Sao Tome and Principe graduated from LDC status

Sao Tome and Principe

On 13 December, Sao Tome and Principe became the eighth country to graduate from the least developed country (LDC) category. There are now 44 countries remaining on the list of LDCs.

Sao Tome and Principe was recommended for graduation from the LDC category by the CDP at the 2018 triennial review, having met the graduation thresholds for the Human Assets Index (HAI) and income (GNI per capita) in 2015 and 2018. The CDP recommendation was approved by the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the UN General Assembly in 2018. The country was granted, on an exceptional basis, a preparatory period of six years to align its transition strategy with its national development plan.

More information


Committee for Development Policy |
Ahead of the Second World Summit for Social Development 2025, in this video, Committee for Development Policy (CDP) member Sabina Alkire of the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) ) talks about how some countries have made…
Rising investment in digital transformation Unprecedented developments in digital technologies and innovation over recent decades continue to reshape economies, societies, and livelihoods. The digital transformation is driven by the convergence and…
Momentum is gathering on the implementation of commitments made by the international community to build a measurement framework that respects and accurately reflects the ambitions of sustainable development, going beyond Gross Domestic Product (GDP…