São Tomé and Príncipe Governance Declines: Ibrahim Index
São Tomé and Príncipe has suffered a steady decline in its governance standards over the last decade, dropping to 13th place in the latest Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG). The report, released Thursday in Cairo, highlights a concerning trend for the archipelago, where the pace of deterioration has actually accelerated since 2021.
A Decade of Regression
The 2026 IIAG report, published by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, places São Tomé and Príncipe among a group of nations where overall governance has regressed since 2016. This downward trajectory aligns the country with other Portuguese-speaking nations, including Cape Verde, Mozambique, and Guinea-Bissau, as well as regional powers like South Africa and Tunisia.
The archipelago is one of nine countries identified as suffering from “double deterioration” in both Security & Rule of Law and Foundations for Economic Opportunity. Most notably, the country recorded the second-worst decline in Health indicators across the entire continent, a sharp contrast to the 40 African nations that saw improvements in healthcare during the same period.
Political Alternation Fails to Spark Wider Change
Despite the slipping indicators, São Tomé and Príncipe remains a standout for its democratic stability. It is one of only eight African countries to have held executive elections in the last five years that resulted in a peaceful transfer of power to the opposition. However, the report warns that this change in leadership has not yet translated into broader democratic gains. While the “Democratic Elections” indicator improved, general public participation in governance remains stagnant.
Social and Administrative Challenges
The index also identified specific social frictions within the island nation. São Tomé and Príncipe is among the six African countries where public acceptance of different ethnic groups has deteriorated most significantly over the last decade.
Furthermore, the report highlighted a disconnect between administrative reform and reality. Despite measurable progress in civil registration systems, public perception regarding the ease of obtaining an identity document remains overwhelmingly negative, suggesting that bureaucratic improvements are not yet reaching the average citizen.
About the Index
The Ibrahim Index of African Governance is published biennially and is considered the most comprehensive assessment of governance performance on the continent. The 2026 edition analyzed 96 indicators across 54 countries, covering the period from 2016 to 2025.
Image: Pexels – Beatriz Silva
