2020 Edition

Background

South Sudan, which gained independence from Sudan in 2011, is the world’s newest country. Home to a diverse array of mainly Nilotic ethnolinguistic groups that settled in the territory in the 15th through 19th centuries, South Sudanese society is heavily dependent on seasonal migration and seasonal fluctuations in precipitation. Modern-day South Sudan was conquered first by Egypt and later ruled jointly by Egyptian-British colonial administrators in the late 19th century. Christian missionaries helped spread the English language and Christianity in the area, leading to significant cultural differences with the northern part of Sudan, where Arabic and Islam are dominant. When Sudan gained its independence in 1956, the southern region received assurances that it would participate fully in the political system. However, the Arab government in Khartoum reneged on its promises, prompting two periods of civil war (1955-1972 and 1983-2005) in which as many as 2.5 million people died -- mostly civilians -- due largely to starvation and drought. The second Sudanese civil war was one of the deadliest since WWII and left southern Sudanese society devastated. Peace talks resulted in a US-backed Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005, which granted the South six years of autonomy followed by a referendum on final status. The result of this referendum, held in 2011, was a vote of 98% in favor of secession. Since independence, South Sudan has struggled to form a viable governing system and has been plagued by widespread corruption, political conflict, and communal violence. In 2013, conflict erupted between forces loyal to President Salva KIIR, a Dinka, and forces loyal to Vice President Riek MACHAR, a Nuer. The conflict quickly spread through the country along ethnic lines, killing tens of thousands and creating a humanitarian crisis with millions of South Sudanese displaced. KIIR and MACHAR signed a peace agreement in 2015 that created a Transitional Government of National Unity the next year. However, renewed fighting broke out in Juba between KIIR and MACHAR’s forces, plunging the country back into conflict and drawing in additional armed opposition groups. A "revitalized" peace agreement was signed in 2018, mostly ending the fighting and laying the groundwork for a unified national army, a transitional government, and elections. The transitional government was formed in 2020, when MACHAR returned to Juba as first vice president. Since 2020, implementation of the peace agreement has been stalled amid wrangling over power-sharing, which has contributed to an uptick in communal violence and the country’s worst food crisis since independence, with 7 of 11 million South Sudanese citizens in need of humanitarian assistance. The transitional period was extended an additional two years in 2022, pushing elections to late 2024.

Area

land

NA

total

644,329 sq km

water

NA

Area - comparative

more than four times the size of Georgia; slightly smaller than Texas

Climate

hot with seasonal rainfall influenced by the annual shift of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone; rainfall heaviest in upland areas of the south and diminishes to the north

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation

highest point

Kinyeti 3,187 m

lowest point

White Nile 381 m

Geographic coordinates

8 00 N, 30 00 E

Geography - note

landlocked; The Sudd is a vast swamp in the north central region of South Sudan, formed by the White Nile; its size is variable but can reach some 15% of the country's total area during the rainy season; it is one of the world's largest wetlands

Irrigated land

1,000 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

Central African Republic 1,055 km; Democratic Republic of the Congo 714 km; Ethiopia 1,299 km; Kenya 317 km; Sudan 2,158 km; Uganda 475 km

total

6,018 km

Land use

agricultural land

44.9% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 3.9% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.1% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 40.8% (2023 est.)

forest

11.3% (2023 est.)

other

43.8% (2023 est.)

Location

East-Central Africa; south of Sudan, north of Uganda and Kenya, west of Ethiopia

Major rivers (by length in km)

Nile (shared with Rwanda [s], Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan, and Egypt [m]) - 6,650 km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage

Congo (3,730,881 sq km), (Mediterranean Sea) Nile (3,254,853 sq km)

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural resources

hydropower, fertile agricultural land, gold, diamonds, petroleum, hardwoods, limestone, iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver

Population distribution

clusters found in urban areas, particularly in the western interior and around the White Nile, as shown in this population distribution map

Terrain

plains in the north and center rise to southern highlands along the border with Uganda and Kenya; the White Nile, flowing north out of the uplands of Central Africa, is the major geographic feature of the country; The Sudd (a name derived from floating vegetation that hinders navigation) is a large swampy area of more than 100,000 sq km fed by the waters of the White Nile that dominates the center of the country

