South Sudan

Sub-Saharan Africa·Low income

Population: 11.5M; 82nd of 217
GDP: $12B; 152nd of 214 · 2015
GDP per capita: $1,080; 189th of 214 · 2015
Life expectancy: 57.6; 213th of 217
Human development: 0.385; 189th of 189 · 2021

Benchmarked against

South Sudan

Mali

Uganda

Togo

Chad

Default peers are drawn from region, income, and bloc membership — swap in any country you like. The gray tick on each strip is the world median.

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

Area: 644,329 km²
Resources: hydropower, fertile agricultural land, gold, diamonds, petroleum, hardwoods, limestone…
Borders: Central African Republic 1,055 km; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Ethiopia 1,299 km; Kenya; Sudan 2,158…

Religion

who identifies with what, 2020

world view →

Christian60.5%▲ 1.8pt
Other32.8%▼ 1.8pt
Muslim6.2%

Religious diversity: 6.09 / 10 · high · 27th of 193

Change markers show percentage-point shifts from 2010 to 2020 · Pew Research Center, Religious Composition 2010–2020.

Score card

quartile grades among all countries with data

A · Top quartileB · Above medianC · Below medianD · Bottom quartile

Topic

SSD

MLI

UGA

TGO

GDP

current US$

$12B–––

GDP per capita

current US$

–––

GDP per capita, PPP

international $

–––

GDP growth

annual %

–––

GNI per capita

Atlas method, US$

–––

Inflation

GDP deflator, annual %

–––

FDI inflows

current US$

-$6.34M–––

Merchandise trade

% of GDP

31.9%–––

Agriculture value added

% of GDP

10.4%–––

Industry value added

% of GDP

33.1%–––

Unemployment

% of labor force

–––

Gini index

0–100

–––

Extreme poverty

% below $2.15/day

–––

Population

people

11.5M–––

Population density

people per km²

17.4–––

Urban population

% of total

21.2%–––

Life expectancy

years at birth

–––

Fertility rate

births per woman

3.9–––

Net migration

people

15.4K–––

Population under 15

% of total

38.9%–––

Population 65+

% of total

3%–––

Infant mortality

per 1,000 live births

–––

Under-5 mortality

per 1,000 live births

–––

Health expenditure

% of GDP

6.8%–––

Physicians

per 1,000 people

–––

Adult literacy

% ages 15+

–––

Education expenditure

% of GDP

1.6%–––

Tertiary enrollment

% gross

–––

Internet users

% of population

–––

Mobile subscriptions

per 100 people

–––

Fixed broadband

per 100 people

–––

Secure internet servers

per 1M people

–––

Access to electricity

% of population

–––

Energy use per capita

kWh

613.1–––

Electricity per capita

kWh

51.4–––

Electricity generation

TWh

0.6–––

Renewable electricity

% of generation

–––

Fossil electricity

% of generation

–––

CO₂ emissions

Mt per year

–––

CO₂ per capita

t per person

–––

Share of global CO₂

0%–––

GHG per capita

t CO₂e per person

–––

Top 1% income share

% of pre-tax income

–––

Top 10% income share

% of pre-tax income

–––

Bottom 50% income share

% of pre-tax income

–––

Top 1% wealth share

% of net wealth

–––

Gini, pre-tax income

0–1

–––

Electoral democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Liberal democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Civil liberties

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Political corruption

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Academic freedom

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Corruption perceptions

CPI, 0–100

–––

Control of corruption

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Government effectiveness

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Rule of law

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Political stability

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Women's political empowerment

