Sub-Saharan Africa · ST
Generation Alpha & Beta
in São Tomé and Príncipe
How many of each cohort São Tomé and Príncipe has, how fast the next one is arriving, and what the fertility rate, median age and school system mean for both.
São Tomé and Príncipe has approximately 91,760 Generation Alpha people (born 2010–2024), about 37.5% of its population, and roughly 11,986 Generation Beta children born since 2025. Its fertility rate is 3.5 and its child population is growing, projected +16% by 2040.
Births since 1 January 2025 at São Tomé and Príncipe's own rate, less infant mortality. At 19 births a day it climbs steadily rather than visibly.
Born 2010–2024 — 37.5% of the population, aged 2–16 this year.
About 19 births a day, all of them Generation Beta.
Larger than the Alpha cohort — one of the countries where the next generation grows.
Size of the Generation Alpha cohort
Share of the population under 15
Total fertility rate
Child population to 2040 (+16%)
São Tomé and Príncipe against the world average
Key dates for São Tomé and Príncipe
6 compulsory years from age 6.
Born on 1 January 2025, they reach São Tomé and Príncipe's starting age of 6.
Under-15s change by +16% against today.
Eighteen years after the cohort opened.
The cohort closes on 31 December 2039; its youngest members enter school here.
School dates follow São Tomé and Príncipe's own starting age of 6 and 6 compulsory years, so they differ from the global figures on our Generation Beta page.
Every figure on this page
São Tomé and Príncipe in 20 numbers
| Indicator | São Tomé and Príncipe | World average | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 245 thousand | — | #167 of 194 |
| Generation Alpha (born 2010–2024) | 91,760 | — | #163 of 194 |
| Gen Alpha share of population | 37.5% | — | #31 of 194 |
| Projected Gen Beta births 2025–39 | 108,010 | — | #157 of 194 |
| Births per year | 6,777 | — | #159 of 194 |
| Births per day | 19 | — | #158 of 194 |
| Under-15 share of population | 37% | 25% | #35 of 194 |
| Total fertility rate | 3.5 | 2.2 | #34 of 194 |
| Median age | 20 years | 31 years | #155 of 194 |
| Life expectancy at birth | 70 years | 73 years | #136 of 194 |
| Urban population | 69% | 58% | #85 of 194 |
| Internet use | 59% | 68% | #139 of 192 |
| Secondary school completion | 75% | 60% | #115 of 189 |
| School starting age | age 6 | — | #30 of 194 |
| Compulsory years of schooling | 6 years | — | #178 of 194 |
| Daily screen time, ages 8–12 | Not reported | — | |
| Cost of raising a child to 18 | Not reported | — | |
| Under-15 population change to 2040 | +16% | — | #32 of 194 |
| Youth dependency ratio | 64 per 100 adults | — | #33 of 194 |
| Mobile connections per 100 people | 62 | — | #175 of 194 |
Rank is out of the 194 countries profiled here and always runs highest first — so #1 on median age is the oldest country, not the youngest. World averages are population-weighted global figures and are shown only where a comparable one exists. Sources: UN World Population Prospects, World Bank Open Data, UNESCO and ITU, via our sources page.
1950 to 2023, with the UN projection to 2030
São Tomé and Príncipe birth rate and fertility rate by year
About 6,500 babies were born in São Tomé and Príncipe in 2023, and women had 3.64 children on average. Since 1950, births peaked in 2012 at about 6,900. Fertility has stayed above the replacement level of 2.1 in every year since 1950. Annual births are 14% higher than in 2000.
Fertility rate (children per woman)
Births per year
Thousands of births. Dashed: UN medium-variant projection.
| Year | Births | Fertility rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 2,800 | 6.23 |
| 1960 | 3,000 | 6.24 |
| 1970 | 3,000 | 6.47 |
| 1980 | 4,100 | 6.39 |
| 1990 | 5,000 | 5.83 |
| 2000 | 5,700 | 5.16 |
| 2010 | 6,800 | 4.77 |
| 2015 | 6,600 | 4.35 |
| 2020 | 6,200 | 3.83 |
| 2021 | 6,300 | 3.76 |
| 2022 | 6,400 | 3.69 |
| 2023 | 6,500 | 3.64 |
| 2025 projected | 6,700 | 3.53 |
| 2030 projected | 7,100 | 3.26 |
UN World Population Prospects 2024, republished by Our World in Data. Years to 2023 are UN estimates, which can differ from a country's own registered counts; later years are the UN medium-variant projection. Every country is ranked on fertility rate by country.
Regional peers
Elsewhere in Sub-Saharan Africa
Nigeria
95 million Generation Alpha
Ethiopia
48 million Generation Alpha
DR Congo
44 million Generation Alpha
Tanzania
28 million Generation Alpha
South Africa
17 million Generation Alpha
Kenya
19 million Generation Alpha
Uganda
20 million Generation Alpha
Sudan
19 million Generation Alpha
Run the numbers yourself
Tools that use this data
Gen Beta by Country Forecast
Where the 2.1 billion Betas will be born, and which countries shrink instead.
Under-15 Share by Country
The countries where Alpha and Beta make up the largest share of the population.
Global Child Population Table
Where the world's children are, ranked by region, with the direction each one is…
Median Age Calculator
What a country's median age implies about its Alpha and Beta share, its dependency…
School-Age Population Forecast
How many children will be of school age in any year, globally or nationally.
Where a tool takes a number it opens prefilled with São Tomé and Príncipe's own figure rather than the world one, and every input stays editable. The rest are the same ranked tables for every country.
Frequently asked about São Tomé and Príncipe
How many Gen Alpha are there in São Tomé and Príncipe?
Approximately 91,760 people born between 2010 and 2024 live in São Tomé and Príncipe, about 37.5% of the population.
How many Gen Beta children are there in São Tomé and Príncipe?
Roughly 11,986 children have been born in São Tomé and Príncipe since 1 January 2025, growing by about 1 every hour.
What is the fertility rate in São Tomé and Príncipe?
São Tomé and Príncipe has a total fertility rate of 3.5 children per woman, against a replacement level of 2.1 and a world average of about 2.2.
At what age do children start school in São Tomé and Príncipe?
Compulsory schooling begins at age 6 in São Tomé and Príncipe, and runs for 6 years.
Is the child population in São Tomé and Príncipe growing or shrinking?
It is growing. The under-15 population is projected to change by +16% between now and 2040.
How many babies are born in São Tomé and Príncipe each year?
About 6,500 in 2023, according to UN estimates, down from a peak of about 6,900 in 2012 (the highest since 1950). The UN projects about 7,100 in 2030.
How has the fertility rate in São Tomé and Príncipe changed over time?
It was 6.23 children per woman in 1950 and 3.64 in 2023. It has not fallen below the replacement level of 2.1 in any year since 1950.
AlphaBetaMinds (2026). Generation Alpha and Generation Beta in São Tomé and Príncipe. Retrieved from https://alphabetaminds.com/countries/sao-tome-and-principe
The printed sheet keeps the headline numbers, the world comparison, the key dates, the full indicator table and this citation, and drops the navigation, the tools and the FAQ. It fits a page or two and needs no login.
Free to reproduce, commercially or not, with a credit and a link. Figures are estimates for 2025–2026 and are updated when the underlying sources are.