Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in South Sudan
South Sudan: Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas was 3.73 million people in 2020. ▲ Rising
Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in South Sudan, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2020, number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in South Sudan stood at 3.73 million people.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 18.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in South Sudan peaked at 4.59 million people in 2010 and was at its lowest, 2.15 million people, in 1950.
South Sudan ranks 71st of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in South Sudan, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 2.15 million people | — |
| 1955 | 2.29 million people | +6.5% |
| 1960 | 2.43 million people | +6.1% |
| 1965 | 2.58 million people | +6.2% |
| 1970 | 2.69 million people | +4.4% |
| 1975 | 2.91 million people | +8.1% |
| 1980 | 3.18 million people | +9.4% |
| 1985 | 3.37 million people | +6.1% |
| 1990 | 3.19 million people | -5.4% |
| 1995 | 3.36 million people | +5.1% |
| 2000 | 3.61 million people | +7.7% |
| 2005 | 4.15 million people | +14.9% |
| 2010 | 4.59 million people | +10.6% |
| 2015 | 4.42 million people | -3.8% |
| 2020 | 3.73 million people | -15.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2.22 million people | 2.15 million people | 2.29 million people | 2 |
| 1960s | 2.50 million people | 2.43 million people | 2.58 million people | 2 |
| 1970s | 2.80 million people | 2.69 million people | 2.91 million people | 2 |
| 1980s | 3.28 million people | 3.18 million people | 3.37 million people | 2 |
| 1990s | 3.28 million people | 3.19 million people | 3.36 million people | 2 |
| 2000s | 3.88 million people | 3.61 million people | 4.15 million people | 2 |
| 2010s | 4.50 million people | 4.42 million people | 4.59 million people | 2 |
| 2020s | 3.73 million people | 3.73 million people | 3.73 million people | 1 |
Countries ranked near South Sudan
More population data for South Sudan
- Population regions 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 long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.0243 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.0933 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 17,461 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.92 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.5193 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth 0.0% (2100)
- Population density 37.73 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 1.57 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in South Sudan?
- Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in South Sudan was 3.73 million people in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas recorded in South Sudan?
- The highest recorded value was 4.59 million people in 2010.
- What is the lowest number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas recorded in South Sudan?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.15 million people in 1950.
- How does South Sudan rank for number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas?
- South Sudan ranks 71st out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas rising or falling in South Sudan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Sudan data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Estimated number of people living in rural areas. Rural areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.