Eritrea has a population of 3.54M (ranked 131/197), compared with 236K in Sao Tome and Principe (ranked 176/197). Eritrea's land area is 46,787 sq mi versus 371 sq mi for Sao Tome and Principe (ranked 96th vs. 172nd).
By GDP, Eritrea ranks 179/197 ($2.07B) and Sao Tome and Principe ranks 189/197 ($764M). By GDP per capita, Eritrea ranks 188/197 ($689), while Sao Tome and Principe ranks 138/197 ($3,245).
Main facts and rankings
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population |
3667774
|
244055
|
| Population rank | 131/197 | 176/197 |
| GDP |
$2.07B
2011 |
$764M
2024 |
| GDP rank | 179/197 | 189/197 |
| GDP per capita |
$689
2011 |
$3,245
2024 |
| GDP per capita rank | 188/197 | 138/197 |
| GDP per capita, PPP |
$1,742
2011 |
$6,230
2024 |
| Government debt |
$3.54B
2011 |
$332M
2024 |
| Debt-to-GDP ratio |
260.4%
2019 |
37.3%
2025 |
| Government debt per person |
$1,182
2011 |
$1,410
2024 |
| Government debt per person rank | 137/185 | 133/185 |
| Average annual personal income after taxes |
$1,342
2025 |
$2,715
2025 |
| Land area |
46,787 sq mi
2025 |
371 sq mi
2025 |
| Population density |
75.6 ppl/mi²
2024 |
635 ppl/mi²
2024 |
| Fertility rate |
3.71
2023 |
3.64
2023 |
| Median age |
19.9 years
2024 |
20.3 years
2024 |
| Life expectancy |
69.2 years
2025 |
70.1 years
2025 |
Eritrea and Sao Tome and Principe: Comparison Charts
Eritrea and Sao Tome and Principe economies compared
| Year | GDP | |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
| 1970 | - | $37,211,826 |
| 1971 | - | $37,288,845 |
| 1972 | - | $41,430,257 |
| 1973 | - | $56,011,245 |
| 1974 | - | $57,817,591 |
| 1975 | - | $60,101,710 |
| 1976 | - | $52,039,421 |
| 1977 | - | $49,207,692 |
| 1978 | - | $55,044,563 |
| 1979 | - | $65,755,928 |
| 1980 | - | $81,662,231 |
| 1981 | - | $83,499,264 |
| 1982 | - | $80,307,763 |
| 1983 | - | $75,110,289 |
| 1984 | - | $78,213,796 |
| 1985 | - | $82,733,069 |
| 1986 | - | $115,928,907 |
| 1987 | - | $115,952,925 |
| 1988 | - | $99,000,764 |
| 1989 | - | $98,545,367 |
| 1990 | - | $119,297,933 |
| 1991 | - | $107,484,143 |
| 1992 | $477,101,652 | $94,861,781 |
| 1993 | $467,872,715 | $125,742,229 |
| 1994 | $531,688,312 | $131,338,415 |
| 1995 | $578,015,625 | $103,695,237 |
| 1996 | $693,535,954 | $135,188,166 |
| 1997 | $686,490,090 | $91,920,274 |
| 1998 | $745,523,117 | $72,285,404 |
| 1999 | $688,918,537 | $77,302,212 |
