São Tomé and Príncipe Business Environment

Total trade in services includes services provided by residents to non-residents plus services provided by non-residents to residents. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.

Insurance and financial services cover various types of insurance provided to nonresidents by resident insurance enterprises and vice versa, and financial intermediary and auxiliary services (except those of insurance enterprises and pension funds) exchanged between residents and nonresidents. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of service imports which are services provided by non-residents to residents.

Insurance and financial services cover various types of insurance provided to nonresidents by resident insurance enterprises and vice versa, and financial intermediary and auxiliary services (except those of insurance enterprises and pension funds) exchanged between residents and nonresidents. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of service exports which are services provided by residents to non-residents.

Domestic credit to private sector by banks refers to financial resources provided to the private sector by other depository corporations (deposit taking corporations except central banks), such as through loans, purchases of nonequity securities, and trade credits and other accounts receivable, that establish a claim for repayment. For some countries these claims include credit to public enterprises. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.

Domestic credit to private sector refers to financial resources provided to the private sector by financial corporations, such as through loans, purchases of nonequity securities, and trade credits and other accounts receivable, that establish a claim for repayment. For some countries these claims include credit to public enterprises. The financial corporations include monetary authorities and deposit money banks, as well as other financial corporations where data are available (including corporations that do not accept transferable deposits but do incur such liabilities as time and savings deposits). Examples of other financial corporations are finance and leasing companies, money lenders, insurance corporations, pension funds, and foreign exchange companies. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.

The number of newly registered firms with limited liability per 1,000 working-age people (ages 15-64) per calendar year.

New businesses registered are the number of new limited liability corporations (or its equivalent) registered in the calendar year.

The Private Participation in Infrastructure (PPI) Database records contractual arrangements for public infrastructure projects in low- and middle-income countries (as classified by the World Bank) that have reached financial closure, in which private parties assume operating risk. Investment in energy projects with private participation refers to commitments to infrastructure projects in energy (electricity and natural gas: generation, transmission and distribution) that have reached financial closure and directly or indirectly serve the public. The types of projects included are management and lease contracts, brownfield projects, greenfield projects (in which a private entity or a public-private joint venture builds and operates a new facility), and divestitures. Investments are classified as one of two types: (1) Investments in physical assets: resources the project company commits to invest in expanding and modernizing facilities and (2) payments to the government: to acquire state-owned enterprises or rights to provide services in a specific area or to use radio spectrum. Data is presented based on investment year. Data are in current U.S. dollars.

Data are from the Logistics Performance Index survey conducted by the World Bank in partnership with academic and international institutions and private companies and individuals engaged in international logistics. Respondents evaluate eight countries on six core dimensions on a scale from 1 (worst) to 5 (best). The eight countries are chosen based on the most important export and import markets of the respondent's country, random selection, and, for landlocked countries, neighboring countries that connect them with international markets. The 2023 LPI survey was conducted from September 6 to November 5, 2022. It provided 4,090 country assessments by 652 logistics professionals in 115 countries in all World Bank regions. Details of the survey methodology and index construction methodology are included in Appendix 5 of the 2023 LPI report available at: https://lpi.worldbank.org/report. Respondents evaluated efficiency of customs clearance processes (i.e. speed, simplicity and predictability of formalities), on a rating ranging from 1 (very low) to 5 (very high). Scores are averaged across all respondents.

Data are from the Logistics Performance Index survey conducted by the World Bank in partnership with academic and international institutions and private companies and individuals engaged in international logistics. Respondents evaluate eight countries on six core dimensions on a scale from 1 (worst) to 5 (best). The eight countries are chosen based on the most important export and import markets of the respondent's country, random selection, and, for landlocked countries, neighboring countries that connect them with international markets. The 2023 LPI survey was conducted from September 6 to November 5, 2022. It provided 4,090 country assessments by 652 logistics professionals in 115 countries in all World Bank regions. Details of the survey methodology and index construction methodology are included in Appendix 5 of the 2023 LPI report available at: https://lpi.worldbank.org/report. Respondents evaluated the quality of trade and transport related infrastructure (e.g. ports, railroads, roads, information technology), on a rating ranging from 1 (very low) to 5 (very high). Scores are averaged across all respondents.

Data are from the Logistics Performance Index survey conducted by the World Bank in partnership with academic and international institutions and private companies and individuals engaged in international logistics. Respondents evaluate eight countries on six core dimensions on a scale from 1 (worst) to 5 (best). The eight countries are chosen based on the most important export and import markets of the respondent's country, random selection, and, for landlocked countries, neighboring countries that connect them with international markets. The 2023 LPI survey was conducted from September 6 to November 5, 2022. It provided 4,090 country assessments by 652 logistics professionals in 115 countries in all World Bank regions. Details of the survey methodology and index construction methodology are included in Appendix 5 of the 2023 LPI report available at: https://lpi.worldbank.org/report. Respondents assessed the ease of arranging competitively priced shipments to markets, on a rating ranging from 1 (very difficult) to 5 (very easy). Scores are averaged across all respondents.

Data are from the Logistics Performance Index survey conducted by the World Bank in partnership with academic and international institutions and private companies and individuals engaged in international logistics. Respondents evaluate eight countries on six core dimensions on a scale from 1 (worst) to 5 (best). The eight countries are chosen based on the most important export and import markets of the respondent's country, random selection, and, for landlocked countries, neighboring countries that connect them with international markets. The 2023 LPI survey was conducted from September 6 to November 5, 2022. It provided 4,090 country assessments by 652 logistics professionals in 115 countries in all World Bank regions. Details of the survey methodology and index construction methodology are included in Appendix 5 of the 2023 LPI report available at: https://lpi.worldbank.org/report. Respondents evaluated the overall level of competence and quality of logistics services (e.g. transport operators, customs brokers), on a rating ranging from 1 (very low) to 5 (very high). Scores are averaged across all respondents.

