The demography of São Tomé and Príncipe (1758–1822): preliminary approaches to an insular slave society

Abstract

This article focuses on the demographics of the islands of São Tomé and Príncipe, from 1758 to 1822. Using statistical population tables and population lists, we analyse the population evolution and the main demographic indicators, namely average population growth, rate of urban population, age structure, sex ratio, racial composition, and free and slave population. Simultaneously, we study to what extent these indicators were conditioned by external factors, such as the economic and social changes and political events, in order to understand how the population of the archipelago evolved, and what the prevalence of gender, age and social categories was.