censuswall SSD · 2026 · ages 0–100
Topics

Country or area · Eastern Africa · Africa · UN WPP 2024

South Sudan population

South Sudan population now

12,497,546

A projection read at this second, not a count: the UN's totals for 1 January 2026 and 2027, joined by a straight line. 95% range for 31 December 2026: 11.6–13.7 million.

Mid-2023, UN estimate: 11,483,374

Year
2026
projection · medium
Population, mid-2026
12.4360 million
95% range, 31 Dec: 11.6–13.7 million
Median age
20.0
Aged 65+
3.2%
2023 | 2024

male female projection · one cell = 5,000 people

How to read this: one row for each age, newborns at the bottom; men on the left, women on the right.

Verified 2026-09-30 · 73 canaries

SSD · 1950–2100 · in brief

South Sudan in numbers

11,483,374 people lived in South Sudan in mid-2023: 0.14% of the world's people, and the 83rd-largest population of the 236 countries and areas the UN reports. That is 4.6 times its 1950 population of 2.5 million.

In the UN's medium projection it is still growing in 2100, when it reaches 23.8 million. The projection is uncertain: on 1 January 2100 the UN's 95% range runs from 9.0 million to 77.8 million.

Births stay ahead of deaths until 2097; in the medium projection, deaths are ahead every year after it. Deaths also outnumbered births in 1988 and 1998. The population still grows to 2100, because more people arrive than leave.

The median age was 18.5 in 1950 and 19.0 in 2023; the projection has 36.2 in 2100. 2.9% of people were 65 or older in 2023, against 12.8% projected for 2100. The working-age population (15–64) is projected to peak in 2093 at 16.1 million.

Among countries it ranks 83rd in 2023, 78th in 2050 and 70th in 2100. In the medium projection it overtakes Belgium in 2024, Haiti in 2024 and Tunisia in 2026. It is overtaken by Togo in 2084 and the United Arab Emirates in 2090.

Population, mid-2023
11,483,374
Rank by population, 2023
83 of 236
Share of the world, 2023
0.14%
Change in a year, mid-2022 to mid-2023
+4.19% · +462,196 people
People per km² of land, 2023
18
Land area, 2023
631,930 km²
Births, 2023
328,308
Deaths, 2023
110,339
Net migration, 2023
+455,000
Children per woman, 2023
3.86
Median age, 2023
19.0 years
Life expectancy at birth, 2023
57.6 years
In a city, 2025
33 of every 100
Population, mid-1950
2,493,283
Projected, mid-2050
18,341,974
Projected, mid-2100
23,840,772

SSD · 1950–2100 · total population

Population, 1950–2100

estimates | projections020 m40 m60 m80 m1950197520002025205020752100

estimate   projection, up to the bottom of the 95% range   95% range   medium projection. Every column stands for a single year, counted on 1 January, and the paper rules slice it into cells of equal size.

