Healthcare Spending: São Tomé and Príncipe

Analysis# São Tomé and Príncipe Healthcare Spending São Tomé and Príncipe allocated 5.773% of GDP to healthcare in 2023, near its lowest point of the past two decades. The nation spent 11.465% of GDP on healthcare at its 2003 peak, meaning current spending represents a 38.1% decline since 2000. Despite recent stabilization around 5.7–5.8%, the country's healthcare investment remains substantially below early-2000s levels. Volatility characterizes the 2014–2023 period, with spending fluctuating between 5.481% (2019) and 7.859% (2021). A sharp dip to 5.481% in 2019 preceded a temporary recovery to 7.859% in 2021, likely reflecting pandemic-related pressures. The subsequent return to roughly 5.7% suggests the nation has settled into a lower spending baseline, maintaining minimal year-over-year variation in recent years.