Sao Tome and Principe

Sao Tome and Principe
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São Tomé and Príncipe’s dobra is linked to the euro, tying domestic prices to an external currency. Domestic bank transfers, cards and overseas payment connections serve commerce across the islands, whose population was about 240,000 in 2025 with GDP per capita near US$4,100.

Population

240K

GDP

$981M

GDP per Capita

$4K

GDP Growth

1.0%

Deepdive

World Bank, World Development Indicators (WDI), 2025

Cash in Sao Tome and Principe

Physical cash continues to be the mainstay in São Tomé and Príncipe, with few ATMs and uneven card acceptance. Dobra notes support local spending; some machines and merchants accept Visa cards, while other cards have less reach.

ATMs (PER 100K)

31.3

BANKS (PER 100K)

14.0

DEBIT CARDS (PER ADULT)

0.2

CREDIT CARDS (PER ADULT)

0.0

Compare

IMF, Financial Access Survey (FAS), 2025