Show the numbers: South Sudan, 1950–2100
South Sudan: population on 1 January, births, deaths, fertility and life expectancy, 1950–2100
YearKindPopulation, 1 Jan95% rangeBirthsDeathsChildren per womanLife expectancy
1950estimate2,476,015123,00787,4827.1230.2
1951estimate2,510,551125,95987,0307.1330.6
1952estimate2,548,689128,75187,1147.1331.0
1953estimate2,589,728131,69887,3057.1331.4
1954estimate2,633,739134,68887,7757.1431.7
1955estimate2,680,448137,65588,3907.1332.0
1956estimate2,729,716140,76991,2127.1331.6
1957estimate2,779,468143,94595,0897.1430.9
1958estimate2,828,724146,709108,0347.1427.6
1959estimate2,867,985149,593108,7707.1527.8
1960estimate2,909,585152,520109,5767.1628.1
1961estimate2,953,533155,643110,4577.1828.3
1962estimate2,999,915158,796111,3937.2028.5
1963estimate3,048,701161,877115,5437.2028.3
1964estimate3,096,636165,810101,0247.2232.5
1965estimate3,163,199169,236117,5577.2228.8
1966estimate3,216,471173,079134,5547.2525.6
1967estimate3,256,375176,131134,7747.2625.9
1968estimate3,298,921179,286135,0747.2626.1
1969estimate3,344,134182,694140,6807.2825.4
1970estimate3,386,932185,783141,0087.2925.6
1971estimate3,432,296189,270116,9647.3031.0
1972estimate3,504,995193,135118,3307.3131.3
1973estimate3,580,000196,832102,0667.3136.3
1974estimate3,674,767200,821103,6417.3136.6
1975estimate3,771,751205,132105,2507.3336.9
1976estimate3,871,236209,334106,9917.3337.1
1977estimate3,972,584213,263108,3747.3337.4
1978estimate4,075,481217,463110,1097.3337.6
1979estimate4,179,832221,243111,7047.3237.8
1980estimate4,285,377225,547113,2397.3338.0
1981estimate4,392,684229,747114,5867.3338.3
1982estimate4,501,860234,260115,6187.3438.7
1983estimate4,613,512238,102133,9977.3434.7
1984estimate4,709,636241,499150,5297.3531.8
1985estimate4,791,617245,010149,6717.3632.4
1986estimate4,876,975249,145149,6387.3832.8
1987estimate4,965,506250,885245,1307.3920.7
1988estimate4,959,285251,436376,8797.3811.0
1989estimate4,736,772250,324166,5897.3728.2
1990estimate4,689,685247,745164,8447.3828.6
1991estimate4,785,581253,518165,6477.3829.2
1992estimate4,887,773257,949229,0747.3721.9
1993estimate4,931,726261,043228,2617.3622.3
1994estimate4,980,279267,277101,8707.3544.9
1995estimate5,162,089275,451165,0337.3431.5
1996estimate5,289,582281,982165,2547.3232.1
1997estimate5,424,268284,491163,0387.2033.1
1998estimate5,594,003287,771299,9287.0819.1
1999estimate5,646,132292,466111,7426.9444.5
2000estimate5,897,125300,504104,4476.8047.6
2001estimate6,167,410308,610104,5026.6548.5
2002estimate6,449,373316,840104,8216.5149.4
2003estimate6,744,240322,86197,0396.3552.3
2004estimate7,062,013329,19797,3226.1953.0
2005estimate7,404,069336,24296,9736.0254.0
2006estimate7,776,217344,44797,7425.8554.6
2007estimate8,176,836354,90798,3565.7055.4
2008estimate8,600,739367,03098,7585.5756.3
2009estimate9,034,555379,219100,3615.4556.9
2010estimate9,452,557388,645101,2445.3257.5
2011estimate10,039,350409,377106,1935.1957.7
2012estimate10,536,868421,012108,0385.0658.2
2013estimate10,975,612427,613111,6254.9458.3
2014estimate11,356,939429,073201,4704.8245.6
2015estimate11,113,206393,286244,7494.7039.8
2016estimate11,101,917379,614269,0614.5836.7
2017estimate10,558,287336,518264,3264.4835.4
2018estimate9,960,020294,258125,7624.3751.9
2019estimate10,285,934306,66796,9584.2658.1
2020estimate10,560,834314,978102,6464.1657.6
2021estimate10,836,100322,632109,0694.0557.0
2022estimate10,895,460320,345109,1733.9657.2
2023estimate11,146,895328,308110,3393.8657.6
2024estimate11,819,853349,013117,2903.7957.7
2025projection12,066,96411.7–12.4 million357,711120,2003.7157.9
2026projection12,310,61211.6–13.0 million365,962123,0903.6358.0
2027projection12,561,46211.6–13.7 million374,205126,0593.5658.1
2028projection12,813,14411.6–14.3 million381,724129,0073.4958.2
2029projection13,069,85611.6–15.0 million389,036131,9783.4358.3
2030projection13,326,31311.6–15.6 million395,444134,9833.3758.5
2031projection13,588,59411.6–16.2 million400,473137,9813.3158.6
2032projection13,862,23011.6–16.9 million404,565140,8803.2658.7
2033projection14,130,47211.6–17.4 million407,065143,7173.2058.8
2034projection14,393,05811.6–18.2 million407,899146,4663.1558.9
2035projection14,662,04311.6–18.9 million407,878149,1843.1059.0
2036projection14,935,15611.6–19.6 million407,671151,8603.0659.1
2037projection15,205,03511.7–20.3 million406,637154,3953.0159.3
2038projection15,466,37111.8–21.1 million404,709156,9542.9659.4
2039projection15,725,57011.7–21.9 million403,036159,6032.9259.5
2040projection15,975,81811.7–22.5 million401,579162,1452.8859.6
2041projection16,227,14311.7–23.3 million400,089164,5752.8459.8
2042projection16,473,15811.7–24.0 million398,424167,2432.8059.9
2043projection16,713,56911.7–24.6 million396,958169,7602.7660.0
2044projection16,944,84511.8–25.4 million395,439172,3532.7360.1
2045projection17,175,50311.8–26.1 million394,971174,9372.6960.2
2046projection17,397,31611.8–27.1 million393,935177,5222.6660.4
2047projection17,622,07611.8–27.7 million393,212180,2332.6360.5