| 2000 | $706,370,816 | $76,198,395 |
| 2001 | $752,371,689 | $75,951,133 |
| 2002 | $729,321,680 | $85,171,074 |
| 2003 | $870,248,268 | $102,085,769 |
| 2004 | $1,109,054,005 | $114,582,284 |
| 2005 | $1,098,424,686 | $136,450,662 |
| 2006 | $1,211,161,880 | $142,775,104 |
| 2007 | $1,317,974,491 | $149,146,919 |
| 2008 | $1,380,188,800 | $188,021,165 |
| 2009 | $1,856,695,551 | $200,668,065 |
| 2010 | $1,589,515,447 | $190,021,192 |
| 2011 | $2,065,001,626 | $226,455,001 |
| 2012 | - | $229,371,348 |
| 2013 | - | $267,041,748 |
| 2014 | - | $293,119,143 |
| 2015 | - | $259,999,643 |
| 2016 | - | $292,267,272 |
| 2017 | - | $322,002,845 |
| 2018 | - | $383,717,328 |
| 2019 | - | $412,976,083 |
| 2020 | - | $471,229,485 |
| 2021 | - | $524,402,456 |
| 2022 | - | $540,809,499 |
| 2023 | - | $678,976,265 |
| 2024 | - | $764,274,043 |
Eritrea and Sao Tome and Principe economies compared
| Year | GDP per capita | |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
| 1970 | - | $479 |
| 1971 | - | $470 |
| 1972 | - | $511 |
| 1973 | - | $676 |
| 1974 | - | $683 |
| 1975 | - | $693 |
| 1976 | - | $585 |
| 1977 | - | $539 |
| 1978 | - | $587 |
| 1979 | - | $683 |
| 1980 | - | $829 |
| 1981 | - | $830 |
| 1982 | - | $783 |
| 1983 | - | $720 |
| 1984 | - | $735 |
| 1985 | - | $761 |
| 1986 | - | $1,043 |
| 1987 | - | $1,018 |
| 1988 | - | $847 |
| 1989 | - | $821 |
| 1990 | - | $970 |
| 1991 | - | $855 |
| 1992 | $265.2 | $740 |
| 1993 | $252.1 | $964 |
| 1994 | $277.8 | $990 |
| 1995 | $285.4 | $769 |
| 1996 | $326 | $987 |
| 1997 | $319 | $662 |
| 1998 | $342 | $514 |
| 1999 | $311 | $543 |
| 2000 | $314 | $529 |
| 2001 | $325 | $519 |
| 2002 | $305 | $568 |
| 2003 | $349 | $664 |
| 2004 | $427 | $727 |
| 2005 | $413 | $844 |
| 2006 | $448 | $862 |
| 2007 | $480 | $879 |
| 2008 | $490 | $1,082 |
| 2009 | $643 | $1,128 |
| 2010 | $540 | $1,045 |
| 2011 | $689 | $1,220 |
| 2012 | - | $1,211 |
| 2013 | - | $1,383 |
| 2014 | - | $1,490 |
| 2015 | - | $1,298 |
| 2016 | - | $1,435 |
| 2017 | - | $1,556 |
| 2018 | - | $1,826 |
| 2019 | - | $1,935 |
| 2020 | - | $2,167 |
| 2021 | - | $2,363 |
| 2022 | - | $2,390 |
| 2023 | - | $2,941 |
| 2024 | - | $3,245 |
Eritrea vs. Sao Tome and Principe life expectancy calculator
| Year | Life expectancy, years | |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
| 1950 | 33.3 | 39.1 |
