Map of South Sudan | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background:


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

Geographic coordinates: 8 00 N, 30 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 644,329 km²
Land: NA
Water: NA
Comparative: more than four times the size of Georgia; slightly smaller than Texas
Country comparison total: 6,018 km
Country comparison border countries: (6) 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
Country comparison note: South Sudan-Sudan boundary represents 1 January 1956 alignment; final alignment pending negotiations and demarcation; final sovereignty status of Abyei Area pending negotiations between South Sudan and Sudan

Land boundaries
Total: 6,018 km
Border countries: (6) 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
Note: South Sudan-Sudan boundary represents 1 January 1956 alignment; final alignment pending negotiations and demarcation; final sovereignty status of Abyei Area pending negotiations between South Sudan and Sudan

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

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

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 km² fed by the waters of the White Nile that dominates the center of the country

Elevation
Highest point: Kinyeti 3,187 m
Lowest point: White Nile 381 m

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

Land use
Agricultural land: 45% (2018)
Agricultural land arable land: 4.4% (2018)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 40.7% (2018)
Agricultural land forest: 11.3% (2018)
Agricultural land other: 43.5% (2018)

Irrigated land: 1,000 km² (2012)

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

Major watersheds area km²: Atlantic Ocean drainage: Congo (3,730,881 km²), (Mediterranean Sea) Nile (3,254,853 km²)

Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 190 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 230 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Agricultural: 240 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total renewable water resources: 49.5 billion m³ (2020 est.)

Natural hazards

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


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Population
Distribution: clusters found in urban areas, particularly in the western interior and around the White Nile as shown in this population distribution map
Total: 12,703,714
Male: 6,476,341
Female: 6,227,373 (2024 est.)
Growth rate: 4.65% (2024 est.)
Below poverty line: 82.3% (2016 est.)
Below poverty line note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Nationality
Noun: South Sudanese (singular and plural)
Adjective: South Sudanese

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.)
Note: Figures are estimations due to population changes during South Sudan's civil war and the lack of updated demographic studies

Languages: English (official), Arabic (includes Juba and Sudanese variants), ethnic languages include Dinka, Nuer, Bari, Zande, Shilluk
Major-language samples: Gheos World Guide, the indispensable source for basic information. (English); دليل جيوس العالمي، المصدر الذي لا غنى عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic)

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

Demographic profile

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)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 80.8
Youth dependency ratio: 74.7
Elderly dependency ratio: 6.1
Potential support ratio: 18.4 (2021 est.)

Median age
Total: 18.7 years (2024 est.)
Male: 18.7 years
Female: 18.7 years

Population growth rate: 4.65% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 36.4 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 8.9 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Net migration rate: 19.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

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

Urbanization
Urban population: 21.2% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 4.12% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 459,000 JUBA (capital) (2023)

Environment
Current issues: water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water; wildlife conservation and loss of biodiversity; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; periodic drought
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants
Particulate matter emissions: 20.18 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 1.73 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 7.61 megatons (2020 est.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
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
Total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio: 1,223 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 60.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 65.8 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 54.1 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 60.3 years (2024 est.)
Male: 58.4 years
Female: 62.2 years

Total fertility rate: 5.09 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: NA

Drinking water source
Improved urban: 88.7% of population
Unimproved rural: 24.2% of population
Unimproved total: 21.6% of population (2020 est.)
Unimproved urban: 11.3% of population

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban: 60.6% of population
Improved rural: 15.5% of population
Improved total: 24.6% of population
Unimproved urban: 39.4% of population
Unimproved rural: 84.5% of population
Unimproved total: 75.4% of population (2020 est.)

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 6.6% (2014)

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: NA

Education expenditures: 1.5% of GDP (2016 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 34.5%
Male: 40.3%
Female: 28.9% (2018)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 18.3% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 19.4% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 female: 17.2% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of South Sudan
Conventional short form: South Sudan
Etymology: self-descriptive name from the country's former position within Sudan prior to independence; the name 'Sudan' derives from the Arabic 'bilad-as-sudan' meaning 'Land of the Black [peoples]'

Government type: presidential republic

Capital
Name: Juba
Geographic coordinates: 04 51 N, 31 37 E
Time difference: UTC+2 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: the name derives from Djouba, another name for the Bari people of South Sudan