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Conflict deaths

deaths per year, best estimate

–––

State-based conflict deaths

deaths per year, best estimate

–––

One-sided violence deaths

civilian deaths per year

–––

Religious diversity

Pew RDI, 0–10

6.09–––

Religiously unaffiliated

% of population

0.4%–––

Human Development Index

UNDP, 0–1

–––

Gender inequality

GII, 0–1

–––

Happiness

Cantril ladder, 0–10

–––

Global Peace Index

1–5

–––

Military expenditure

% of GDP

6.3%–––

Economy & Trade

Output, growth, prices, and openness

theme overview →

GDP

current US$

#152/214

$12B2015

GDP per capita

current US$

#189/214

$1,0802015

GDP per capita, PPP

international $

#202/203

$1,155latest

GDP growth

annual %

#212/214

-10.8%2015

GNI per capita

Atlas method, US$

#183/207

$1,0502015

Inflation

GDP deflator, annual %

#193/213

17.7%2015

FDI inflows

current US$

#179/201

-$6.34M2023

Merchandise trade

% of GDP

#175/205

31.9%2024

Agriculture value added

% of GDP

#73/206

10.4%2015

Industry value added

% of GDP

#40/208

33.1%2015

Unemployment

% of labor force

#164/187

12.5%latest

Gini index

0–100

#144/168

44latest

Extreme poverty

% below $2.15/day

#165/168

76.5%latest

People & Society

Population structure, urbanization, and migration

theme overview →

Population

people

#82/217

11.5Mlatest

Population density

people per km²

#192/216

17.4latest

Urban population

% of total

#206/215

21.2%latest

Life expectancy

years at birth

#213/217

57.6latest

Fertility rate

births per woman

#31/217

3.9latest

Net migration

people

#42/217

15.4K2024

Population under 15

% of total

#31/217

38.9%2024

Population 65+

% of total

#194/217

3%2024

Health & Education

Longevity, mortality, learning, and public spending

theme overview →

Infant mortality

per 1,000 live births

#196/196

72.6latest

Under-5 mortality

per 1,000 live births

#192/196

98.7latest

Health expenditure

% of GDP

#93/192

6.8%latest

Physicians

per 1,000 people

#191/195

0latest

Adult literacy

% ages 15+

#157/160

34.5%latest

Education expenditure

% of GDP

#191/199

1.6%latest

Tertiary enrollment

% gross

#193/194

1%latest

Connectivity

Internet, mobile, and digital infrastructure

theme overview →

Internet users

% of population

#208/210

9.3%latest

Mobile subscriptions

per 100 people

#204/214

46.62023

Fixed broadband

per 100 people

#207/208

02023

Secure internet servers

per 1M people

#210/215

5.32024

Access to electricity

% of population

#215/215

5.4%latest

Energy & Climate

Energy use, electricity mix, and emissions

theme overview →

Energy use per capita

kWh

#187/198

613.12023

Electricity per capita

kWh

#194/202

51.42023

Electricity generation

TWh

#166/202

0.62023

Renewable electricity

% of generation

#160/202

6.8%2023

Fossil electricity

% of generation

#162/202

93.2%2023

CO₂ emissions

Mt per year

#47/204

1.72024

CO₂ per capita

t per person

#11/204

0.12024

Share of global CO₂

#160/204

0%2024

GHG per capita

t CO₂e per person

#108/193

5.62023

Inequality

Who gets what — top and bottom shares of income and wealth, from tax data and national accounts

theme overview →

Top 1% income share

% of pre-tax income

#93/210

0.2%2024

Top 10% income share

% of pre-tax income

#161/210

0.5%2024

Bottom 50% income share

% of pre-tax income

#165/210

0.1%2024

Top 1% wealth share

% of net wealth

#145/210

0.3%2024

Gini, pre-tax income

0–1

#164/210

0.6162024

Governance & Democracy

Democratic institutions, corruption, and rule of law

theme overview →

Electoral democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

#163/175

0.1332025

Liberal democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

#153/175

0.0642025

Civil liberties

V-Dem, 0–1

#159/175

0.2282025

Political corruption

V-Dem, 0–1

#168/175

0.8932025

Academic freedom

V-Dem, 0–1

#171/175

0.0542025

Corruption perceptions

CPI, 0–100

#177/178

132022

Control of corruption

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#193/193

-1.862022

Government effectiveness

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#193/193

-2.392022

Rule of law

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#190/193

-2.062022

Political stability

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#186/193

-2.212022

Women's political empowerment

V-Dem, 0–1

#154/175

0.4762025

Conflict & Security

Organized violence since 1989 — every battle death georeferenced by the Uppsala Conflict Data Program

theme overview →

Conflict deaths

deaths per year, best estimate

#106/126

6612025

State-based conflict deaths

deaths per year, best estimate

#104/126

2822025

One-sided violence deaths

civilian deaths per year

#97/126

182025

Values & Beliefs

What people hold sacred, permit, and pass on — from 40 years of World Values Survey interviews

theme overview →

Religious diversity

Pew RDI, 0–10

#27/193

6.092020

Religiously unaffiliated

% of population

#143/193

0.4%2020

Development & Wellbeing

Composite measures of how life is going

theme overview →

Human Development Index

UNDP, 0–1

#189/189

0.3852021

Gender inequality

GII, 0–1

#150/170

0.5872021

Happiness

Cantril ladder, 0–10

#163/164

2.822019

Global Peace Index

1–5

#156/158

3.222023

Military expenditure

% of GDP

#8/161

6.3%latest

Explore any measure in depth on its own page — try GDP per capita or electoral democracy.