| 1951 | 33.6 | 39.1 |
| 1952 | 34 | 39.1 |
| 1953 | 34.4 | 39.1 |
| 1954 | 34.8 | 39.2 |
| 1955 | 35.2 | 39.3 |
| 1956 | 35.6 | 39.5 |
| 1957 | 30.4 | 40.1 |
| 1958 | 30.9 | 41 |
| 1959 | 37 | 42.1 |
| 1960 | 37.4 | 43.6 |
| 1961 | 37.9 | 45.2 |
| 1962 | 38.3 | 46.8 |
| 1963 | 38.8 | 48.4 |
| 1964 | 39.2 | 49.7 |
| 1965 | 39.6 | 51.1 |
| 1966 | 37.6 | 52.3 |
| 1967 | 40.2 | 53.4 |
| 1968 | 40.5 | 54.5 |
| 1969 | 40.8 | 55.4 |
| 1970 | 41.2 | 56.3 |
| 1971 | 41.5 | 57 |
| 1972 | 40.7 | 57.4 |
| 1973 | 41.1 | 57.9 |
| 1974 | 39 | 58.3 |
| 1975 | 39 | 58.6 |
| 1976 | 42.6 | 58.8 |
| 1977 | 43 | 59 |
| 1978 | 43.4 | 59.1 |
| 1979 | 43.8 | 59.3 |
| 1980 | 44.6 | 59.4 |
| 1981 | 45 | 59.4 |
| 1982 | 44.9 | 59.5 |
| 1983 | 37.2 | 59.7 |
| 1984 | 37.7 | 59.9 |
| 1985 | 38.6 | 60.1 |
| 1986 | 39.5 | 57.6 |
| 1987 | 47.4 | 60.7 |
| 1988 | 48.1 | 60.8 |
| 1989 | 47.8 | 59.7 |
| 1990 | 49.7 | 60.7 |
| 1991 | 50.5 | 60.8 |
| 1992 | 52.4 | 60.7 |
| 1993 | 53.2 | 60.6 |
| 1994 | 54 | 60.6 |
| 1995 | 54.8 | 60.5 |
| 1996 | 55.5 | 60.6 |
| 1997 | 56.2 | 60.6 |
| 1998 | 50 | 60.8 |
| 1999 | 44.5 | 61 |
| 2000 | 56.3 | 61.2 |
| 2001 | 58.4 | 61.5 |
| 2002 | 58.9 | 61.8 |
| 2003 | 59.5 | 62.2 |
| 2004 | 60.1 | 62.6 |
| 2005 | 60.6 | 62.4 |
| 2006 | 61.5 | 63 |
| 2007 | 62 | 63.3 |
| 2008 | 62.4 | 63.4 |
| 2009 | 63.2 | 63.7 |
| 2010 | 63.7 | 63.9 |
| 2011 | 64.2 | 64.1 |
| 2012 | 64.7 | 64.5 |
| 2013 | 65 | 64.9 |
| 2014 | 65.5 | 65.5 |
| 2015 | 65.9 | 66 |
| 2016 | 66.2 | 66.6 |
| 2017 | 66.6 | 67.1 |
| 2018 | 67 | 67.6 |
| 2019 | 67.3 | 68 |
| 2020 | 67 | 68 |
| 2021 | 66.9 | 68 |
| 2022 | 67.8 | 69.2 |
| 2023 | 68.6 | 69.7 |
| 2024 | 68.9 | 69.9 |
| 2025 | 69.2 | 70.1 |
Eritrea and Sao Tome and Principe population clocks and comparison
| Year | Population | |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
| 1960 | 972,547 | 68,012 |
| 1961 | 995,573 | 68,707 |
| 1962 | 1,019,788 | 69,403 |
| 1963 | 1,045,092 | 70,112 |
| 1964 | 1,071,287 | 70,865 |
| 1965 | 1,098,335 | 71,680 |
| 1966 | 1,124,957 | 72,576 |
| 1967 | 1,152,339 | 73,596 |
| 1968 | 1,181,737 | 74,765 |
| 1969 | 1,212,005 | 76,083 |
| 1970 | 1,243,453 | 77,626 |
| 1971 | 1,276,154 | 79,330 |
| 1972 | 1,309,235 | 81,041 |
| 1973 | 1,342,669 | 82,798 |
| 1974 | 1,375,688 | 84,672 |
| 1975 | 1,408,210 | 86,708 |
| 1976 | 1,443,807 | 88,922 |
| 1977 | 1,482,565 | 91,301 |
| 1978 | 1,522,378 | 93,794 |
