Topic 17 of 18 · Country Index 2026
São Tomé and Príncipe: Digital & Technology
How ready is a country to use, make and trade technology?
São Tomé and Príncipe is placed 181st of 198 countries on digital & technology in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 4 key statistics. Readings behind it: GovTech Maturity Index 0.187 (2025); Government AI Readiness Index 18.37 (2025).
Share
Digital & Technology
181st
of 198 countries placed
Placed from 3 of 4 key statistics
01The evidence
The 4 key statistics that decide it
Only these place São Tomé and Príncipe on digital & technology — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
0.187
GTMI score (0–1)
Higher is better
São Tomé and Príncipe: 0.187. Across the 196 countries in this edition, values run from 0.01 (North Korea) to 0.997 (South Korea); the world median is 0.63.
- World median
- 0.63
- Best in Middle Africa
- 0.593 Angola
18.37
AI readiness score (0–100)
Higher is better
Ranked 180th of 195 by Oxford Insights
São Tomé and Príncipe: 18.37. Across the 195 countries in this edition, values run from 12.12 (Guinea-Bissau) to 88.36 (United States); the world median is 40.19.
- World median
- 40.19
- Best in Middle Africa
- 34.91 Cameroon
Key 3 of 4
Government Cyber Security Capacity
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY-SA 4.0
-0.739
Original latent estimate (≈ −3.6 to +3.7); higher = more capacity
Higher is better
São Tomé and Príncipe: -0.739. Across the 176 countries in this edition, values run from -2.66 (Liberia) to 3.715 (Estonia); the world median is 0.196.
- World median
- 0.196
- Best in Middle Africa
- 0.383 Gabon
Key 4 of 4
Digitally-Deliverable Services Exports
UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
2024 edition · data for 2024 · CC BY 3.0 IGO
No reading
Digitally-deliverable services exports (% of services exports)
Higher is better
UNCTAD publishes no 2024 figure for São Tomé and Príncipe, so the standing rests on the other keys.
Across the 170 countries in this edition, values run from 0.377 (Gambia) to 87.15 (Ireland); the world median is 25.42.
- World median
- 25.42
- Best in Middle Africa
- 37.94 Republic of the Congo
02Over time
Which way São Tomé and Príncipe is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Government AI Readiness Index
AI readiness score (0–100) · higher is better
São Tomé and PríncipeWorld median
São Tomé and Príncipe fell from 27.62 in 2022 to 18.37 in 2025; the world median went from 40.27 to 40.19.
Every year’s figures
Year São Tomé and Príncipe World median 2025 18 40.2 2024 30 43.3 2023 27 41.4 2022 28 40.3 2021 — 44.1 2020 — 39.6 Government Cyber Security Capacity
Original latent estimate (≈ −3.6 to +3.7); higher = more capacity · higher is better
São Tomé and PríncipeWorld median
São Tomé and Príncipe rose from -1.339 in 2000 to -0.739 in 2025; the world median went from -0.514 to 0.196.
Every year’s figures
Year São Tomé and Príncipe World median 2025 -0.7 0.20 2024 -0.7 0.11 2023 -1.3 0.14 2022 -1.3 0.16 2021 -1.3 0.12 2020 -1.3 0.12 2019 -1.3 0.10 2018 -1.3 -0.05 2017 -1.3 -0.08 2016 -1.3 -0.10 2015 -1.3 -0.17 2014 -1.3 -0.21 2013 -1.3 -0.21 2012 -1.3 -0.25 2011 -1.3 -0.32 2010 -1.3 -0.31 2009 -1.3 -0.50 2008 -1.3 -0.51 2007 -1.3 -0.51 2006 -1.3 -0.55 2005 -1.3 -0.55 2004 -1.3 -0.55 2003 -1.3 -0.55 2002 -1.3 -0.51 2001 -1.3 -0.51 2000 -1.3 -0.51 Digitally-Deliverable Services Exports
Digitally-deliverable services exports (% of services exports) · higher is better
São Tomé and PríncipeWorld median
São Tomé and Príncipe fell from 12.71 in 2010 to 5.156 in 2022; the world median went from 19.88 to 26.04.
Every year’s figures
Year São Tomé and Príncipe World median 2024 — 25.42 2023 — 26.03 2022 5.2 26.04 2021 8.9 29.80 2020 10.3 29.47 2019 2.6 18.36 2018 0.4 20.09 2017 2.1 18.32 2016 4.8 18.15 2015 5.1 19.57 2014 3.2 21.00 2013 3.1 20.50 2012 12.3 19.56 2011 10.2 19.21 2010 12.7 19.88
03In context
São Tomé and Príncipe beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 198 countries on digital & technology, never a place within the region.
