Skip to main content
25th Edition
World
Languages
Countries
Insights
About
Help
São Tomé e Príncipe
Print
Primary tabs
Country
Languages
Status
(active tab)
Maps
Expand All
Collapse All
1 (National)
Portuguese
[por]
1 (National). De facto national language. 197,000 in São Tomé e Príncipe, all users. L1 users: 68,000 in São Tomé e Príncipe (2016 World Factbook). L2 users: 129,000 (2016 World Factbook).
4 (Educational)
French
[fra]
4 (Educational). 42,200 in São Tomé e Príncipe (Beck et al 2018), L2 users.
6b (Threatened)
Angolar
[aoa]
6b (Threatened). 7,900 (2019 D. Eberhard), based on survey of Angolar communities in Caué and Lembá districts. Ethnic population: 12,000 (2019 D. Eberhard), based on extrapolations of 2012 census for 2019, plus estimates from community leaders for each district.
Kabuverdianu
[kea]
6b (Threatened). 17,500 in São Tomé e Príncipe (2019 D. Eberhard). Based on 2012 census with extrapolations for 2019. Ethnic population: Estimates of ethnic population unreliable due to high rate of mixed marriages and increased awareness of national identity (2020 M. Bouchard).
7 (Shifting)
Sãotomense
[cri]
7 (Shifting). De facto language of provincial identity in São Tomé Island except south tip. 45,000 in São Tomé e Príncipe (2019 D. Eberhard). Based on extrapolations of 2012 census for 2019, plus adjustments made by Ministry of Culture. Ethnic population: Current estimates of ethnic population unreliable due to high rate of mixed marriages and increased shift to a national identity. Traditonally, the language community (the Forro) considered the largest ethnicity in the country with a size at least 10 times that of the Angolar community (2020 M. Bouchard). Total users in all countries: 55,600.
8a (Moribund)
Kimbundu
[kmb]
8a (Moribund). 160 in São Tomé e Príncipe (2019 D. Eberhard). Ethnic population: 3,000 (2019 D. Eberhard).
8b (Nearly extinct)
Principense
[pre]
8b (Nearly extinct). 200 (Agostinho and Araujo 2021). No monolinguals (Agostinho and Araujo 2021). Ethnic population: Estimates of ethnic population unreliable due to high degree of mixed marriages and increased awareness of national identity (2020 M. Bouchard).
Unestablished
English
[eng]
Unestablished. 10,000 in São Tomé e Príncipe (2018 World Factbook).
