Birth rate in South Sudan
South Sudan: Birth rate was 28.59 births per 1,000 people in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
28.59 births per 1,000 people
Change on year
down 1.6%
World rank
37th
of 236 countries
All-time high
54.57 births per 1,000 people
in 1971
All-time low
28.59 births per 1,000 people
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Birth rate in South Sudan, 1950–2023
Source: Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in births per 1,000 people.
Analysis
In 2023, birth rate in South Sudan stood at 28.59 births per 1,000 people. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.6% on the previous year and down 25.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, birth rate in South Sudan peaked at 54.57 births per 1,000 people in 1971 and was at its lowest, 28.59 births per 1,000 people, in 2023.
That places South Sudan 37th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Birth rate in South Sudan, year by year
| Year | births per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 49.34 births per 1,000 people | — |
| 1951 | 49.79 births per 1,000 people | +0.9% |
| 1952 | 50.11 births per 1,000 people | +0.6% |
| 1953 | 50.42 births per 1,000 people | +0.6% |
| 1954 | 50.69 births per 1,000 people | +0.5% |
| 1955 | 50.89 births per 1,000 people | +0.4% |
| 1956 | 51.1 births per 1,000 people | +0.4% |
| 1957 | 51.33 births per 1,000 people | +0.5% |
| 1958 | 51.51 births per 1,000 people | +0.3% |
| 1959 | 51.78 births per 1,000 people | +0.5% |
| 1960 | 52.03 births per 1,000 people | +0.5% |
| 1961 | 52.29 births per 1,000 people | +0.5% |
| 1962 | 52.51 births per 1,000 people | +0.4% |
| 1963 | 52.68 births per 1,000 people | +0.3% |
| 1964 | 52.98 births per 1,000 people | +0.6% |
| 1965 | 53.05 births per 1,000 people | +0.1% |
| 1966 | 53.48 births per 1,000 people | +0.8% |
| 1967 | 53.74 births per 1,000 people | +0.5% |
| 1968 | 53.98 births per 1,000 people | +0.4% |
| 1969 | 54.28 births per 1,000 people | +0.6% |
| 1970 | 54.49 births per 1,000 people | +0.4% |
| 1971 | 54.57 births per 1,000 people | +0.1% |
| 1972 | 54.52 births per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 1973 | 54.26 births per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1974 | 53.94 births per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1975 | 53.68 births per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1976 | 53.38 births per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1977 | 53 births per 1,000 people | -0.7% |
| 1978 | 52.68 births per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1979 | 52.27 births per 1,000 people | -0.8% |
| 1980 | 51.98 births per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1981 | 51.66 births per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1982 | 51.4 births per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1983 | 51.08 births per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1984 | 50.84 births per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1985 | 50.68 births per 1,000 people | -0.3% |
| 1986 | 50.63 births per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 1987 | 50.56 births per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 1988 | 51.86 births per 1,000 people | +2.6% |
| 1989 | 53.11 births per 1,000 people | +2.4% |
| 1990 | 52.29 births per 1,000 people | -1.5% |
| 1991 | 52.42 births per 1,000 people | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 52.54 births per 1,000 people | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 52.67 births per 1,000 people | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 52.7 births per 1,000 people | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 52.71 births per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 52.64 births per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 51.64 births per 1,000 people | -1.9% |
| 1998 | 51.2 births per 1,000 people | -0.8% |
| 1999 | 50.67 births per 1,000 people | -1.0% |
| 2000 | 49.82 births per 1,000 people | -1.7% |
| 2001 | 48.92 births per 1,000 people | -1.8% |
| 2002 | 48.03 births per 1,000 people | -1.8% |
| 2003 | 46.77 births per 1,000 people | -2.6% |
| 2004 | 45.51 births per 1,000 people | -2.7% |
| 2005 | 44.3 births per 1,000 people | -2.7% |
| 2006 | 43.18 births per 1,000 people | -2.5% |
| 2007 | 42.31 births per 1,000 people | -2.0% |
| 2008 | 41.62 births per 1,000 people | -1.6% |
| 2009 | 41.02 births per 1,000 people | -1.4% |
| 2010 | 39.88 births per 1,000 people | -2.8% |
| 2011 | 39.79 births per 1,000 people | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 39.14 births per 1,000 people | -1.6% |
| 2013 | 38.3 births per 1,000 people | -2.2% |
| 2014 | 38.19 births per 1,000 people | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 35.41 births per 1,000 people | -7.3% |
| 2016 | 35.05 births per 1,000 people | -1.0% |
| 2017 | 32.8 births per 1,000 people | -6.4% |
| 2018 | 29.07 births per 1,000 people | -11.4% |
| 2019 | 29.42 births per 1,000 people | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 29.44 births per 1,000 people | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 29.69 births per 1,000 people | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 29.07 births per 1,000 people | -2.1% |
| 2023 | 28.59 births per 1,000 people | -1.6% |
South Sudan compared with similar countries
- South Sudan's 28.59 births per 1,000 people is below the median for low income countries, which is 32.09 births per 1,000 people, 89% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- South Sudan's 28.59 births per 1,000 people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 31.17 births per 1,000 people, 92% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 50.7 births per 1,000 people | 49.34 births per 1,000 people | 51.78 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 53.1 births per 1,000 people | 52.03 births per 1,000 people | 54.28 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 53.68 births per 1,000 people | 52.27 births per 1,000 people | 54.57 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 51.38 births per 1,000 people | 50.56 births per 1,000 people | 53.11 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 52.15 births per 1,000 people | 50.67 births per 1,000 people | 52.71 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 45.15 births per 1,000 people | 41.02 births per 1,000 people | 49.82 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 35.7 births per 1,000 people | 29.07 births per 1,000 people | 39.88 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 29.2 births per 1,000 people | 28.59 births per 1,000 people | 29.69 births per 1,000 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Sudan
- 34 Equatorial Guinea 29.6 births per 1,000 people compare
- 35 Senegal 29.42 births per 1,000 people compare
- 36 Comoros 28.65 births per 1,000 people compare
- 38 Eritrea 28.54 births per 1,000 people compare
- 39 Rwanda 28.35 births per 1,000 people compare
- 40 Sao Tome and Principe 28.18 births per 1,000 people compare
More population data for South Sudan
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.0933 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.0243 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.4787 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.0243 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development 0.0% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 1.57 million people (2100)
- Population density 37.73 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth 0.0% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.5193 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.92 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is birth rate in South Sudan?
- Birth rate in South Sudan was 28.59 births per 1,000 people in 2023, according to Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest birth rate recorded in South Sudan?
- The highest recorded value was 54.57 births per 1,000 people in 1971.
- What is the lowest birth rate recorded in South Sudan?
- The lowest recorded value was 28.59 births per 1,000 people in 2023.
- How does South Sudan rank for birth rate?
- South Sudan ranks 37th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is birth rate rising or falling in South Sudan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Sudan data come from?
- The figures come from Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Birth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Total number of births per 1,000 people in a given year.