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Languages

Languages of São Tomé and Príncipe

São ToméLocal time

Languages, writing systems and language context

São Tomé e Príncipe
COUNTRY LANGUAGE PROFILE
português
Portuguese
Text direction: LTR

Portuguese is the official language of São Tomé and Príncipe. Local Portuguese-based Creole languages are part of the wider linguistic landscape but are not promoted into the national core card without the same legal status.

1
Core language shown
Country-level reference set
Portuguese
First listed core language
Not a speaker-share estimate
1
Writing system represented
Across the core language set
LTR
Primary text direction
Additional directions noted below

Language Overview

Portuguese

Read the Characters

Portuguese · 26 characters

Portuguese · 26 characters
A
a
B
b
C
c
D
d
E
e
F
f
G
g
H
h
I
i
J
j
K
k
L
l
M
m
N
n
O
o
P
p
Q
q
R
r
S
s
T
t
U
u
V
v
W
w
X
x
Y
y
Z
z

How to Read the Language Landscape

PolicyLegal and administrative language status may differ between national and subnational government.
Everyday useA language can be socially dominant without being the only language used at home, school, work or in media.
Community diversityIndigenous, minority, migrant and sign languages can remain important even when they are not part of a short national headline list.

Frequently Asked Questions

What languages are used in São Tomé and Príncipe?

Portuguese is the official language of São Tomé and Príncipe. Local Portuguese-based Creole languages are part of the wider linguistic landscape but are not promoted into the national core card without the same legal status.

What writing systems are used in São Tomé and Príncipe?

The represented writing system is Latin and the primary direction shown is left to right.

More about São Tomé and Príncipe

Explore São Tomé and Príncipe across the other DigifyWorld country-data sections.

Public HolidaysPublic holidays 2026 and 2027→Digital AdoptionInternet, payments and digital government→Population & DemographicsPopulation, age structure and projections→Economy SnapshotGDP, trade and economic structure→Currency & ExchangeCurrency, exchange rates and money→Human DevelopmentHDI and quality-of-life indicators→Geography & EnvironmentLand, climate and environment→Practical Country InfoTime, driving, electricity and codes→EducationSchool system and education data→

Sources & methodology

View sources used for this page
Government Tourism of São Tomé and Príncipe: Languages and Identity

Official government tourism source stating that Portuguese is the official language and listing Forro, Angolar and Lunguié separately as national Creole languages.

Unicode CLDR: Country/Region Names

Localized country display-name reference. CLDR names are customary UI/display names, not claims about a state’s full constitutional long-form name.

Unicode: Supported Scripts

Reference for the writing-system/script families represented in the character component.

Unicode: Writing Direction and Bidirectional Text

Reference for left-to-right and right-to-left script direction and bidirectional text behavior.

Unicode Character Database: NamesList

Reference for Unicode character names used as small readout labels under selected character samples; these labels are not presented as a complete transliteration standard.