Japan and São Tomé & Príncipe
Japan and São Tomé and Príncipe combine diplomatic contacts, development cooperation and goods trade. Grants and technical assistance play an important role, while machinery, transport and agricultural products feature in exchanges.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-08 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-08What merchandise trade shows
In 2025, goods trade between Japan and São Tomé and Príncipe totaled 3.2 million current USD.
Documented mobility and communities
Residents from Japan in São Tomé and Príncipe: 0 (October 2024).
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | 3.18 M USD | 2025 · Comtrade |
| Goods: Japan to São Tomé & Príncipe | 3.13 M USD | 2025 · Comtrade |
| Goods: São Tomé & Príncipe to Japan | 0.0457 M USD | 2025 · Comtrade |
| Services trade | ||
| Export share: Japan to São Tomé & Príncipe | 0.000424 % | 2025 · Comtrade |
| Export share: São Tomé & Príncipe to Japan | ||
| Investment stock: Japan in São Tomé & Príncipe | ||
| Investment stock: São Tomé & Príncipe in Japan |
Definitions and sources
Trade adds both directions. Shares refer to the country’s total goods exports; investment is an accumulated stock, not an annual flow. Every figure retains the currency and period of its source. BEA positions are historical-cost estimates based on the immediate counterpart, not market values or investment by ultimate owner. ‘More than’ indicates a lower bound, not an exact amount. A recorded stock does not establish new activity or authorisation to operate under sanctions.
- Goods trade
- 2025 · UN Comtrade · Goods; full calendar year; reporter JPN. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF; no addition of mirror declarations. Both directions are identified from the same customs authority.
- Goods: Japan to São Tomé & Príncipe
- 2025 · UN Comtrade · Goods; full calendar year; reporter JPN. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF; no addition of mirror declarations. Both directions are identified from the same customs authority.
- Goods: São Tomé & Príncipe to Japan
- 2025 · UN Comtrade · Goods; full calendar year; reporter JPN. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF; no addition of mirror declarations. Both directions are identified from the same customs authority.
- Export share: Japan to São Tomé & Príncipe
- 2025 · UN Comtrade · Exports to the partner / worldwide exports by the same reporter; same year and coverage.
Country comparison
Period and source beside each figure · est. = estimate by the stated institution.
Some annual indicators refer to different years. Check the period beside each value before comparing them.
| Indicator | Japan | São Tomé & Príncipe |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 4.44 trillion USD2025 · WB | 981,293,586.91 USD2025 · WB |
| GDP per capita | 35,951.05 USD2025 · WB | 4,084.4 USD2025 · WB |
| GDP growth | 1.19 %2025 · WB | 1.03 %2025 · WB |
| Policy interest rate | 1.25 %2026-09-24 · BoJ | |
| Inflation · annual average | 3.17 %Annual average · 2025 · WB | 11.05 %Annual average · 2025 · WB |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | 1.9 %Year-on-year · Aug. 2026 · Statistics JP | |
| Unemployment | 2.45 %ILO est.2025 · WB | 9.13 %ILO est.2025 · WB |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -1.1 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | -2.5 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 206.5 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 55.7 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | 4.86 %2025 · WB | 5.03 %2024 · WB |
| Population | 123,366,7342025 · WB | 240,2542025 · WB |
| Area | 377,969 km²2023 · BM / FAO | 960 km²2023 · WB |
| Military expenditure | ||
| Military expenditure (% of GDP) |
Definitions, dates and sources
Blank cells are not zero. Average annual inflation and the latest year-on-year figure appear in separate rows: they are not the same measure. Every annual indicator retains its reference year; when the years differ, the figures are identified as not directly comparable. When a figure is unavailable from the World Bank, an annual IMF estimate is used and identified as such. The latest year-on-year figure is the latest official release verified as of 7 October 2026. This includes advance releases marked as provisional. Mexico may have a fortnightly figure before the full month is published; it is not automatically compared with a monthly figure. The publication date is retained in each source’s details; it does not replace the observation period or the annual average. Policy rates carry their own dates and represent different instruments. Spain and France share the ECB rate. Balances are positive for surpluses and negative for deficits. The IMF may use fiscal years; unemployment retains each source’s definition (ILO estimates, IMF WEO or PCBS), as stated in the details. For Palestine, debt and the fiscal balance cover central government and retain the PCBS definition; they are not presented as consolidated general government. These are economic magnitudes, not measures of relationship quality.
