Freedom of Expression Index in Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: Freedom of Expression Index was 0.793 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
0.793
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
66th
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.836
in 2019
All-time low
0.149
in 1900
Years of data
126
1900–2025
Freedom of Expression Index in Sao Tome and Principe, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Sao Tome and Principe recorded 0.793 for freedom of expression index in 2025.
That represents a change of down 3.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, freedom of expression index in Sao Tome and Principe peaked at 0.836 in 2019 and was at its lowest, 0.149, in 1900.
Sao Tome and Principe ranks 66th of 176 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Freedom of Expression Index in Sao Tome and Principe, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 0.149 | — |
| 1901 | 0.149 | +0.0% |
| 1902 | 0.149 | +0.0% |
| 1903 | 0.149 | +0.0% |
| 1904 | 0.149 | +0.0% |
| 1905 | 0.149 | +0.0% |
| 1906 | 0.149 | +0.0% |
| 1907 | 0.149 | +0.0% |
| 1908 | 0.149 | +0.0% |
| 1909 | 0.149 | +0.0% |
| 1910 | 0.149 | +0.0% |
| 1911 | 0.227 | +52.3% |
| 1912 | 0.227 | +0.0% |
| 1913 | 0.227 | +0.0% |
| 1914 | 0.227 | +0.0% |
| 1915 | 0.227 | +0.0% |
| 1916 | 0.227 | +0.0% |
| 1917 | 0.227 | +0.0% |
| 1918 | 0.227 | +0.0% |
| 1919 | 0.227 | +0.0% |
| 1920 | 0.227 | +0.0% |
| 1921 | 0.227 | +0.0% |
| 1922 | 0.227 | +0.0% |
| 1923 | 0.227 | +0.0% |
| 1924 | 0.227 | +0.0% |
| 1925 | 0.227 | +0.0% |
| 1926 | 0.223 | -1.8% |
| 1927 | 0.165 | -26.0% |
| 1928 | 0.165 | +0.0% |
| 1929 | 0.165 | +0.0% |
| 1930 | 0.165 | +0.0% |
| 1931 | 0.165 | +0.0% |
| 1932 | 0.165 | +0.0% |
| 1933 | 0.165 | +0.0% |
| 1934 | 0.165 | +0.0% |
| 1935 | 0.165 | +0.0% |
| 1936 | 0.165 | +0.0% |
| 1937 | 0.165 | +0.0% |
| 1938 | 0.165 | +0.0% |
| 1939 | 0.165 | +0.0% |
| 1940 | 0.173 | +4.8% |
| 1941 | 0.173 | +0.0% |
| 1942 | 0.173 | +0.0% |
| 1943 | 0.173 | +0.0% |
| 1944 | 0.173 | +0.0% |
| 1945 | 0.173 | +0.0% |
| 1946 | 0.173 | +0.0% |
| 1947 | 0.173 | +0.0% |
| 1948 | 0.173 | +0.0% |
| 1949 | 0.173 | +0.0% |
| 1950 | 0.173 | +0.0% |
| 1951 | 0.173 | +0.0% |
| 1952 | 0.173 | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 0.156 | -9.8% |
| 1954 | 0.174 | +11.5% |
| 1955 | 0.174 | +0.0% |
| 1956 | 0.174 | +0.0% |
| 1957 | 0.174 | +0.0% |
| 1958 | 0.174 | +0.0% |
| 1959 | 0.174 | +0.0% |
| 1960 | 0.174 | +0.0% |
| 1961 | 0.174 | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 0.174 | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 0.174 | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 0.174 | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 0.174 | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 0.174 | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 0.174 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 0.174 | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 0.174 | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 0.174 | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 0.174 | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 0.174 | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 0.174 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 0.18 | +3.4% |
| 1975 | 0.309 | +71.7% |
| 1976 | 0.312 | +1.0% |
| 1977 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 0.312 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 0.702 | +125.0% |
| 1991 | 0.72 | +2.6% |
| 1992 | 0.786 | +9.2% |
| 1993 | 0.804 | +2.3% |
| 1994 | 0.804 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 0.804 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 0.804 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 0.807 | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 0.807 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 0.807 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 0.807 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 0.807 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.807 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 0.807 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 0.808 | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 0.812 | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 0.812 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 0.812 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 0.812 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 0.812 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.823 | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 0.823 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 0.823 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 0.823 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 0.823 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 0.823 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 0.823 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 0.824 | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 0.814 | -1.2% |
| 2019 | 0.836 | +2.7% |
| 2020 | 0.819 | -2.0% |
| 2021 | 0.818 | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 0.813 | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 0.805 | -1.0% |
| 2024 | 0.793 | -1.5% |
| 2025 | 0.793 | +0.0% |
Sao Tome and Principe compared with similar countries
- Sao Tome and Principe's 0.793 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.579, 1.4× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Sao Tome and Principe's 0.793 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.616, 1.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0.149 | 0.149 | 0.149 | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.2192 | 0.149 | 0.227 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.208 | 0.165 | 0.227 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.165 | 0.165 | 0.165 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.173 | 0.173 | 0.173 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.1719 | 0.156 | 0.174 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.174 | 0.174 | 0.174 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.2433 | 0.174 | 0.312 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.312 | 0.312 | 0.312 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.7845 | 0.702 | 0.807 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.8096 | 0.807 | 0.812 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.8235 | 0.814 | 0.836 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.8068 | 0.793 | 0.819 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sao Tome and Principe
More social development data for Sao Tome and Principe
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 8 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 8 (2025)
- Sovereign state gleditsch ward, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 60 % change on previous year (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is freedom of expression index in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Freedom of expression index in Sao Tome and Principe was 0.793 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest freedom of expression index recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The highest recorded value was 0.836 in 2019.
- What is the lowest freedom of expression index recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.149 in 1900.
- How does Sao Tome and Principe rank for freedom of expression index?
- Sao Tome and Principe ranks 66th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
- Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sao Tome and Principe data come from?
- The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Freedom of Expression Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 126 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Central estimate of the extent to which people can discuss political matters at home and in the public sphere, the press, and media are free and can present different political perspectives, and the freedom of academic and cultural expression.