São Tomé and Príncipe and Middle Africa
São Tomé and Príncipe has no land border, so the table compares it with its sub-region. Standing among all 198; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | GovTech Maturity IndexGTMI score (0–1) | Government AI Readiness IndexAI readiness score (0–100) | Government Cyber Security CapacityOriginal latent estimate (≈ −3.6 to +3.7); higher = more capacity | Digitally-Deliverable Services ExportsDigitally-deliverable services exports (% of services exports) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Angola | =106th | 0.5929 | 27.09 | -0.295 | 29.98 |
 Gabon | 114th | 0.2575 | 28.41 | 0.383 | 30.28 |
 Cameroon | 127th | 0.3780 | 34.91 | -1.244 | 33.2 |
 Republic of the Congo | =155th | 0.1652 | 18.6 | -0.94 | 37.94 |
 Equatorial Guinea | =160th | 0.1259 | 16.18 | -0.34 | 21.99 |
 DR Congo | 166th | 0.3928 | 25.62 | -0.869 | 2.36 |
 Chad | 177th | 0.1064 | 18.31 | -0.307 | 5.844 |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | 181st | 0.1870 | 18.37 | -0.739 | — |
 Central African Republic | 192nd | 0.1874 | 12.8 | -1.238 | — |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Middle Africa
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 198.
Placed either side on digital & technology
The countries immediately above and below São Tomé and Príncipe in the topic’s list.
Haiti=178th
Sudan=178th
Saint Kitts and Nevis180th- São Tomé and Príncipe181st
Timor-Leste182nd
Gambia183rd
Palau184th
04Context, no vote
Where São Tomé and Príncipe is ahead of the world, and behind
10 more statistics filed under digital & technology, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Ahead of the world median3
Statistics on which São Tomé and Príncipe does better than the middle country measured.
Government Dissemination of False Information (Domestic)V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median -0.1141.256-0.114▼ Worsened since 2015
São Tomé and Príncipe: 1.256 · world median -0.114 · Original latent estimate (≈ −3.6 to +3.2); higher = less disinformation. V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from -3.392 to 2.93; higher is better.
Position 35th of 176 · derived.
Government Social Media CensorshipV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 0.5051.4590.505▲ Improved since 2015
São Tomé and Príncipe: 1.459 · world median 0.505 · Original latent estimate (≈ −4.5 to +2.4); higher = less censorship. V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from -3.721 to 2.295; higher is better.
Position 47th of 176 · derived.
Government Internet ShutdownsV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 1.0231.3321.023No real change since 2015
São Tomé and Príncipe: 1.332 · world median 1.023 · Original latent estimate (≈ −4 to +2); higher = fewer shutdowns. V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from -3.547 to 2.081; higher is better.
Position 71st of 176 · derived.
Behind the world median5
Statistics on which São Tomé and Príncipe does worse than the middle country measured.
Digital Services Trade Restrictiveness IndexOECD · 2025 · world median 0.2060.2280.206▲ Improved since 2015
São Tomé and Príncipe: 0.228 · world median 0.206 · Digital STRI (0 = open, 1 = closed). OECD, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.021 to 0.649; lower is better.
Position 54th of 125 · derived, 1st = worst.
Firms with Their Own WebsiteWorld Bank Group · 2026 · world median 62.3947.7762.39No earlier reading
São Tomé and Príncipe: 47.77 · world median 62.39 · Firms with their own website (%). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 1.824 to 97.88; higher is better.
Position 125th of 181 · derived.
Frontier Technology Readiness IndexUNCTAD · 2023 · world median 0.4850.2560.485▼ Worsened since 2013
São Tomé and Príncipe: 0.256 · world median 0.485 · Frontier Technology Readiness Index (0–1). UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 1; higher is better.
Position 136th of 170 · derived.
Firms Experiencing Internet DisruptionsWorld Bank Group · 2026 · world median 32.3555.9432.35No earlier reading
São Tomé and Príncipe: 55.94 · world median 32.35 · Firms that experienced internet outages or slow-downs (%). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 0.735 to 82.39; lower is better.
Position 26th of 163 · derived, 1st = worst.
Share of Firms' Payments Made ElectronicallyWorld Bank Group · 2026 · world median 64.222.17264.22No earlier reading
São Tomé and Príncipe: 2.172 · world median 64.22 · Payments made electronically in a typical month, excluding payroll and payments to government (%). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 2.172 to 99.91; higher is better.
No better end2
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
GitHub RepositoriesGitHub · 2026 · world median 141,4541,021141,454Moved since 2020
São Tomé and Príncipe: 1,021 · world median 141,454 · Public repositories located in the economy (as of quarter end). GitHub, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 142 to 77,284,974.
GitHub DevelopersGitHub · 2026 · world median 84,67085984,670Moved since 2020
São Tomé and Príncipe: 859 · world median 84,670 · Developer accounts located in the economy (as of quarter end). GitHub, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 110 to 32,410,529.