Area retains each source’s territorial coverage; it does not determine sovereignty or effective control. Canada uses an archived national geographic reference. Military expenditure retains the 2024 SIPRI sample distributed by the World Bank: the amount and percentage of GDP use that same definition, which differs from NATO’s. It is not an approved budget or a 2026 figure. Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Military expenditure database · Terms of use0
Indicators reviewed: 2026-10-07. Each source retains its original access date; this review does not turn all the data into 2026 observations. Figures may be revised.
- Nominal GDP
- Current USDJapan: 2025 · World BankSão Tomé & Príncipe: 2025 · World Bank · World Bank series; observation year, not download date.
- GDP per capita
- Current USD per personJapan: 2025 · World BankSão Tomé & Príncipe: 2025 · World Bank · World Bank series; observation year, not download date.
- GDP growth
- Annual real change (%)Japan: 2025 · World BankSão Tomé & Príncipe: 2025 · World Bank · World Bank series; observation year, not download date.
- Policy interest rate
- Central bank instrument (%)Japan: 2026-09-24 · Approximate target for the uncollateralised overnight rate · Bank of Japan
- Inflation · annual average
- Average annual change in headline CPI (%)Japan: 2025 · Annual average change in the CPI (%) · World BankSão Tomé and Príncipe: 2025 · Annual average CPI change (%) · World Bank · World Bank series; observation year, not download date.
- Inflation · latest year-on-year figure
- Headline CPI relative to the same period of the previous year (%); monthly or fortnightly frequency statedJapan: 2026-08 · Change in headline CPI from the same month of the previous year (%) · Statistics Bureau of Japan · Published: 2026-09-18 · National headline CPI, 2025 base; includes fresh food and energy. The measure excluding fresh food (1.7%) and the preliminary Tokyo release are not used.
- Unemployment
- % of the labour force; definition used by the stated institutionJapan: 2025 · World Bank · ILO est.São Tomé and Príncipe: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate; percentage of labour force · World Bank · est. ILO · World Bank series; observation year, not download date.
- Budget balance
- General government (% of GDP)Japan: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.São Tomé & Príncipe: 2025 · IMF · est. IMF · WEO general government estimate, % of GDP; not a monthly observation.
- Gross public debt
- General government (% of GDP)Japan: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.São Tomé & Príncipe: 2025 · IMF · est. IMF · WEO general government estimate, % of GDP; not a monthly observation.
- Current account balance
- % of GDPJapan: 2025 · World BankSão Tomé & Príncipe: 2024 · World Bank · World Bank series; observation year, not download date.
- Population
- PeopleJapan: 2025 · World BankSão Tomé & Príncipe: 2025 · World Bank · World Bank series; observation year, not download date.
- Area
- Total area in km²; territorial coverage of the sourceJapan: 2023 · Total area, including inland waters; source's territorial coverage · World Bank · FAOSão Tomé & Príncipe: 2023 · World Bank · World Bank series; observation year, not download date.
- Military expenditure
- Current USD per year; SIPRI series
- Military expenditure (% of GDP)
- Percentage of GDP; SIPRI definition, not NATO’s definition
Other data specific to this relationship
What they buy and sell
Documented selection, not an exhaustive list. Cells without a figure do not mean zero value; some products are identified without a verified amount.
Japan to São Tomé & Príncipe
São Tomé & Príncipe to Japan
How trade has changed
Millions of current USD · full calendar years
View chart figures
| Period | Total | Japan to São Tomé & Príncipe | São Tomé & Príncipe to Japan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2.1 | 2 | 0.197 |
| 2022 | 0.813 | 0.807 | 0.00638 |
| 2023 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 0.018 |
| 2024 | 10.6 | 10.5 | 0.0152 |
| 2025 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 0.0457 |
Connections between people
The Japanese register of resident nationals in October 2024 reports zero, a dated observed figure not confused with missing information. [1]
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from Japan living in São Tomé & PríncipeJapanese nationals resident in São Tomé and Príncipe | 0 | October 2024 · www.mofa.go.jp |
| Residents from São Tomé & Príncipe living in Japan | ||
| Study and training: Japan in São Tomé & Príncipe | ||
| Study and training: São Tomé & Príncipe in Japan | ||
| Academic stays: Japan in São Tomé & Príncipe | ||
| Academic stays: São Tomé & Príncipe in Japan | ||
| Travel: Japan to São Tomé & Príncipe | ||
| Travel: São Tomé & Príncipe to Japan |
What each figure measures
Residents are counted by nationality and the coverage of the stated register, not as people born in the other country or as new arrivals in one year. PERE includes dual nationals and people born outside Spain. Study with OPT and stays carrying academic credit are different measures. Travel may include several visits by the same person; FRONTUR arrivals require an overnight stay, whereas the Canadian survey includes day visits. These figures are neither added together nor automatically compared across directions.