Age structure

0-14 years

42.1% (male 2,725,520/female 2,619,035)

15-64 years

55.3% (male 3,568,064/female 3,458,804)

65 years and over

2.6% (2024 est.) (male 182,757/female 149,534)

Birth rate

35.68 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Death rate

8.65 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

4.7 (2024 est.)

potential support ratio

21.1 (2024 est.)

total dependency ratio

80.8 (2024 est.)

youth dependency ratio

76.1 (2024 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 33.6% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 41.2% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 70% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 66.4% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 58.8% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 30% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

1.6% of GDP (2016 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

3.3% national budget (2015 est.)

Ethnic groups

Dinka (Jieng) approximately 35-40%, Nuer (Naath) approximately 15%, Shilluk (Chollo), Azande, Bari, Kakwa, Kuku, Murle, Mandari, Didinga, Ndogo, Bviri, Lndi, Anuak, Bongo, Lango, Dungotona, Acholi, Baka, Fertit (2011 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

2.43 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

5.9% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

2.1% of national budget (2022 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

54.1 deaths/1,000 live births

male

65.8 deaths/1,000 live births

total

58.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

Languages

English (official), Arabic (includes Juba and Sudanese variants), ethnic languages include Dinka, Nuer, Bari, Zande, Shilluk

major-language sample(s)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. (English) كتاب حقائق العالم، المصدر الذي لا يمكن الاستغناء عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic)

Life expectancy at birth

female

62.2 years

male

58.4 years

total population

60.3 years (2024 est.)

Major urban areas - population

459,000 JUBA (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

692 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

female

18.7 years

male

18.7 years

total

18.7 years (2025 est.)

Nationality

adjective

South Sudanese

noun

South Sudanese (singular and plural)

Net migration rate

18.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

6.6% (2014)

Physician density

0.04 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Population

female

6,227,373

male

6,476,341

total

12,703,714 (2024 est.)

Population growth rate

4.52% (2025 est.)

Religions

Christian 60.5%, folk religion 32.9%, Muslim 6.2%, other <1%, unaffiliated <1% (2020 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 15.5% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 24.9% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 60.6% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 84.5% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 75.1% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 39.4% of population (2022 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.03 male(s)/female

65 years and over

1.22 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.04 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.98 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

4.12% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

21.2% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

10 states; Central Equatoria, Eastern Equatoria, Jonglei, Lakes, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Unity, Upper Nile, Warrap, Western Bahr el Ghazal, Western Equatoria

Capital

etymology

the name comes from the name of a small Bari village that was located near the present-day city

geographic coordinates

04 51 N, 31 37 E

name

Juba

time difference

UTC+2 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of South Sudan

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

10 years

Constitution

amendment process

proposed by the National Legislature or by the president of the republic; passage requires submission of the proposal to the Legislature at least one month prior to consideration, approval by at least two-thirds majority vote in both houses of the Legislature, and assent of the president

history

previous 2005 (pre-independence); latest signed 7 July 2011, effective 9 July 2011 (Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan, 2011)

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of South Sudan

conventional short form

South Sudan

etymology

self-descriptive name from the country's geographic position within Sudan prior to independence; the name Sudan derives from the Arabic balad-as-sudan, meaning "Land of the Black [peoples]"

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Michael J. ADLER (since 24 August 2022)

email address and website

ACSJuba@state.gov https://ss.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Kololo Road adjacent to the EU's compound, Juba

mailing address

4420 Juba Place, Washington DC 20521-4420

telephone

[211] 912-105-188

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1015 31st Street NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20007

chief of mission

Ambassador Santino Fardol Watod DICKEN (since 18 September 2024)

email address and website

info.ssdembassy@gmail.com https://www.ssembassydc.org/

FAX

[1] (202) 644-9910

telephone

[1] (202) 600-2238

Executive branch

cabinet

National Council of Ministers appointed by the president, approved by the Transitional National Legislative Assembly

chief of state

President Salva KIIR Mayardit (since 9 July 2011)

election results

2010: Salva KIIR Mayardit elected leader of then-Southern Sudan; percent of vote - Salva KIIR Mayardit (SPLM) 93%, Lam AKOL (SPLM-DC) 7%

election/appointment process

president directly elected by simple-majority popular vote for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term)

expected date of next election

scheduled for 2015 but has been postponed multiple times, currently to be held in December 2026

head of government

President Salva KIIR Mayardit (since 9 July 2011)

most recent election date

11-15 April 2010

Flag

description: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green; the red band is edged in white; a five-pointed gold star is in the middle of a blue isosceles triangle based on the left side meaning: black stands for the people, red for the blood shed in the struggle for freedom, green for the land, and blue for the Nile; the gold star represents the unity of the country's states