The Logistics Performance Index overall score reflects perceptions of a country's logistics based on the efficiency of customs clearance process, quality of trade- and transport-related infrastructure, ease of arranging competitively priced shipments, quality of logistics services, ability to track and trace consignments, and frequency with which shipments reach the consignee within the scheduled time. The index ranges from 1 to 5, with a higher score representing better performance. Data are from the Logistics Performance Index survey conducted by the World Bank in partnership with academic and international institutions and private companies and individuals engaged in international logistics. The 2023 LPI survey was conducted from September 6 to November 5, 2022. It provided 4,090 country assessments by 652 logistics professionals in 115 countries in all World Bank regions. Respondents evaluate eight countries on six core dimensions on a scale from 1 (worst) to 5 (best). The eight countries are chosen based on the most important export and import markets of the respondent's country, random selection, and, for landlocked countries, neighboring countries that connect them with international markets. Scores for the six areas are averaged across all respondents and aggregated to a single score using principal components analysis. Details of the survey methodology and index construction methodology are included in Appendix 5 of the 2023 LPI report available at: https://lpi.worldbank.org/report.

Data are from the Logistics Performance Index survey conducted by the World Bank in partnership with academic and international institutions and private companies and individuals engaged in international logistics. Respondents evaluate eight countries on six core dimensions on a scale from 1 (worst) to 5 (best). The eight countries are chosen based on the most important export and import markets of the respondent's country, random selection, and, for landlocked countries, neighboring countries that connect them with international markets. The 2023 LPI survey was conducted from September 6 to November 5, 2022. It provided 4,090 country assessments by 652 logistics professionals in 115 countries in all World Bank regions. Details of the survey methodology and index construction methodology are included in Appendix 5 of the 2023 LPI report available at: https://lpi.worldbank.org/report. Respondents assessed how often the shipments to assessed markets reach the consignee within the scheduled or expected delivery time, on a rating ranging from 1 (hardly ever) to 5 (nearly always). Scores are averaged across all respondents.

Data are from the Logistics Performance Index survey conducted by the World Bank in partnership with academic and international institutions and private companies and individuals engaged in international logistics. Respondents evaluate eight countries on six core dimensions on a scale from 1 (worst) to 5 (best). The eight countries are chosen based on the most important export and import markets of the respondent's country, random selection, and, for landlocked countries, neighboring countries that connect them with international markets. The 2023 LPI survey was conducted from September 6 to November 5, 2022. It provided 4,090 country assessments by 652 logistics professionals in 115 countries in all World Bank regions. Details of the survey methodology and index construction methodology are included in Appendix 5 of the 2023 LPI report available at: https://lpi.worldbank.org/report. Respondents evaluated the ability to track and trace consignments when shipping to the market, on a rating ranging from 1 (very low) to 5 (very high). Scores are averaged across all respondents.

International inbound tourists (overnight visitors) are the number of tourists who travel to a country other than that in which they have their usual residence, but outside their usual environment, for a period not exceeding 12 months and whose main purpose in visiting is other than an activity remunerated from within the country visited. When data on number of tourists are not available, the number of visitors, which includes tourists, same-day visitors, cruise passengers, and crew members, is shown instead. Sources and collection methods for arrivals differ across countries. In some cases data are from border statistics (police, immigration, and the like) and supplemented by border surveys. In other cases data are from tourism accommodation establishments. For some countries number of arrivals is limited to arrivals by air and for others to arrivals staying in hotels. Some countries include arrivals of nationals residing abroad while others do not. Caution should thus be used in comparing arrivals across countries. The data on inbound tourists refer to the number of arrivals, not to the number of people traveling. Thus a person who makes several trips to a country during a given period is counted each time as a new arrival.

International outbound tourists are the number of departures that people make from their country of usual residence to any other country for any purpose other than a remunerated activity in the country visited. The data on outbound tourists refer to the number of departures, not to the number of people traveling. Thus a person who makes several trips from a country during a given period is counted each time as a new departure.

International tourism receipts are expenditures by international inbound visitors, including payments to national carriers for international transport. These receipts include any other prepayment made for goods or services received in the destination country. They also may include receipts from same-day visitors, except when these are important enough to justify separate classification. For some countries they do not include receipts for passenger transport items. Data are in current U.S. dollars.

International tourism receipts are expenditures by international inbound visitors, including payments to national carriers for international transport. These receipts include any other prepayment made for goods or services received in the destination country. They also may include receipts from same-day visitors, except when these are important enough to justify separate classification. For some countries they do not include receipts for passenger transport items. Their share in exports is calculated as a ratio to exports of goods and services, which comprise all transactions between residents of a country and the rest of the world involving a change of ownership from residents to nonresidents of general merchandise, goods sent for processing and repairs, nonmonetary gold, and services.

International tourism receipts for passenger transport items are expenditures by international inbound visitors for all services provided in the international transportation by resident carriers. Also included are passenger services performed within an economy by nonresident carriers. Excluded are passenger services provided to nonresidents by resident carriers within the resident economies; these are included in travel items. In addition to the services covered by passenger fares--including fares that are a part of package tours but excluding cruise fares, which are included in travel--passenger services include such items as charges for excess baggage, vehicles, or other personal accompanying effects and expenditures for food, drink, or other items for which passengers make expenditures while on board carriers. Data are in current U.S. dollars.