Sao Tome and Principe has a population density of 661 people per square mile compared to 323 people in Sierra Leone. Sao Tome and Principe has 45,745 sq ft of land per person vs 89,354 sq ft in Sierra Leone. Sao Tome and Principe and Sierra Leone rank 46th and 77th by population density, respectively.
Population density is calculated as the ratio of population to land area. Sao Tome and Principe has 0.003% of the world's population and 0.0006% of all countries' land area, compared to 0.11% of the population and 0.05% of the land area for Sierra Leone, making the population density in Sao Tome and Principe 104.7% higher than in Sierra Leone.
Population density by year
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
Sao Tome
|
Sierra Leone
|
|
| 2026 | 661 | 323 |
| 2025 | 648 | 317 |
| 2024 | 635 | 310 |
| 2023 | 623 | 304 |
| 2022 | 611 | 297 |
| 2021 | 599 | 290.5 |
| 2020 | 587 | 283.9 |
| 2019 | 576 | 277.4 |
| 2018 | 567 | 271.1 |
| 2017 | 558 | 264.8 |
| 2016 | 550 | 258.5 |
| 2015 | 540 | 252.5 |
| 2014 | 531 | 246.7 |
| 2013 | 521 | 240.9 |
| 2012 | 511 | 235.1 |
| 2011 | 501 | 229.2 |
| 2010 | 490 | 223.3 |
| 2009 | 480 | 217.3 |
| 2008 | 469 | 211.5 |
| 2007 | 458 | 206.3 |
| 2006 | 447 | 201.8 |
| 2005 | 436 | 197.4 |
| 2004 | 425 | 192.2 |
| 2003 | 415 | 185.8 |
| 2002 | 404 | 178.4 |
| 2001 | 395 | 168.4 |
| 2000 | 389 | 158.7 |
| 1999 | 384 | 154.9 |
| 1998 | 380 | 154.1 |
| 1997 | 375 | 152.6 |
| 1996 | 370 | 150.7 |
| 1995 | 364 | 150 |
| 1994 | 358 | 149.7 |
| 1993 | 352 | 149.2 |
| 1992 | 346 | 149.5 |
| 1991 | 339 | 152.4 |
| 1990 | 332 | 150.6 |
| 1989 | 324 | 144.8 |
| 1988 | 315 | 141.2 |
| 1987 | 307 | 137.4 |
| 1986 | 299.9 | 133.8 |
| 1985 | 293.1 | 130.6 |
| 1984 | 287 | 127.7 |
| 1983 | 281.6 | 124.9 |
| 1982 | 276.6 | 122.3 |
| 1981 | 271.4 | 119.8 |
| 1980 | 265.9 | 117.4 |
| 1979 | 259.7 | 115.1 |
| 1978 | 253 | 112.9 |
| 1977 | 246.3 | 110.7 |
| 1976 | 239.9 | 108.7 |
| 1975 | 233.9 | 106.7 |
| 1974 | 228.4 | 104.8 |
| 1973 | 223.4 | 102.9 |
| 1972 | 218.6 | 101 |
| 1971 | 214 | 99.2 |
| 1970 | 209.4 | 97.3 |
| 1969 | 205.3 | 95.5 |
| 1968 | 201.7 | 93.7 |
| 1967 | 198.6 | 91.9 |
| 1966 | 195.8 | 90.2 |
| 1965 | 193.4 | 88.6 |
| 1964 | 191.2 | 87 |
| 1963 | 189.2 | 85.5 |
| 1962 | 187.2 | 84 |
| 1961 | 185.4 | 82.7 |
Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (2025–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10).
GeoRank.org/population-density/sao-tome-and-principe/sierra-leone | CC BY 
From 2006 to 2026, population density in Sao Tome and Principe increased by 48%, compared to a 60% growth in Sierra Leone.
In 2006, Sao Tome and Principe ranked 50th by population density and is 46th now. Sierra Leone was 95th in 2006 and ranks 77th out of 197 currently.
