South Sudan is a country in Middle Africa. Its capital is Juba.
Africa and its surrounding islands. The dot marks Juba; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapPlains 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.
Languages used in public life include English.
East-Central Africa; south of Sudan, north of Uganda and Kenya, west of Ethiopia.
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
South Sudan became independent on 9 July 2011 after a referendum provided for by the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement. Voters overwhelmingly supported separation from Sudan after decades of conflict. Civil war broke out in the new country in 2013.
Oil is central to export earnings and public revenue. Farming and livestock support many livelihoods. Conflict, flooding and reliance on pipelines through Sudan make the economy especially vulnerable to disruption.
See the main activities described here. Sector size and importance can change over time.
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 3,409,614 | 3.410 |
| 1980 | 4,339,030 | 4.339 |
| 1990 | 4,737,633 | 4.738 |
| 2000 | 6,032,267 | 6.032 |
| 2010 | 9,745,953 | 9.746 |
| 2020 | 10,698,467 | 10.698 |
| 2025 | 12,188,788 | 12.189 |
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 20,185,217,786 | 20.185 |
| 2009 | 21,202,884,179 | 21.203 |
| 2010 | 22,367,646,895 | 22.368 |
| 2011 | 21,329,717,233 | 21.330 |
| 2012 | 11,500,530,835 | 11.501 |
| 2013 | 13,010,519,614 | 13.011 |
| 2014 | 13,449,448,811 | 13.449 |
| 2015 | 11,997,800,760 | 11.998 |
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Transitional presidential system under the peace-agreement framework, with a president, vice-presidential offices and a transitional national legislature. Implementation of the peace agreement remains incomplete.
Three questions about South Sudan.
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived country profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.