| 1979 | 1,563,332 | 96,252 |
| 1980 | 1,605,797 | 98,544 |
| 1981 | 1,649,939 | 100,615 |
| 1982 | 1,695,461 | 102,508 |
| 1983 | 1,736,160 | 104,380 |
| 1984 | 1,771,730 | 106,394 |
| 1985 | 1,807,816 | 108,658 |
| 1986 | 1,845,164 | 111,150 |
| 1987 | 1,888,669 | 113,919 |
| 1988 | 1,938,255 | 116,939 |
| 1989 | 1,987,017 | 119,979 |
| 1990 | 2,032,737 | 122,980 |
| 1991 | 1,919,571 | 125,697 |
| 1992 | 1,798,748 | 128,110 |
| 1993 | 1,856,006 | 130,467 |
| 1994 | 1,913,915 | 132,732 |
| 1995 | 2,025,267 | 134,895 |
| 1996 | 2,128,464 | 136,962 |
| 1997 | 2,152,135 | 138,922 |
| 1998 | 2,180,419 | 140,751 |
| 1999 | 2,212,780 | 142,442 |
| 2000 | 2,247,031 | 144,018 |
| 2001 | 2,312,079 | 146,375 |
| 2002 | 2,392,978 | 149,922 |
| 2003 | 2,493,903 | 153,814 |
| 2004 | 2,598,284 | 157,705 |
| 2005 | 2,661,215 | 161,639 |
| 2006 | 2,703,502 | 165,638 |
| 2007 | 2,743,222 | 169,700 |
| 2008 | 2,816,327 | 173,793 |
| 2009 | 2,887,885 | 177,853 |
| 2010 | 2,945,186 | 181,802 |
| 2011 | 2,998,485 | 185,649 |
| 2012 | 3,036,988 | 189,439 |
| 2013 | 3,074,360 | 193,148 |
| 2014 | 3,095,173 | 196,767 |
| 2015 | 3,105,546 | 200,291 |
| 2016 | 3,124,698 | 203,689 |
| 2017 | 3,150,347 | 206,970 |
| 2018 | 3,192,760 | 210,187 |
| 2019 | 3,240,194 | 213,392 |
| 2020 | 3,291,271 | 217,435 |
| 2021 | 3,350,183 | 221,961 |
| 2022 | 3,409,447 | 226,305 |
| 2023 | 3,470,390 | 230,871 |
| 2024 | 3,535,603 | 235,536 |
Fertility rates in Eritrea and Sao Tome and Principe
| Year | Fertility rate | |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
| 1960 | 6.48 | 6.24 |
| 1961 | 6.47 | 6.26 |
| 1962 | 6.5 | 6.28 |
| 1963 | 6.48 | 6.31 |
| 1964 | 6.49 | 6.33 |
| 1965 | 6.49 | 6.35 |
| 1966 | 6.5 | 6.37 |
| 1967 | 6.5 | 6.39 |
| 1968 | 6.5 | 6.42 |
| 1969 | 6.5 | 6.44 |
| 1970 | 6.54 | 6.47 |
| 1971 | 6.54 | 6.49 |
| 1972 | 6.54 | 6.51 |
| 1973 | 6.55 | 6.53 |
| 1974 | 6.57 | 6.53 |
| 1975 | 6.59 | 6.53 |
| 1976 | 6.6 | 6.52 |
| 1977 | 6.61 | 6.5 |
| 1978 | 6.61 | 6.47 |
| 1979 | 6.62 | 6.43 |
| 1980 | 6.61 | 6.39 |
| 1981 | 6.62 | 6.33 |
| 1982 | 6.63 | 6.28 |
| 1983 | 6.65 | 6.22 |
| 1984 | 6.62 | 6.16 |
| 1985 | 6.59 | 6.1 |
| 1986 | 6.56 | 6.05 |
| 1987 | 6.52 | 5.99 |
| 1988 | 6.47 | 5.94 |
| 1989 | 6.41 | 5.88 |
| 1990 | 6.34 | 5.83 |
| 1991 | 6.24 | 5.77 |
| 1992 | 6.16 | 5.7 |
| 1993 | 6.07 | 5.64 |
| 1994 | 6.01 | 5.56 |
| 1995 | 5.94 | 5.55 |