Government type

presidential republic

Independence

9 July 2011 (from Sudan)

International organization participation

AU, EAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOM, IPU, ITU, MIGA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WMO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court of South Sudan (consists of a chief justice, deputy chief justice, and 5 additional justices); the 2011 Transitional Constitution of South Sudan calls for 9, rather than 5 additional justices

judge selection and term of office

the 2011 Transitional Constitution of South Sudan calls for the establishment of a Judicial Service Council to recommend prospective justices to the president, and for the justices' tenures to be set by the National Legislature

subordinate courts

national level - Courts of Appeal; High Courts; County Courts; state level - High Courts; County Courts; customary courts; other specialized courts and tribunals

Legislative branch

legislative structure

bicameral

legislature name

Législature nationale (National Legislature)

Legislative branch - lower chamber

chamber name

Transitional National Legislative Assembly (Al-Majlis Al-Tachirii)

expected date of next election

December 2026

most recent election date

5/10/2021

number of seats

550 (all appointed)

percentage of women in chamber

32.4%

scope of elections

full renewal

Legislative branch - upper chamber

chamber name

Council of States (Al-Watani)

expected date of next election

December 2026

most recent election date

8/2/2021

number of seats

100 (all appointed)

percentage of women in chamber

32.1%

scope of elections

full renewal

National anthem(s)

history

adopted 2011; anthem selected in a national contest

lyrics/music

collective/Mido SAMUEL and Juba University students

title

"South Sudan Oyee!" (South Sudan, Hooray!)

National color(s)

red, green, blue, yellow, black, white

National holiday

Independence Day, 9 July (2011)

National symbol(s)

African fish eagle

Political parties

Democratic Change or DC Democratic Forum or DF Labour Party or LPSS South Sudan Opposition Alliance or SSOA Sudan African National Union or SANU Sudan People's Liberation Movement or SPLM Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In Opposition or SPLM-IO United Democratic Salvation Front or UDSF     United South Sudan African Party or USSAP United South Sudan Party or USSP

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

milk, cassava, sorghum, goat milk, vegetables, fruits, groundnuts, sesame seeds, beef, maize (2023)

Budget

expenditures

$1.984 billion (2023 est.)

revenues

$2.513 billion (2023 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2021

-$6.55 million (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

-$596.748 million (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

$577.9 million (2023 est.)

Economic overview

low-income, oil-based Sahelian economy; extreme poverty and food insecurity; COVID-19 and ongoing violence threaten socioeconomic potential; environmentally fragile; ongoing land and property rights issues; natural resource rich but lacks infrastructure

Exchange rates

Currency

South Sudanese pounds (SSP) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

165.907 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

306.355 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

534.511 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

930.331 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

2,163.104 (2024 est.)

Exports

Exports 2021

$4.652 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$5.811 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$4.499 billion (2023 est.)

Exports - commodities

crude petroleum, refined petroleum, forage crops, gold, scrap iron (2023)

Exports - partners

China 51%, Singapore 29%, UAE 10%, Germany 4%, Uganda 3% (2023)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

10.4% (2015 est.)

industry

33.1% (2015 est.)

services

56.6% (2015 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$4.629 billion (2023 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2016

44 (2016 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

33% (2016 est.)

lowest 10%

1.8% (2016 est.)

Imports

Imports 2021

$4.037 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$6.402 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$4.443 billion (2023 est.)

Imports - commodities

garments, cement, other foods, iron bars, cereal flours (2023)

Imports - partners

Uganda 33%, UAE 26%, Kenya 14%, China 10%, USA 3% (2023)

Industrial production growth rate

-36.8% (2015 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

-6.7% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

2.4% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

91.4% (2024 est.)