2048projection17,834,59811.8–28.5 million392,598182,7472.6060.6
2049projection18,042,28211.7–29.2 million392,069185,4602.5860.7
2050projection18,243,51011.7–30.0 million391,870187,9562.5560.8
2051projection18,440,43711.6–30.9 million391,940190,3822.5360.9
2052projection18,645,55611.7–31.5 million391,871193,0682.5161.0
2053projection18,863,33611.6–32.3 million392,306195,6952.4861.1
2054projection19,058,26211.5–33.3 million391,646198,1572.4661.2
2055projection19,262,93911.5–34.2 million391,664200,6582.4461.3
2056projection19,455,98611.4–35.1 million391,698203,0112.4261.5
2057projection19,648,30911.3–36.0 million390,943205,2102.3961.6
2058projection19,841,56711.3–36.8 million390,514207,5012.3761.7
2059projection20,025,69011.2–38.4 million389,781209,6592.3561.8
2060projection20,219,50011.1–39.2 million389,244211,9452.3361.9
2061projection20,395,76411.1–40.6 million388,383214,1022.3162.0
2062projection20,570,03311.1–41.1 million387,254216,4812.2962.1
2063projection20,748,23811.0–42.3 million386,551218,8162.2862.3
2064projection20,923,28811.1–43.2 million385,128221,3072.2662.4
2065projection21,096,92611.0–44.1 million384,237223,8992.2462.5
2066projection21,274,49511.1–45.0 million383,614226,7452.2362.6
2067projection21,438,11511.1–46.3 million382,584229,7192.2262.7
2068projection21,603,97011.2–47.6 million381,331232,6692.2162.8
2069projection21,776,03111.3–48.5 million380,397235,8902.1962.9
2070projection21,922,49111.3–49.1 million378,524239,3222.1863.0
2071projection22,057,45611.1–50.1 million375,867242,7462.1763.2
2072projection22,206,81211.1–51.0 million373,352246,5112.1563.3
2073projection22,350,04411.1–51.7 million371,536250,7152.1363.4
2074projection22,491,08611.1–52.5 million369,703255,0802.1263.5
2075projection22,632,01111.1–53.6 million368,144259,6352.1163.6
2076projection22,749,52711.0–55.4 million366,026264,1312.1063.7
2077projection22,847,75310.9–55.9 million363,598268,7052.0863.8
2078projection22,957,09310.7–56.0 million361,417273,5802.0763.9
2079projection23,053,27310.5–56.5 million359,853278,3852.0664.0
2080projection23,149,77010.6–57.2 million357,986283,1292.0564.1
2081projection23,223,68810.4–58.1 million356,013287,8312.0464.2
2082projection23,297,58610.3–58.7 million354,040292,2742.0364.3
2083projection23,373,32110.3–59.1 million352,200296,6202.0264.5
2084projection23,442,06510.2–59.6 million350,649300,9212.0164.5
2085projection23,513,38910.1–60.8 million349,024304,9582.0064.7
2086projection23,557,0669.9–61.9 million347,326308,5231.9964.8
2087projection23,610,44610.1–62.5 million346,308311,7901.9864.9
2088projection23,645,00110.0–63.8 million344,392314,5981.9865.0
2089projection23,689,8539.8–64.7 million342,894317,3151.9765.1
2090projection23,730,4389.7–65.0 million341,804319,8531.9665.2
2091projection23,752,0249.9–65.6 million340,278322,0081.9665.3
2092projection23,770,5769.8–67.5 million338,762323,8751.9565.3
2093projection23,790,3339.7–68.9 million337,000325,6131.9465.4
2094projection23,799,0019.5–70.1 million334,861326,7031.9465.5
2095projection23,797,5859.5–71.1 million332,478327,6801.9365.7
2096projection23,805,6399.4–71.8 million330,394328,5491.9265.8
2097projection23,816,3129.3–73.2 million328,801329,5151.9265.9
2098projection23,814,5249.1–74.4 million326,780330,2991.9166.0
2099projection23,832,3549.0–75.8 million324,696331,1791.9066.1
2100projection23,837,7229.0–77.8 million322,475332,1081.8966.2
Show the numbers: South Sudan, mid-2026, by single year of age
South Sudan: population by single year of age, mid-2026
AgeMaleFemale
0174,684169,922
1166,918162,768
2161,353157,229
3156,388152,348
4153,014149,348
5150,007146,769
6145,831142,876
7140,348137,784
8138,772136,738
9142,424140,464
10145,111142,770
11152,460149,664
12162,578159,130
13169,000165,356
14171,877168,502
15169,132166,134
16164,972162,355
17161,250158,918
18156,501154,434
19151,562149,765
20146,777145,267
21141,883140,664
22136,398135,469
23130,015129,423
24122,336121,948
25113,634113,219
26104,462103,965
2792,51892,030
2881,57281,045
2975,69675,432
3071,34271,799
3166,96168,242
3262,97465,129
3360,26063,238
3458,75262,613
3557,78262,631
3657,38663,150
3751,26457,423
3844,87650,744
3947,55653,540
4053,30359,944
4156,99264,160
4258,37865,952
4358,99166,816
4459,05866,964
4558,66966,500
4657,90265,568
4756,79764,291
4855,36062,722
4953,63460,897
5051,70858,894
5149,59256,710
5247,34454,418
5344,88451,932
5442,20449,198
5539,35646,246
5636,48243,204
5733,79940,305
5831,35437,622
5929,10335,132
6027,01132,800
6125,17530,746
6223,42328,800
6321,69226,885
6420,08625,106
6518,54323,390
6617,05921,726
6715,63220,109
6814,27718,560
6912,97517,064
7011,71515,610
7110,51414,222
729,36212,890
738,26211,610
747,22410,393
756,2509,236
765,3828,072
774,6857,148
784,1266,534
793,5825,866
803,0295,089
812,5224,332
822,0723,637
831,6843,018
841,3522,476
851,0702,006
868311,601
876291,252
88458955
89320710
90213512
91134359
9280243
9344158
942298
951056
96330
97213
9814
9911
100+44

