 60

Economic freedom by year comparison

The Economic Freedom Index for Sao Tome and Principe is 60.4, ranking 93/197, compared to 71.6 for the United Arab Emirates, ranking 29/197. The chart below displays a comparison of annual changes in economic freedom indexes.

Sao Tome and Principe
United Arab Emirates
Year Economic freedom index
Sao Tome UAE
1996 - 71.6
1997 - 71.9
1998 - 72.2
1999 - 71.5
2000 - 74.2
2001 - 74.9
2002 - 73.6
2003 - 73.4
2004 - 67.2
2005 - 65.2
2006 - 62.2
2007 - 62.6
2008 - 62.6
2009 43.8 64.7
2010 48.8 67.3
2011 49.5 67.8
2012 50.2 69.3
2013 48 71.1
2014 48.8 71.4
2015 53.3 72.4
2016 56.7 72.6
2017 55.4 76.9
2018 53.6 77.6
2019 54 77.6
2020 56.2 76.2
2021 55.9 76.9
2022 60.3 70.2
2023 61.5 70.9
2024 60.5 71.1
2025 60.4 71.6

More economic indicators

Sao Tome UAE
Services, % of GDP
76.6%
2024
51.6%
2023
Industry, % of GDP
2.91%
2024
47.7%
2023
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, % of GDP
12.8%
2024
0.7%
2023
GNI, Atlas method
$653M
2024
$538B
2024
GNI per capita, PPP
$6,220
2024
$78,110
2024
Total reserves including gold
$46.2M
2023
$238B
2024
Total reserves ranking
176/177
2023
14/177
2024
Net foreign direct investment
-$127M
2022
n/a
Net inflows of foreign direct investment
$21.9M
2024
$45.6B
2024
Net outflows of foreign direct investment
$1.8M
2024
$23.4B
2024
Servicing debt to the IMF, % of GNI
0.94%
2023
n/a
Poverty at national poverty lines
66.2%
2020
19.5%
2020
Gross capital formation, % of GDP
n/a
27.1%
2023

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.