Administrative divisions: 10 states; Central Equatoria, Eastern Equatoria, Jonglei, Lakes, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Unity, Upper Nile, Warrap, Western Bahr el Ghazal, Western Equatoria
Note: in 2015, the creation of 28 new states was announced and in 2017 four additional states; following the February 2020 peace agreement, the country was again reorganized into the 10 original states, plus 2 administrative areas, Pibor and Ruweng, and 1 special administrative status area, Abyei (which is disputed between South Sudan and Sudan); this latest administrative revision has not yet been vetted by the US Board on Geographic Names

Dependent areas

Independence: 9 July 2011 (from Sudan)

National holiday: Independence Day, 9 July (2011)

Constitution
History: previous 2005 (preindependence); latest signed 7 July 2011, effective 9 July 2011 (Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan, 2011)
Note: new constitution pending establishment under the 2018 peace agreement
Amendments: 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; amended 2013, 2015, 2018

Legal system

International law organization participation

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Salva KIIR Mayardit (since 9 July 2011)
Head of government: President Salva KIIR Mayardit (since 9 July 2011)
Cabinet: National Council of Ministers appointed by the president, approved by the Transitional National Legislative Assembly
Elections/appointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 11 to 15 April 2010 (originally scheduled for 2015 but postponed several times, currently to be held in December 2024)
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%
Note: the president is both chief of state and head of government

Legislative branch
Description: bicameral National Legislature consists of: Council of States, pending establishment as stipulated by the 2018 peace deal; Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA), established on 4 August 2016, in accordance with the August 2015 Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan
Note: originally 400 seats; the TNLA was expanded to 550 members from 400 and reestablished in May 2020 under the 2018 peace agreement
Elections: Council of States - pending establishment as stipulated by the 2018 peace deal; Transitional National Legislative Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - 332 SPLM, 128 SPLM-IO, 90 other political parties; composition - NA
Elections results: Council of States - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - SPLM 20, unknown 30; composition - men 57, women 27, percentage women 32.1%, National Legislative Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - SPLM 251, DCP 10, independent 6, unknown 133; composition - men 372, women 178, percentage women 32.4%; total National Legislature percentage women 32.3%

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court of South Sudan (consists of a chief justice, deputy chief justice, and 5 additional justices)
Note: in mid-2022, the Government of South Sudan inaugurated an Ad-hoc Judiciary Committee, a 12-member body led by two eminent jurists, which is charged with reviewing relevant laws, advising on judicial reform and restructuring of the judiciary
Judge selection and term of office: justices appointed by the president (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; neither of these steps have been effectively implemented as of mid-2023)
Subordinate courts: national level - Courts of Appeal; High Courts; County Courts; state level - High Courts; County Courts; customary courts; other specialized courts and tribunals

Political parties and leaders: 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

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us: chief of mission: Ambassador Santino Fardol Watod DICKEN (since 18 September 2024)
In the us chancery: 1015 31st Street NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20,007
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 600-2,238
In the us fax: [1] (202) 644-9,910
In the us email address and website: info.ssdembassy@gmail.com; [link]
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Michael J. ADLER (since 24 August 2022)
From the us embassy: Kololo Road adjacent to the EU's compound, Juba
From the us mailing address: 4,420 Juba Place, Washington DC 20,521-4,420
From the us telephone: [211] 912-105-188
From the us email address and website: ACSJuba@state.gov; [link]

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green; the red band is edged in white; a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side contains a gold, five-pointed star; black represents the people of South Sudan, red the blood shed in the struggle for freedom, green the verdant land, and blue the waters of the Nile; the gold star represents the unity of the states making up South Sudan
Note: resembles the flag of Kenya; one of only two national flags to display six colors as part of its primary design, the other is South Africa's

National symbols: African fish eagle; national colors: red, green, blue, yellow, black, white

National anthem
Name: 'South Sudan Oyee!' (Hooray!)
Lyrics/music: collective of 49 poets/Juba University students and teachers
Note: adopted 2011; anthem selected in a national contest

National heritage


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Economy 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