No current reading for São Tomé and Príncipe
AI User Share of the Working-Age Population, Anthropic AI Usage Index, Digitally-Deliverable Services Exports (last 2022), GitHub Git Pushes, ICT Goods Exports (last 2023), ICT Services Exports (last 2022), Internet Use Among Adults, Made or Received a Digital Payment, Mobile Phone Ownership, Primary Schools with Internet for Teaching, Share of Graduates from ICT Programmes and Smartphone Ownership. Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Digital & Technology among São Tomé and Príncipe’s 15 topics
Digital & Technology is São Tomé and Príncipe’s 14th best-placed topic of 15. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Environment & Sustainability2nd of 1863/4 keys
- Peace & Security37th of 1773/4 keys
- Risk & Resiliencejoint 59th of 1933/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Libertiesjoint 62nd of 1984/4 keys
- Gender & Equality61st of 1833/4 keys
- Health & Wellbeingjoint 110th of 2003/4 keys
- Education & Knowledgejoint 114th of 1984/4 keys
- Governance & Institutionsjoint 127th of 1944/4 keys
- Food & Agriculture121st of 1843/4 keys
- Development & Human Capitaljoint 136th of 1963/3 keys
- Poverty & Inequalityjoint 125th of 1593/3 keys
- Economy & Innovation149th of 1762/4 keys
- Work & Labour165th of 1824/4 keys
- Digital & Technology181st of 1983/4 keys
- Mobility & Trade174th of 1772/4 keys
No standing on Energy: too few of those topics’ key statistics are published for this country.
06The top of the list
Who leads on digital & technology
The three countries placed highest of 198, and the leaders São Tomé and Príncipe can most readily be measured against.
=1
EstoniaNorthern Europe
Joint 1st of 198 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Andrus Uuetalu derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0 ee, greyscale
=1
South KoreaEastern Asia
Joint 1st of 198 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Unknown author · CC BY-SA 2.0, greyscale
3
SingaporeSouth-eastern Asia
3rd of 198 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Khairul Nizam . · CC BY 2.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest in Africa
Mauritius20th4/4 keysHighest in Middle Africa
Angola=106th4/4 keysThis page
São Tomé and Príncipe181st3/4 keys
Positions out of 198 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Questions
São Tomé and Príncipe on digital & technology: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does São Tomé and Príncipe rank on digital & technology?
São Tomé and Príncipe is placed 181st of 198 countries on Digital & Technology in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 4 key statistics (GovTech Maturity Index, Government AI Readiness Index and Government Cyber Security Capacity). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest GovTech Maturity Index figure for São Tomé and Príncipe?
0.187 in 2025 (gTMI score (0–1)), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 0.63.
What is the latest Government AI Readiness Index figure for São Tomé and Príncipe?
18.37 in 2025 (aI readiness score (0–100)), according to Oxford Insights. The world median in the same edition was 40.19.
How have São Tomé and Príncipe’s digital & technology figures changed?
Government AI Readiness Index fell from 27.62 in 2022 to 18.37 in 2025; Government Cyber Security Capacity rose from -1.339 in 2000 to -0.739 in 2025; Digitally-Deliverable Services Exports fell from 12.71 in 2010 to 5.156 in 2022.
Which digital & technology statistics are missing for São Tomé and Príncipe?
No current reading is published for São Tomé and Príncipe on AI User Share of the Working-Age Population, Anthropic AI Usage Index, Digitally-Deliverable Services Exports, GitHub Git Pushes, ICT Goods Exports, ICT Services Exports, Internet Use Among Adults, Made or Received a Digital Payment, Mobile Phone Ownership, Primary Schools with Internet for Teaching, Share of Graduates from ICT Programmes and Smartphone Ownership. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
08Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
Broadband and mobile subscriptions, connection speeds and the cost of getting online are absent, for the licence reason above; internet use and phone ownership, from the World Bank’s own household survey, and firms’ websites and internet disruptions, from its Enterprise Surveys, are published here as context. The ICT share of goods exports votes under Mobility & Trade. Digital public services and data-protection law are not held yet. Research and development spending is filed under Education & Knowledge, and what an economy knows how to make is under Economy & Innovation.
How the Digital & Technology standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 4 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 4 keys to be placed.
The digital & technology method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- GovTech Maturity Index — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Government AI Readiness Index — Oxford Insights, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Government Cyber Security Capacity — V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Digitally-Deliverable Services Exports — UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), CC BY 3.0 IGO
The other 10 statistics on this page come from 5 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
São Tomé and Príncipe’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Estonia — Andrus Uuetalu derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0 ee
- South Korea — Unknown author, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Singapore — Khairul Nizam ., CC BY 2.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). São Tomé and Príncipe: Digital & Technology — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/sao-tome-and-principe/digital