- Residents from Japan living in São Tomé & Príncipe
- Zero explicitly published by MOFA; not missing data converted to zero. October 2024 · www.mofa.go.jp
Mobility data added or reviewed: 2026-10-07. Reference periods may be earlier.
Underlying ties
History, institutions and long-standing issues.
Bilateral context
Japan recognized the São Toméan state on July 22, 1975. The Japanese foreign ministry profile, published in August 2025, documents meetings at TICAD conferences and other international gatherings, including Prime Minister Jorge Bom Jesus' participation in TICAD 7 in August 2019. [1]
The scale of both economies
Nominal GDP for Japan is 4,435.2 billion USD (2025), compared with 0.981 for São Tomé & Príncipe (2025). The reference populations are 123.37 and 0.24 million, respectively. In the same year, the economy of Japan was 4,519.71 times that of São Tomé & Príncipe in nominal GDP. The comparison provides context on market size, but does not, on its own, measure influence, well-being or diplomatic closeness. Estimates and their sources retain their labels in the tables. [5] [6] [7] [8]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Review: 2026-10-08
Cooperation and bilateral issues
The profile records cumulative cooperation through fiscal year 2023: 8,869 million yen in grants and 878 million in technical cooperation, with no loans in that category. Those amounts are not one year's aid or business direct investment. The 2024 trade data identify coffee, tea and cocoa among São Toméan shipments to Japan and machinery and transport equipment in the opposite direction. The Japanese register of resident nationals in October 2024 reports zero, a dated observed figure not confused with missing information. [1]
What merchandise trade shows
In 2025, merchandise trade between the two countries (Japan and São Tomé & Príncipe) totalled 3.2 million current USD. Shipments from the first to the second were 3.1 million; those in the opposite direction, 0.0457 million. The difference between the two flows was 3.1 million, in favour of Japan. This is a goods balance, not the total balance of the economic relationship: it excludes services, income and transfers. Both directions come from a single customs reporter to avoid adding mirror records. [2]
The partner's share of exports
Sales from Japan to the partner represented 0.000424% of its worldwide goods exports in 2025. The share compares the same reporter, year and coverage. It measures export concentration, not the percentage of GDP dependent on this relationship. A partner may be important in a specific sector even if its share of total goods trade is small. [2]
Five years of trade trends
The consistent series shows 2.1 million USD in 2021 and 3.2 million in 2025. The change between the two endpoints was +48 % in current dollars. The highest annual value in the period was recorded in 2024, at 10.6 million. The chart allows the two directions to be compared to see whether they moved together or differently. The change combines quantities, prices and exchange rates; it is not automatically attributed to a treaty, a visit or a political decision. The same reporter is retained and missing years are not interpolated. [3]
Documented trade sectors
Within the selected chapters, vehicles and components stands out in shipments from Japan to São Tomé & Príncipe, at 0.0281 million USD in 2025. Within the selected chapters, machinery and mechanical appliances stands out in shipments from São Tomé & Príncipe to Japan, at 0.0238 million USD in 2025. The table compares eight selected chapters with the same coverage as the trade total. It is not a complete list or proof that the first item in this selection is the leading product across the entire relationship. A chapter groups numerous goods: machinery and components, for example, do not describe a single business transaction. [4]
Documented mobility and communities
Residents from Japan in São Tomé and Príncipe: 0 (October 2024). Japanese nationals resident in São Tomé and Príncipe. Zero explicitly published by MOFA; not missing data converted to zero. [1]
Milestones and consequences
Sources and data
Periods and scope of the figures
Institutional sources and periods accompany each figure. Annual trade, investment positions, residents and visits are distinct measures. Empty cells do not mean zero. Statements of intent are not presented as project implementation or treaties in force.
- Bilateral relations — JPN-STP
Japan MOFA · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Bounded matrix; reporter, partner, year, chapter and direction identified in each record
UN Comtrade · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- Trade series 2021–2025
UN Comtrade · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- Bounded matrix; reporter, partner, year, chapter and direction identified in each record
UN Comtrade · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- Official statistics
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-09-17
- Official statistics
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- Official statistics
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-06
- Official statistics
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
Additional sources on products and human connections
- UN Comtrade
2026-10-08 · Accessed: 2026-10-08 · Bounded matrix; reporter, partner, year, chapter and direction identified in each record.