| 1996 | 5.84 | 5.47 |
| 1997 | 5.74 | 5.4 |
| 1998 | 5.63 | 5.3 |
| 1999 | 5.52 | 5.23 |
| 2000 | 5.4 | 5.16 |
| 2001 | 5.31 | 5.1 |
| 2002 | 5.23 | 5.06 |
| 2003 | 5.14 | 5.01 |
| 2004 | 5.04 | 4.96 |
| 2005 | 4.93 | 4.94 |
| 2006 | 4.88 | 4.93 |
| 2007 | 4.81 | 4.96 |
| 2008 | 4.74 | 4.91 |
| 2009 | 4.66 | 4.84 |
| 2010 | 4.57 | 4.77 |
| 2011 | 4.49 | 4.72 |
| 2012 | 4.41 | 4.66 |
| 2013 | 4.34 | 4.58 |
| 2014 | 4.27 | 4.49 |
| 2015 | 4.22 | 4.35 |
| 2016 | 4.16 | 4.2 |
| 2017 | 4.11 | 4.07 |
| 2018 | 4.06 | 3.98 |
| 2019 | 4 | 3.9 |
| 2020 | 3.93 | 3.83 |
| 2021 | 3.87 | 3.76 |
| 2022 | 3.79 | 3.7 |
| 2023 | 3.71 | 3.64 |
Eritrea and Sao Tome and Principe demographics compared
| Year | Median age, years | |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
| 1960 | 18.8 | 24.2 |
| 1961 | 18.9 | 24.3 |
| 1962 | 18.9 | 24.1 |
| 1963 | 19 | 23.5 |
| 1964 | 19 | 22.4 |
| 1965 | 19 | 21 |
| 1966 | 19 | 19.5 |
| 1967 | 18.9 | 18.5 |
| 1968 | 18.9 | 17.7 |
| 1969 | 18.8 | 17.2 |
| 1970 | 18.6 | 16.9 |
| 1971 | 18.5 | 16.9 |
| 1972 | 18.3 | 17 |
| 1973 | 18.2 | 17 |
| 1974 | 18.2 | 17.1 |
| 1975 | 18.1 | 17.1 |
| 1976 | 18 | 17.1 |
| 1977 | 17.9 | 17.2 |
| 1978 | 17.8 | 17.2 |
| 1979 | 17.8 | 17.3 |
| 1980 | 17.8 | 17.3 |
| 1981 | 17.7 | 17.4 |
| 1982 | 17.7 | 17.4 |
| 1983 | 17.7 | 17.4 |
| 1984 | 17.8 | 17.4 |
| 1985 | 17.8 | 17.4 |
| 1986 | 17.9 | 17.4 |
| 1987 | 17.9 | 17.4 |
| 1988 | 17.8 | 17.4 |
| 1989 | 17.7 | 17.4 |
| 1990 | 17.6 | 17.4 |
| 1991 | 17.6 | 17.3 |
| 1992 | 17.5 | 17.3 |
| 1993 | 17.6 | 17.2 |
| 1994 | 17.6 | 17.2 |
| 1995 | 18.1 | 17.3 |
| 1996 | 18.4 | 17.3 |
| 1997 | 18 | 17.4 |
| 1998 | 17.8 | 17.5 |
| 1999 | 17.5 | 17.7 |
| 2000 | 17.4 | 17.9 |
| 2001 | 17.5 | 18 |
| 2002 | 17.7 | 18.1 |
| 2003 | 18 | 18.3 |
| 2004 | 18.3 | 18.4 |
| 2005 | 18.3 | 18.5 |
| 2006 | 18.2 | 18.6 |
| 2007 | 18.1 | 18.7 |
| 2008 | 18.2 | 18.7 |
| 2009 | 18.4 | 18.7 |
| 2010 | 18.4 | 18.8 |
| 2011 | 18.5 | 18.9 |
| 2012 | 18.5 | 18.9 |
| 2013 | 18.5 | 18.9 |
| 2014 | 18.5 | 18.9 |
| 2015 | 18.4 | 19 |
| 2016 | 18.4 | 19 |
| 2017 | 18.5 | 19.1 |
| 2018 | 18.7 | 19.3 |
| 2019 | 18.9 | 19.4 |
| 2020 | 19.1 | 19.5 |
| 2021 | 19.3 | 19.7 |
| 2022 | 19.5 | 19.9 |
| 2023 | 19.7 | 20.1 |
| 2024 | 19.9 | 20.3 |
Interactive Maps
Use the buttons below to switch between world maps comparing statistics for Eritrea and Sao Tome and Principe.
