Where Sao Tome and Principe move
41.4K Sao Tome and Principe live abroad — #168 largest source of emigrants worldwide
Considering a move from Sao Tome and Principe? — See top destinations, regional flows, and how it's changed since 1990.
Where emigrants go
The top 3 countries receive 90% of all emigrants
↑↓ — change vs 2020
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| Portugal | 23121 |
| Angola | 7062 |
| Gabon | 7058 |
| Equatorial Guinea | 1936 |
| Cape Verde | 1893 |
| Luxembourg | 192 |
| Central African Republic | 82 |
| Togo | 40 |
| Guinea | 29 |
| Denmark | 9 |
| Norway | 6 |
| Greece | 4 |
| Slovakia | 1 |
| Slovenia | 0 |
By destination region
Europe is the leading destination region at 56%
23.3K
18.1K
Interesting facts
Notable statistics about emigration from Sao Tome and Principe.
Portugal is the primary destination for emigrants
Portugal attracts 56% of all emigrants from Sao Tome and Principe, while the second-largest destination receives just 17%.
Emigration has become more concentrated over time
The top destination's share rose from 41% to 56%, with Portugal increasingly the primary choice.
A significant share of the population lives abroad
1 in 6 residents of Sao Tome and Principe has emigrated — 41.4K out of 235.5K, representing 17.6% of the population.
The share of emigrants going to Africa has declined since 1990
The share of emigrants going to Africa has shifted from 59.1% to 43.7% since 1990.
How emigration changed over time
Total emigrant population by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 13668 |
| 1995 | 18868 |
| 2000 | 24414 |
| 2005 | 28200 |
| 2010 | 29623 |
| 2015 | 33671 |
| 2020 | 37872 |
| 2024 | 41433 |
Top destinations over time
Emigration to the 5 largest destination countries
| Year | Portugal | Angola | Gabon | Equatorial Guinea | Cape Verde |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 5581 | 3112 | 2012 | 378 | 2475 |
| 1995 | 8820 | 3617 | 2690 | 501 | 3111 |
| 2000 | 12417 | 4121 | 3366 | 623 | 3747 |
| 2005 | 15388 | 5417 | 3667 | 909 | 2698 |
| 2010 | 15804 | 6593 | 4251 | 1194 | 1649 |
| 2015 | 17915 | 6441 | 5944 | 1493 | 1712 |
| 2020 | 20552 | 6852 | 6539 | 1794 | 1809 |
| 2024 | 23121 | 7062 | 7058 | 1936 | 1893 |
Fastest-changing destinations
How emigration to each country has changed since the selected year
Sao Tome and Principe as an emigration source
Share of immigrants in each country who originate from Sao Tome and Principe