SSD · 1950–2100 · every age, every year

South Sudan, every age in every year

Each column is a year and each row an age; the denser the ink in a cell, the more people. Everyone born in the same year climbs one 45° diagonal, so famines, baby booms and migration show up as streaks. Select a cell to follow its generation.

SSD · ages 15–64

Who does the work in South Sudan

On the UN's projection, South Sudan will have the most working-age people it ever has in 2093: 16,104,700 people aged 15–64. In 2023 it had 6,572,630.

100 aged 15–64
70 children
5 aged 65+

aged 15–64   children under 15   aged 65 and over

How to read this: the orange squares are 100 people aged 15–64 in 2023, and the rows below are how many children (teal) and how many people aged 65 or older (violet) lived alongside them.

Fewer than 50 dependants live alongside every 100 people aged 15–64 in 45 years: 2056–2100.

fewer than 50 dependants per 100   the same, projected   50 or more

How to read this: one stripe a year from 1950 to 2100. A stripe takes colour in a year when fewer than 50 dependants live alongside every 100 people of working age, and stays grey otherwise; hatching means the year is projected.

How every country compares

SSD · arrivals minus departures

Who arrives in South Sudan, and who leaves

In 2020–2025 South Sudan gains 78,163 people a year: everyone who arrives, minus everyone who leaves. The age at which that happens most is 10–14, at 12,826 a year more arriving than leaving.

one square = 2,000 people a year
020406080+

more arrive than leave   more leave than arrive

How to read this: left to right is age, from babies to 100. Blue squares above the line are ages at which more people arrive than leave; orange squares below it, ages at which more leave than arrive. These are the UN's projection for 2020–2025. There is no record of migration by age before 2020.

Across the counted years, 1950 to 2023, its biggest single-year gain was 455,000 (2023); its biggest loss, 670,477 (2017).

In 2024, 914,001 people living in South Sudan had been born in another country, 8 of every 100 people there, against 14 in 1990.

How migration works everywhere

SSD · births by the mother's age · 1950–2100

Who has the babies in South Sudan

Of every 100 babies born in South Sudan in 2023, 23 had a mother under 20, 61 a mother aged 20 to 34 and 16 a mother aged 35 or older. In 1950 it was 18 under 20 and 21 aged 35 or older.

1950
18 · 61 · 21
2023
23 · 61 · 16
2050 · projected
18 · 65 · 17

The mother's age: under 20 20 to 34 35 or older projected

How to read this: each block is 100 babies born in that year, one square each, coloured by how old the mother was. The numbers under a block are the three groups, youngest mothers first.

