Agricultural production in Sao Tome and Principe
According to FAOSTAT, Sao Tome and Principe produced 796 t of cereals, 3,822 t of vegetables, 51,620 t of fruit, 1,725 t of meat and 594 t of milk in 2024. Its largest crops by volume were plantains (41,230 t), oil palm fruit (27,394 t) and taro (10,073 t).
- Products recorded
- 45
- World #1
- 0
- products
- World top 10
- 1
- products
- Year
- 2024
Among its twelve largest crops, the biggest ten-year change was in coconuts (−96%), followed by bananas (−82%).
Livestock numbers: 1,588 cattle, 42,594 pigs, 3,386 sheep and 6,201 goats.
Totals by group
| Group | Tonnes | World rank | Share | 10-year change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All fruit | 51,620 | 147 | 0.01% | +45% |
| All roots and tubers | 13,893 | 160 | 0% | +35% |
| All vegetables | 3,822 | 178 | 0% | +116% |
| All meat | 1,725 | 181 | 0% | +55% |
| All cereals | 796 | 166 | 0% | −4.1% |
| All milk | 594 | 177 | 0% | +19% |
| All eggs | 191 | 166 | 0% | −69% |
All products by volume, 2024
Live animals, 2024
Sao Tome and Principe among the world’s producers, 2024
Share of world production by country for the largest crops of Sao Tome and Principe, which is outlined on the map.
Small island states are not drawn at this scale.
Production per person, 2024
Sao Tome and Principe had 235,536 inhabitants in 2024 (FAOSTAT estimate). Production of its largest products per inhabitant, compared with the world average:
| Product | kg per person | World, kg per person | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plantains | 175 | 5.46 | 32.0× |
| Oil palm fruit | 116 | 51.3 | 2.3× |
| Taro | 42.8 | 2.23 | 19.2× |
| Bananas | 22.8 | 17.1 | 1.3× |
| Other fruits, n.e.c. | 21.3 | 4.81 | 4.4× |
| Palm oil | 20.7 | 9.75 | 2.1× |
| Cocoa beans | 17.0 | 0.64 | 26.5× |
| Yams | 9.65 | 11.3 | 0.9× |
| Coconuts, in shell | 8.17 | 8.03 | 1.0× |
| Cassava | 6.09 | 41.9 | 0.1× |
| Other vegetables, fresh n.e.c. | 4.75 | 34.5 | 0.1× |
| Beer | 4.25 | 22.7 | 0.2× |
Production divided by population; it is not consumption, because crops are traded and used for feed, processing and industry.
Trade in agricultural products, 2024
Sao Tome and Principe reported exports of 6 and imports of 55 of the products covered here.
Largest exports by value
| Product | Tonnes | Value | USD/kg | World rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cocoa beans | 4,304 | USD 20.5 m | 4.75 | 27 of 93 |
| Palm oil | 5,369 | USD 6.4 m | 1.19 | 50 of 118 |
| Coconut oil | 78 | USD 269,000 | 3.45 | 60 of 94 |
| Pepper (Piper spp.), raw | 19 | USD 229,000 | 12.05 | 89 of 124 |
| Coconuts, in shell | 5 | USD 12,000 | 2.40 | 76 of 93 |
| Other fruits, n.e.c. | 2 | USD 3,000 | 1.50 | 124 of 131 |
Largest imports by value
| Product | Tonnes | Value | USD/kg | World rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wine | 3,458 | USD 4.8 m | 1.40 | 103 of 192 |
| Meat of chickens, fresh or chilled | 3,104 | USD 4.6 m | 1.47 | 141 of 189 |
| Soya bean oil | 1,317 | USD 2.0 m | 1.50 | 119 of 184 |
| Beer of barley, malted | 1,575 | USD 1.7 m | 1.08 | 147 of 192 |
| Beans, dry | 683 | USD 1.4 m | 2.12 | 124 of 185 |
| Raw milk of cattle | 984 | USD 967,000 | 0.98 | 121 of 188 |
| Whole milk powder | 210 | USD 966,000 | 4.60 | 152 of 190 |
| Skim milk and whey powder | 163 | USD 588,000 | 3.61 | 149 of 192 |
| Margarine and shortening | 157 | USD 501,000 | 3.19 | 166 of 189 |
| Olive oil | 38 | USD 385,000 | 10.13 | 156 of 189 |
FAOSTAT detailed trade data, release of 23 July 2026: quantities in tonnes and values in current US dollars as reported; exports include re-exports. Only the FAO trade items that match Husfarm production pages are included: meat covers fresh or chilled meat only (frozen meat is a separate item), and processed goods such as milled rice or flour are not listed.
Questions and answers
What are the main crops produced in Sao Tome and Principe?
By volume, the largest products of Sao Tome and Principe in 2024 were plantains (41,230 t), oil palm fruit (27,394 t), taro (10,073 t), according to FAOSTAT.
Is Sao Tome and Principe the world’s largest producer of anything?
Not in 2024. Its highest world rank was 7th, for cinnamon and cinnamon-tree flowers.
How much plantains does Sao Tome and Principe produce per person?
About 175 kg per inhabitant in 2024, compared with a world average of 5.46 kg (production divided by population, FAOSTAT).
What does Sao Tome and Principe export most?
By value, its largest agricultural exports in 2024 among the products covered here were cocoa beans (USD 20.5 m), palm oil (USD 6.4 m), coconut oil (USD 269,000), according to FAOSTAT.
What does Sao Tome and Principe import most?
By value, its largest agricultural imports in 2024 among the products covered here were wine (USD 4.8 m), meat of chickens, fresh or chilled (USD 4.6 m), soya bean oil (USD 2.0 m).
Where does this data come from?
Production, trade and population figures are from FAOSTAT, the statistics database of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Rankings, shares and per-person figures are calculated by Husfarm.
Source: FAO. 2025. FAOSTAT: Crops and livestock products. Accessed on 4 November 2026. fao.org/faostat. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Charts, rankings and changes calculated by Husfarm.