🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe: Politics & Democracy
Broadly yes — Sao Tome and Principe scores 51.9 on the V-Dem liberal democracy index (0–100 scale), placing it among functioning democracies, though with weaker liberal safeguards than the top-ranked states.
Current leaders
Carlos Vila Nova
Head of State · Independent Democratic Action
Américo Ramos
Head of Government
Democracy trend
Upcoming elections
2026 Santomean legislative election
2026-09-30T00:00:00ZVoting alignment
Sao Tome and Principe's closest UN General Assembly voting partners since 1946:
Frequently asked questions
Is Sao Tome and Principe a democracy?
Broadly yes — Sao Tome and Principe scores 51.9 on the V-Dem liberal democracy index (0–100 scale), placing it among functioning democracies, though with weaker liberal safeguards than the top-ranked states. It ranks #61 of 179 countries in 2025.
Is democracy in Sao Tome and Principe improving or declining?
Sao Tome and Principe's V-Dem liberal democracy score has declined by 3.5 points over the past decade, standing at 51.9 in 2025 (1-year change: 0.0).
Who leads Sao Tome and Principe?
Carlos Vila Nova is Sao Tome and Principe's head of state (Independent Democratic Action); Américo Ramos serves as head of government.
When is the next election in Sao Tome and Principe?
2026 Santomean legislative election is scheduled for 2026-09-30T00:00:00Z.