Labor force

5.091 million (2023 est.)

Population below poverty line

82.3% (2016 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

86.6% of GDP (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$6.945 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$6.585 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$6.752 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2015

-10.8% (2015 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2016

-13.9% (2016 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2017

-5.2% (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2021

$400 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$400 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$400 (2023 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2013

0% of GDP (2013 est.)

Remittances 2014

0% of GDP (2014 est.)

Remittances 2015

9.5% of GDP (2015 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$341.932 million (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$94.914 million (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$72.881 million (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2021

14.1% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

12.6% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

12.5% (2023 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

17.6% (2023 est.)

male

19.4% (2023 est.)

total

18.5% (2023 est.)

Coal

imports

100 metric tons (2022 est.)

Electricity

consumption

566.034 million kWh (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity

136,000 kW (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

23.966 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

1.7%

electrification - total population

8.4% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

15%

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels

93.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar

6.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

2.092 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil estimated reserves

3.75 billion barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

11,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

total petroleum production

146,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2023 est.) less than 1

total

0 (2023 est.)

Broadcast media

1 state-controlled TV channel and radio station; several community and commercial FM stations, mostly sponsored by outside aid donors; some foreign radio broadcasts available (2019)

Internet country code

.ss

Internet users

percent of population

9% (2022 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2023 est.) less than 1

total subscriptions

0 (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

30 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

6.17 million (2023 est.)

Airports

89 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Z8

Heliports

2 (2025)

Railways

total

248 km (2018)

Military - note

the South Sudan People's Defense Forces (SSPDF) are largely focused on border and internal security; areas of concern include disputed national borders, conflict spillover from neighboring Sudan, banditry, and armed rebel groups and militias that continue to operate in the country since the civil war ended in 2020 the SSPDF, formerly the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), was founded as a guerrilla movement against the Sudanese Government in 1983 and participated in the Second Sudanese Civil War (1983-2005); the Juba Declaration that followed the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2005 unified the SPLA and the South Sudan Defense Forces (SSDF), the second-largest rebel militia remaining from the civil war, under the SPLA name; in 2017, the SPLA was renamed the South Sudan Defense Forces (SSDF) and in September 2018 was renamed again as the SSPDF the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has operated in the country since 2011 with the objectives of consolidating peace and security and helping establish conditions for the successful economic and political development of South Sudan; UNMISS has about 18,000 personnel assigned; the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) has operated in the disputed Abyei region along the border between Sudan and South Sudan since 2011; its mission includes ensuring security, protecting civilians, strengthening the capacity of the Abyei Police Service, de-mining, monitoring/verifying the redeployment of armed forces from the area, and facilitating the flow of humanitarian aid; UNISFA has approximately 3,800 personnel assigned (2025)

Military and security forces

South Sudan People’s Defense Force (SSPDF): Land Forces (includes Presidential Guard), Air Forces, Marine (Riverine) Forces, Reserve Forces; National (or Necessary) Unified Forces (NUF) Ministry of Interior: South Sudan National Police Service (SSNPS) (2025)

Military and security service personnel strengths

information varies; estimated 150-200,000 active Defense Forces (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the SSPDF inventory is a mix of primarily of Soviet-era armaments alongside limited quantities of more modern equipment such as armored personnel carriers from UAE (2025)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2020

2% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

2% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

2% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

2% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military Expenditures 2024

2% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18 (legal minimum age)-35 for voluntary military service for men and women; 12-24 months service (2025)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

1,359,795 (2024 est.)

refugees

517,471 (2024 est.)

stateless persons

18,000 (2024 est.)

Trafficking in persons

tier rating

Tier 3 — South Sudan does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so, therefore, South Sudan remained on Tier 3; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/south-sudan/

Carbon dioxide emissions

from petroleum and other liquids

1.725 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total emissions

1.725 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water; wildlife conservation and loss of biodiversity; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; drought

International environmental agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Methane emissions

agriculture

696 kt (2019-2021 est.)

energy

59.4 kt (2022-2024 est.)

other

12.7 kt (2019-2021 est.)

waste

120.2 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

20.6 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

49.5 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

240 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial

225 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

municipal

193 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

2.681 million tons (2024 est.)