Armed forces, personnel, equipment, deployments: the complete military file on Sao Tome and Principe.
| Active personnel (est.) | 500 |
|---|---|
| World rank by personnel | #161 / 162 |
MCD · 34/100 — The Magna grade is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — five dimensions, 100+ indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
The quarter's signal was silence: no major domestic development, no external shock, no diplomatic breakthrough.
The country's course remains what it was in June — set by structural realities that no single quarter rewrites.
Armed Forces of Sao Tome and Principe (Forcas Armadas de Sao Tome e Principe, FASTP): Army, Coast Guard of Sao Tome e Principe (Guarda Costeira de Sao Tome e Principe, GCSTP), Presidential Guard, National Guard (2025)
approximately 500 active Armed Forces (2023)
the FASTP is lightly armed and has a small inventory of mostly older weapons and equipment (2023)
limited information; 18 is the minimum age for compulsory military service (reportedly not enforced) and 17 years of age (with parental permission) for voluntary service (2024)
the FASTP is one of the smallest militaries in Africa and consists of only a few companies of ground troops and some small patrol boats (2024)