Babies born, 2023
328,308
Average age when women have a baby
28.6 years
30.0 in 1950
Babies a year per 1,000 girls aged 15–19
97
154 in 1950
Babies by the mother's age, 1950–2100
Babies born in South Sudan by the mother's age
Mother's age19501975200020232050 projected2100 projected
10–142,6754,2135,7808,5035,135588
15–1919,60031,19645,96868,12465,38923,896
20–2429,33546,59073,79299,830115,74872,364
25–2925,80642,96267,69357,24279,53685,018
30–3420,44136,07850,22041,84459,86580,322
35–3914,93325,80734,17529,61045,90946,564
40–448,10614,52418,24518,14617,32712,300
45–492,0083,5824,4104,7592,8031,324
50–5410318022125015899
All babies123,007205,132300,504328,308391,870322,475

The UN's births for each year, split by the mother's age in the UN's own proportions.

SSD · healthy years · 2021

Years in good health in South Sudan

In South Sudan, WHO puts the healthy years a newborn could expect in 2021 at 50.5 (95% range 49.3–51.9), out of 58.6 in all. The years in less than full health come to 8.1, below the world's 9.5: shorter lives leave fewer years in which to be ill.

Women

51.4 in full health, 9.2 not: 60.6 years

Men

49.6 in full health, 6.9 not: 56.5 years

a year in full health   a year in less than full health

How to read this: each square is a year of life, each row ten years; filled squares are years in full health, rounded to whole years.

Women: 51.4 healthy years of 60.6. Men: 49.6 of 56.5. In 2019, before the pandemic, the healthy years were 51.0.

SSD · forced from home · end of 2025

Displacement in South Sudan

At the end of 2025, 1,277,527 people were displaced inside South Sudan, about 105 of every 1,000 people living there.

  1. hosted from abroad605,064
  2. displaced inside it1,277,527
  3. South Sudan nationals abroad2,510,483

stayed inside their own country   crossed a border

How to read this: one square stands for 50,000 people, so the rows can be compared with one another. The last row is people from South Sudan living in another country, wherever they are.

In 2025, 3,959 people asked for asylum in South Sudan for the first time; 97,102 people from South Sudan asked for asylum in another country. Of every 100 people from South Sudan whose claims were decided that year, 92 were given protection. Who asks for asylum, and who is given it

How the world's displacement is counted

SSD · of every 100 people

How people live in South Sudan

Of every 100 people in South Sudan in 2025, 33 lived in a city, 32 in a town or suburb and 35 in the countryside.

cities towns and suburbs rural areas

94.6 of every 100 have no electricity at home (2024). 93.3 of every 100 do not use the internet (2019).

How to read this: 100 squares, one for every 100th person, coloured by where they live, as the key says. The same rule is used in every country.

How the world's people live

SSD · adults 25 and over · 2020

How far people in South Sudan went in school

Of every 100 adults in South Sudan in 2020, 73 never went to school and 15 finished upper secondary or went further.

73 never went to school 12 finished primary 12 finished upper secondary 3 studied after school

The young went further: 65.8 of every 100 women aged 25–29 never went to school, against 90.7 of every 100 aged 60–64 (men: 53 against 77.2).

The middle projection has its working-age people most numerous in 2065; those among them who finished upper secondary are still growing in 2100.

How to read this: the row is the adults (25 and over) shrunk to 100 people, coloured by how far each went in school, least schooling on the left. The Wittgenstein Centre's count, 2020.

How far the world's people went in school

SSD · cities · 2025

Cities in South Sudan

South Sudan had 25 cities in 2025, home to 4.1 million people. The largest, Nimule, holds 5 of every 100 people in South Sudan.

  1. Nimule581,444
  2. Torit424,731
  3. Juba391,311
  4. Riwoto330,053
  5. Kapoeta270,167
  6. Yei228,087
  7. Narus212,131
  8. Bor173,688
  9. Wau140,376
  10. Yambio130,598
All 8 cities in South Sudan that reach 300,000 people

How to read this: the 10 largest cities in 2025, bars on one scale. A city is the whole built-up area on the UN's rule, not the city's own boundary.

All the world's cities

Apparatus

Sources and method

Every figure on this page comes from the UN's World Population Prospects 2024: the annual country tables (estimates to 2023, projections with 95% intervals from 2024), and the population by single year of age and sex for the pyramid.

The censuses, surveys and registers behind the UN's estimates for South Sudan are listed, source by source, on the UN's own data sources page.

Sources: UN WPP 2024 · World Bank · UNHCR · country code lists · UN WUP 2025 · Wittgenstein Centre · WHO GHO · flag-icons · Natural Earth. Every source, its licence and how to cite it →

Checked before it was drawn

Verified 2026-09-30 · 73 canaries The pyramid for every year was checked against the published total. What that stamp counts, and what every page here has to pass before it can be built: how this site checks its figures.