Population density comparison
|
Sao Tome
|
Sierra Leone
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 661 ppl/mi² | 323 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 46/197 | 77/197 |
| Population |
246362
|
9049533
|
| Land area | 371 sq mi | 27,869 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 43,872 sq ft | 89,902 sq ft |
| Rural population | 31.1% | 54.6% |
| Urban population | 68.9% | 45.4% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 0% | 0% |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
Sao Tome
|
Sierra Leone
|
|
| 2024 | 68.9% | 45.4% |
| 2023 | 68.6% | 44.8% |
| 2022 | 68.4% | 44.3% |
| 2021 | 68.2% | 43.7% |
| 2020 | 68% | 43.2% |
| 2019 | 67.9% | 42.7% |
| 2018 | 67.8% | 42.2% |
| 2017 | 67.7% | 41.7% |
| 2016 | 67.5% | 41.2% |
| 2015 | 67.4% | 40.8% |
| 2014 | 67.3% | 40.3% |
| 2013 | 67.1% | 39.9% |
| 2012 | 67% | 39.5% |
| 2011 | 66.7% | 39% |
| 2010 | 66.1% | 38.6% |
| 2009 | 65.1% | 38.2% |
| 2008 | 63.9% | 37.9% |
| 2007 | 62.5% | 37.5% |
| 2006 | 61% | 37.2% |
| 2005 | 59.4% | 36.8% |
| 2004 | 57.9% | 36.5% |
| 2003 | 56.4% | 36.3% |
| 2002 | 55.1% | 36% |
| 2001 | 54% | 35.8% |
| 2000 | 53% | 35.5% |
| 1999 | 52% | 35.3% |
| 1998 | 51.1% | 35.1% |
| 1997 | 50.2% | 34.9% |
| 1996 | 49.4% | 34.7% |
| 1995 | 48.5% | 34.5% |
| 1994 | 47.6% | 34.3% |
| 1993 | 46.7% | 34.1% |
| 1992 | 45.8% | 33.9% |
| 1991 | 44.8% | 33.7% |
| 1990 | 43.7% | 33.5% |
| 1989 | 42.5% | 33.2% |
| 1988 | 41.3% | 33% |
| 1987 | 40% | 32.7% |
| 1986 | 38.7% | 32.4% |
| 1985 | 37.5% | 32.1% |
| 1984 | 36.3% | 31.8% |
| 1983 | 35.3% | 31.4% |
| 1982 | 34.5% | 31% |
| 1981 | 33.8% | 30.6% |
| 1980 | 33.3% | 30.2% |
| 1979 | 32.9% | 29.8% |
| 1978 | 32.6% | 29.3% |
| 1977 | 32.3% | 28.8% |
| 1976 | 32.1% | 28.3% |
| 1975 | 31.8% | 27.8% |
| 1974 | 31.5% | 27.2% |
| 1973 | 31.2% | 26.6% |
| 1972 | 30.8% | 25.9% |
| 1971 | 30.4% | 25.2% |
| 1970 | 29.8% | 24.4% |
| 1969 | 28.8% | 23.5% |
| 1968 | 27.4% | 22.7% |
| 1967 | 25.7% | 21.9% |
| 1966 | 23.8% | 21.1% |
| 1965 | 21.9% | 20.3% |
| 1964 | 20% | 19.7% |
| 1963 | 18.3% | 19% |
| 1962 | 16.9% | 18.5% |
| 1961 | 15.9% | 18% |
| 1960 | 15.4% | 17.4% |
Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).
GeoRank.org/population-density/sao-tome-and-principe/sierra-leone | CC BY
From 2004 to 2024, the share of urban population changed from 57.9% to 68.9% in Sao Tome and Principe and from 36.5% to 45.4% in Sierra Leone.
Densely populated cities
|
Sierra Leone
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| Freetown | 951K |
| Bo | 234K |
| Kenema | 188K |
Compare countries by 7 more topics
Population density in other countries
Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10); U.S. Census Bureau (1961–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20).
GeoRank.org/population-density/sao-tome-and-principe/sierra-leone | CC BY
Help us show the world through your eyes
Share a photo of your city and help others discover what it looks like to live there. Your contribution makes our data come alive.
Data sources:
- World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06)
- United Nations | World Population Prospects (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10)
- U.S. Census Bureau (1961–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08)
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20)
- Wikidata (2013–2024, retrieved 2026-02-08)
Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) — you’re free to copy, share, remix, adapt, and use even commercially as long as you give appropriate credit and clearly indicate if you made changes. Other sources may be subject to different license terms.