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $20.01 billion (2017 est.); $21.1 billion (2016 est.); $24.52 billion (2015 est.)
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate: -5.2% (2017 est.); -13.9% (2016 est.); -10.79% (2015 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: $1,600 (2017 est.); $1,700 (2016 est.); $2,100 (2015 est.)
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use
Investment in fixed capital: 5.8% (2015 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 36.7% (2015 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -28.9% (2015 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 10.4% (2015 est.)
Industry: 33.1% (2015 est.)
Services: 56.6% (2015 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Agriculture products: milk, cassava, sorghum, goat milk, vegetables, fruits, maize, groundnuts, sesame seeds, beef (2022)
Note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Industries

Industrial production growth rate: -36.78% (2015 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force: 4.471 million (2023 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate: 12.27% (2023 est.); 12.4% (2022 est.); 13.87% (2021 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 18.3% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 19.4% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 female: 17.2% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Population below poverty line: 82.3% (2016 est.)
Note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $1.94 billion (2019 est.)
Expenditures: $1.938 billion (2019 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 8.5% (of GDP) (FY2017/18 est.)

Public debt: 62.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

Revenue
From forest resources: 2.65% of GDP (2015 est.)

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.38% (2023 est.); -6.69% (2022 est.); 10.52% (2021 est.)
Note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance: -$596.748 million (2022 est.); -$6.55 million (2021 est.); -$1.718 billion (2020 est.)
Note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Exports: $5.811 billion (2022 est.); $4.652 billion (2021 est.); $2.344 billion (2020 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Partners: China 44%, Italy 26%, Singapore 12%, Japan 9%, UAE 8% (2022)
Partners note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Commodities: crude petroleum, refined petroleum, gold, forage crops, barley (2022)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $6.402 billion (2022 est.); $4.037 billion (2021 est.); $4.245 billion (2020 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Partners: UAE 39%, Kenya 18%, China 17%, US 4%, India 3% (2022)
Partners note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Commodities: garments, cars, trucks, packaged medicine, malt extract (2022)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $183.615 million (2020 est.); $378.282 million (2019 est.); $36.396 million (2018 est.)
Note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access electrification total population: 8.4% (2022 est.)
Access electrification urban areas: 15%
Access electrification rural areas: 1.7%
Installed generating capacity: 134,000 kW (2022 est.)
Consumption: 595.604 million kWh (2022 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 24.506 million kWh (2022 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 97.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Generation sources solar: 2.9% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Coal
Imports: 100 metric tons (2022 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 146,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 14,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 3.75 billion barrels (2021 est.)

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions: 1.97 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 1.97 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 2.627 million Btu/person (2022 est.)


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Telephones
Fixed lines: n/a
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2018 est.) less than 1
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 3.276 million (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 30 (2022 est.)

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 2.5% of GDP (2022 est.); 2% of GDP (2021 est.); 2% of GDP (2020 est.); 3.1% of GDP (2019 est.); 3.2% of GDP (2018 est.)

Military and security forces: South Sudan People’s Defense Force (SSPDF): Land Forces (includes Presidential Guard), Air Forces, Marines (Riverine Forces), Reserve Forces; National (or Necessary) Unified Forces (NUF); Ministry of Interior: South Sudan National Police Service (SSNPS) (2024)
Note 1: the NUF are being formed by retraining rebel and pro-government militia fighters into military, police, and other government security forces; the first operational NUF deployed in November 2023
Note 2: numerous irregular forces operate in the country with official knowledge, including militias operated by the National Security Service (an internal security force under the Ministry of National Security) and proxy forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory (men) and voluntary (men and women) military service; 12-24 months service (2023)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 2 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 2
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 0 mt-km

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: Z8

Airports: 82 (2024)

Heliports: 1 (2024)

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 90,200 km
Paved: 300 km
Unpaved: 89,900 km (2015)
Note: most of the road network is unpaved and much of it is in disrepair; the Juba-Nimule highway connecting Juba to the border with Uganda is the main paved road in South Sudan

Waterways: see entry for Sudan

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees country of origin: 564,738 (Sudan) (refugees since 15 April 2023), 13,833 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (2024)
Idps: 2.258 million (alleged coup attempt and ethnic conflict beginning in December 2013; information is lacking on those displaced in earlier years by: fighting in Abyei between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) in May 2011; clashes between the SPLA and dissident militia groups in South Sudan; inter-ethnic conflicts over resources and cattle; attacks from the Lord's Resistance Army; floods and drought) (2023)
Stateless persons: 10,000 (2022)

Illicit drugs