Middle Africa

Sao Tome and Principe

Absolute number

Prevalence

4.5 thousand

Married by 15: Number of girls and women (left) and percentage of women 20-24 years (right) married before age 15

5%
20.6 thousand

Married by 18: Number of girls and women (left) and percentage of women 20-24 years (right) married before age 18

28%

Prevalence of child marriage

  • Sao Tome and Principe
  • Middle Africa
Child marriage age

The line chart shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) in Sao Tome and Principe and Middle Africa from 1994 to 2024.

In Sao Tome and Principe, 32% of girls in 1994 married before age 18, compared with 28% in 2019, which is the latest available value.

In Middle Africa, the prevalence was 44% in 1999 and was 33% in 2024.

Show data table
YearSao Tome and PrincipeMiddle Africa
199431.7%
199932.2%43.9%
200432.7%43.5%
200932.6%40.1%
201438.0%40.0%
201928.0%37.1%
202433.3%
Child marriage age
Compare with other countries

Sao Tome and Principe

Child Marriage
Prevalence

Residence

  • Rural
  • Urban
Show Residence data table
YearRuralUrban
201932.7%25.7%

Wealth

  • Poorest
  • Second
  • Middle
  • Fourth
  • Richest
Show Wealth data table
YearPoorestSecondMiddleFourthRichest
201945.0%28.8%32.5%20.6%11.0%

Education

  • No schooling
  • Primary education
  • Secondary or higher
Show Education data table
YearNo schoolingPrimary educationSecondary or higher
201957.9%20.0%
Child marriage age

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How does Sao Tome and Principe compare to other countries?

Prevalence of child marriage

  • Sao Tome and Principe
Child marriage age

The line chart shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) in Sao Tome and Principe from 1994 to 2019.

In Sao Tome and Principe, 32% of girls in 1994 married before age 18, compared with 28% in 2019, which is the latest available value.

Show data table
YearSao Tome and Principe
199431.7%
199932.2%
200432.7%
200932.6%
201438.0%
201928.0%

Residence

Child marriage prevalence

Review the data to find if girls living in rural areas are more likely to marry in childhood than girls in urban areas

The bubble chart shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) disaggregated by residence in Sao Tome and Principe. Data refer to the latest available year.

In Sao Tome and Principe, 28% of girls married before age 18. The prevalence is 33% of girls in rural areas, compared with 26% in urban areas.

Show data table
CountryRuralUrbanTotal
Sao Tome and Principe32.7%25.7%28.0%
Child marriage age

For more data related to child marriage, please see the child marriage country profiles available on the UNICEF Data website

UNICEF Data

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