Population
11.5M persons, 1 July latest value, 2023
Population on 1 July. UN estimate to 2023, medium variant from 2024; past UN revisions for forecast checks.
South Sudan
All indicators of the Macroscope base for South Sudan, with sources. Below: what past UN and IMF releases projected and what actually happened.
What the data shows
Computed with the same code as the observations under the main chart and in the API (get_insights). Moving together in time does not prove a cause.
How the indicators changed
- Fertility (TFR): 7.12 in 1950 → 3.86 in 2023 (−46%). Peak: 7.39 in 1987; the latest value is 48% lower. The trend broke around 1996: direction reversed (+0.01 → −0.15 a year).
- Births: 123k in 1950 → 328k in 2023 (×2.7). Peak: 429k in 2014; the latest value is 23% lower. The trend broke around 2000 and 2012: +3.45k → +10.3k → −11k a year.
- Population: 2.49M in 1950 → 11.5M in 2023 (×4.6). The trend broke around 1999 and 2013: +65.2k → +382k → −0.98k a year.
- Internet: 1.5% in 2012 → 6.7% in 2019 (+5.2 pp). Fastest growth in 2014–2019: 2.6% → 6.7%.
- Urban share: 8.7% in 1960 → 21.7% in 2025 (+13 pp). The trend broke around 1984 and 1992: −0.01 → +0.69 → +0.22 a year.
- GDP growth: on average −5.3% in the 2010s, −5.9% in the 2020s. Lowest: −50.3% in 2012; highest: 27.3% in 2013.
- Inflation: on average 98.6% in the 2010s, 38.1% in the 2020s. Lowest: −3.2% in 2022; highest: 346.1% in 2016.
What changed at the same time
- The fastest decline of "Fertility (TFR)" was in 1998–2008: 7.08 → 5.57. Over the same years: births 288k → 367k; population 5.62M → 8.82M; urban share 15.6% → 17%; no data for the others in those years.
- Over the last 10 years (2013–2023): fertility (TFR) 4.94 → 3.86; births 428k → 328k; population 11.2M → 11.5M; internet 2.2% (2013); urban share 18.3% → 21.1%; GDP growth 27.3% → 3%; inflation −2.7% → 39.7%.
How the indicators relate
- Fertility (TFR) and internet: too few common years with data (8) to speak of a relationship.
- Fertility (TFR) and urban share (1960–2023, 64 years): levels are strongly related, in opposite directions (r = −0.86); year-to-year changes show no reliable link (r = 0.48). This looks like a shared trend: both change over time, but not in step from year to year.
Forecasts vs actual
- Fertility (TFR): past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 4 of 4 revisions (2012–2022) and above in none; median gap −6.6%.
- The UN 2012 projection expected today's level (3.86, 2023) only around 2027: reality is 4 years ahead of it.
- The UN 2022 projection expected today's level (3.86, 2023) only around 2028: reality is 5 years ahead of it.
- Fertility (TFR): UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 2.55 (−34% vs 2023), 2100 — 1.89 (−51% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 1.39.
- Births: past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 3 of 4 revisions (2012–2022) and above in 1; median gap −26%.
- The UN 2022 projection expected today's level (328k, 2023) only around 2025: reality is 2 years ahead of it.
- Births: UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 392k (+19% vs 2023), 2100 — 323k (−2% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 150k.
- Population: past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 4 of 5 revisions (2012–2022) and above in 1; median gap −22%.
- The UN 2012 projection expected this level (11.5M) already around 2013: reality is 10 years behind it.
- The UN 2022 projection expected today's level (11.5M, 2023) only around 2026: reality is 3 years ahead of it.
- Population: UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 18.3M (+60% vs 2023), 2100 — 23.8M (+108% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 16.3M.
- GDP growth: IMF next-year forecasts (23 editions, 2012–2023). On average the outcome was 14.2 pp below the forecast; below it in 74% of cases; typical error ±16 pp. The biggest miss was for 2014: IMF, April 2013 expected 49.2%, the outcome was 1.6%.
- GDP growth: latest IMF forecast (IMF, April 2026): 2025 — 46.1%, 2027 — 3.3%, 2031 — 3%.
- Inflation: IMF next-year forecasts (23 editions, 2012–2023). On average the outcome was 51.6 pp above the forecast; below it in 35% of cases; typical error ±68.7 pp. The biggest miss was for 2016: IMF, April 2015 expected 5%, the outcome was 346.1%.
- Inflation: latest IMF forecast (IMF, April 2026): 2025 — 97.6%, 2027 — 10%, 2031 — 4.5%.
UN projections vs actual
Solid line: actual data, UN WPP 2024 estimates to 2023, then national statistics where comparable with the UN. Dashed: medium variants of past UN revisions. The table shows what each revision expected for the latest year (or five-year period) with actual data.