GDP per capita
GDP
Life expectancy
Population
Population density
Fertility rate
Median age
Land area
National statistics comparison
Finance
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
| GNI, Atlas method |
$1.94B
2011 |
$653M
2024 |
| Government expenditure, % of GDP |
31.3%
2019 |
24.5%
2025 |
| Education expenditure, % of GDP |
2.13%
2006 |
5.03%
2023 |
| Military expenditure, % of GDP |
20.9%
2003 |
n/a |
| Armed forces personnel |
202,000
2020 |
1,000
1999 |
| Deficit/surplus, % of GDP |
+2.72%
2019 |
+2.56%
2025 |
| Unemployment rate |
5.8%
2017 |
8.81%
2017 |
| Services, % of GDP | n/a |
76.6%
2024 |
| Industry, % of GDP |
21.8%
2009 |
2.91%
2024 |
| Economic freedom index |
38.6
2025 |
60.4
2025 |
| Income share by richest 10% | n/a |
32.8%
2017 |
| Income share by poorest 10% | n/a |
2.6%
2017 |
| Total reserves including gold |
$192M
2019 |
$46.2M
2023 |
| Personal remittances received |
$0
2023 |
$10M
2024 |
| International tourist arrivals |
142,000
2016 |
33,400
2018 |
| International tourism as share of exports |
36.8%
2000 |
73.2%
2018 |
Energy
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Energy use, kg of oil equivalent per capita |
289.5 kg
2022 |
259.3 kg
2007 |
| GDP PPP per kg equivalent of energy use |
$6.73
2011 |
$10.2
2007 |
| Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions |
0.67 megatons
2023 |
0.21 megatons
2023 |
| CO2 emissions per capita |
0.19 tons
2023 |
0.93 tons
2023 |
| Fossil fuel energy use share |
22.4%
2022 |
0%
2007 |
| Renewable energy use share |
80.7%
2021 |
42.5%
2022 |
| Alternative and nuclear energy use share |
0.1%
2022 |
n/a |
| Net energy imports use share |
34.8%
2004 |
n/a |
| Electric power consumption per capita |
102.4 kWh
2022 |
n/a |
| Renewable electricity output share |
5.79%
2021 |
6.06%
2021 |
| Hydroelectric share |
0%
2021 |
5.85%
2021 |
| Nuclear share |
0%
2021 |
0%
2021 |
| Electricity access |
54.4%
2023 |
81.3%
2023 |
Society
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
| % of world population |
0.04%
2024 |
0.003%
2024 |
| Annual migration change |
-12,696
2024 |
-604
2024 |
| Urban population |
43.9%
2024 |
77%
2024 |
| Male:Female ratio |
50:50
2024 |
50:50
2024 |
| Average male height |
5.6 ft
2025 |
5.59 ft
2025 |
| Average female height |
5.17 ft
2025 |
5.24 ft
2025 |
| Quality of life index |
8.3
2025 |
32.1
2025 |
| Corruption Perceptions Index |
13
2024 |
45
2024 |
| Higher education index |
5
2025 |
n/a |
| Homicides per 100K people |
14.6
2012 |
3.23
2011 |
| Road traffic mortality per 100K people |
37.9
2019 |
27.9
2019 |
| Visa free countries |
51
2025 |
71
2025 |
| Adult literacy rate |
76.6%
2018 |
93.8%
2022 |
| English speaking |
0%
2025 |
4.9%
2025 |
| People using the Internet |
20%
2023 |
61.5%
2023 |
Health
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Government health expenditure per capita |
$27.1
2022 |
$180.3
2022 |
| Out-of-pocket health expenditure per capita |
$14.7
2022 |
$21.6
2022 |
| Life expectancy |
69.2 years
2025 |
70.1 years
2025 |
| Foreign aid share of health expenditure |
22.5%
2022 |
30.9%
2022 |
| Physicians per 1,000 people |
0.07
2022 |
0.49
2019 |
| Age at first childbirth |
21.3 years
2025 |
19.4 years
2025 |
| Maternal mortality per 100K births |
291
2023 |
75
2023 |
| Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births |
35.4
2023 |
13.9
2023 |
| Obesity rate |
4.94%
2022 |
17.2%
2022 |
| Diabetes prevalence |
4.4%
2024 |
12.1%
2024 |
| Air quality index |
30
2025 |
24
2025 |
| Tobacco use prevalence | n/a |
7.8%
2022 |
| Pure alcohol consumption per capita |
1.07 liters
2020 |
4.79 liters
2020 |
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