Population
persons, 1 July
- Actual
- UN 2012
- UN 2015
- UN 2017
- UN 2019
- UN 2022
- UN 2024, medium
| Release | Target period | Horizon | Expected | Actual | Actual vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UN 2012 | 2023 | 11 years | 14.9M | 11.5M | −22.8% |
| UN 2015 | 2023 | 8 years | 15.2M | 11.5M | −24.5% |
| UN 2017 | 2023 | 6 years | 14.7M | 11.5M | −21.7% |
| UN 2019 | 2023 | 4 years | 11.9M | 11.5M | −3.4% |
| UN 2022 | 2023 | 1 year | 11.1M | 11.5M | +3.6% |
Births
births per year
- Actual
- UN 2012
- UN 2015
- UN 2017
- UN 2019
- UN 2022
- UN 2024, medium
| Release | Target period | Horizon | Expected | Actual | Actual vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UN 2012 | 2015–2020 | 6 years | 447k | 334k | −25.2% |
| UN 2015 | 2015–2020 | 2 years | 470k | 334k | −28.9% |
| UN 2017 | 2015–2020 | 0 years | 451k | 334k | −25.9% |
| UN 2022 | 2023 | 1 year | 321k | 328k | +2.2% |
Total fertility rate
children per woman
- Actual
- UN 2012
- UN 2015
- UN 2017
- UN 2019
- UN 2022
- UN 2024, medium
| Release | Target period | Horizon | Expected | Actual | Actual vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UN 2012 | 2015–2020 | 6 years | 4.54 | 4.42 | −2.5% |
| UN 2015 | 2015–2020 | 2 years | 4.73 | 4.42 | −6.5% |
| UN 2017 | 2015–2020 | 0 years | 4.74 | 4.42 | −6.6% |
| UN 2022 | 2023 | 1 year | 4.25 | 3.86 | −9.1% |
IMF forecasts vs actual
Solid line: actual values from the latest IMF edition (data get revised, so we use the newest). Dashed: April editions, current year and five years ahead. The table covers next-year forecasts from all editions: mean error shows bias, mean absolute error shows accuracy.
Real GDP growth
% per year
- Actual (IMF)
- WEO, April editions
| Indicator | Forecasts | Mean error | Mean absolute error | Actual below forecast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real GDP growth | 23 | −14.2 pp | 16 pp | 74% |
| Inflation | 23 | +51.6 pp | 68.7 pp | 35% |
| Government gross debt | 20 | +31 pp | 32.5 pp | 15% |
All indicators
Demography
Births
328k births per year latest value, 2023
Live births per calendar year. UN WPP 2024 and national statistics (64 countries, 2015-2025).
Total fertility rate
3.86 children per woman latest value, 2023
Average number of children a woman would have at the age-specific fertility rates of the year.
Life expectancy at birth, women
60.6 years latest value, 2023
Years a newborn girl would live at the mortality rates of the year (UN).
Life expectancy at birth, men
54.6 years latest value, 2023
Years a newborn boy would live at the mortality rates of the year (UN).
Median age
18 years latest value, 2023
Age that divides the population in two halves (UN).
Mean age of mothers at childbirth
28.6 years latest value, 2023
Mean age of mothers at the birth of their children of any order (UN).
Sex ratio at birth
103.5 boys per 100 girls latest value, 2023
Boys born per 100 girls born (UN).
Net migration
455k persons per year latest value, 2023
Immigrants minus emigrants per year (UN estimate and projection).
Old-age dependency
6.3 persons 65+ per 100 aged 20-64 latest value, 2020
Persons aged 65+ per 100 aged 20-64, every five years (UN).
Digitalisation
Internet users
6.7 % of population latest value, 2019
Share of individuals who used the Internet in the last three months from any device. ITU data.
Mobile cellular subscriptions
46.6 per 100 people latest value, 2023
Active mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 people; can exceed 100 when people have several SIM cards. ITU data.
Fixed broadband subscriptions
0 subscriptions per 100 people latest value, 2023
Fixed subscriptions to high-speed Internet (256 kbit/s or more) per 100 people. ITU data.
Economy
Real GDP growth
−26.1 % per year latest value, 2024
Annual change of GDP at constant prices. Actual values and forecasts from IMF WEO editions.
Inflation
99.8 % per year, average latest value, 2024
Change of the annual average consumer price index (IMF WEO).
Government gross debt
53.4 % of GDP latest value, 2024
General government gross debt, percent of GDP (IMF WEO).
GDP per capita, US dollars
388 current US dollars latest value, 2024
GDP per person in current US dollars at market exchange rates (IMF WEO).
Society
Urban population
21.7 % of population latest value, 2025
Share of people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices (World Bank, from UN World Urbanization Prospects).
Women with upper secondary education
10.9 % of women 25+ latest value, 2008
Share of women aged 25+ who completed at least upper secondary education (UNESCO).
Life expectancy at birth
57.7 years latest value, 2024
Life expectancy at birth, both sexes (World Bank, from UN and national statistics).
Same region: Africa
AlgeriaAngolaBeninBotswanaBurkina FasoBurundiCameroonCape VerdeCentral African RepublicChadComorosCôte d'IvoireDR CongoDjiboutiEgyptEquatorial GuineaEritreaEswatiniEthiopiaGabonGambiaGhanaGuineaGuinea-BissauKenyaLesothoLiberiaLibyaMadagascarMalawiMaliMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMoroccoMozambiqueNamibiaNigerNigeriaRepublic of the CongoRwandaRéunionSaint HelenaSao Tome and PrincipeSenegalSeychellesSierra LeoneSomaliaSouth AfricaSudanTanzaniaTogoTunisiaUgandaWestern SaharaZambiaZimbabwe