Population in South Sudan
South Sudan: Population was 11.48 million people in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Population in South Sudan, 1600–2023
Source: HYDE (2023); Gapminder (2022); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
South Sudan recorded 11.48 million people for population in 2023. That is the highest value across all 226 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.2% on the previous year and up 2.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in South Sudan peaked at 11.48 million people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 859,300 people, in 1600.
South Sudan ranks 83rd of 238 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1600s | 859,300 people | 859,300 people | 859,300 people | 1 |
| 1700s | 900,200 people | 900,200 people | 900,200 people | 1 |
| 1800s | 1.03 million people | 1.03 million people | 1.04 million people | 10 |
| 1810s | 1.05 million people | 1.04 million people | 1.06 million people | 10 |
| 1820s | 1.08 million people | 1.06 million people | 1.10 million people | 10 |
| 1830s | 1.13 million people | 1.10 million people | 1.15 million people | 10 |
| 1840s | 1.18 million people | 1.15 million people | 1.20 million people | 10 |
| 1850s | 1.26 million people | 1.21 million people | 1.31 million people | 10 |
| 1860s | 1.38 million people | 1.32 million people | 1.43 million people | 10 |
| 1870s | 1.50 million people | 1.44 million people | 1.56 million people | 10 |
| 1880s | 1.64 million people | 1.57 million people | 1.70 million people | 10 |
| 1890s | 1.78 million people | 1.71 million people | 1.85 million people | 10 |
| 1900s | 1.93 million people | 1.86 million people | 2.01 million people | 10 |
| 1910s | 2.10 million people | 2.02 million people | 2.16 million people | 10 |
| 1920s | 2.21 million people | 2.17 million people | 2.26 million people | 10 |
| 1930s | 2.31 million people | 2.27 million people | 2.36 million people | 10 |
| 1940s | 2.42 million people | 2.37 million people | 2.47 million people | 10 |
| 1950s | 2.69 million people | 2.49 million people | 2.89 million people | 10 |
| 1960s | 3.15 million people | 2.93 million people | 3.37 million people | 10 |
| 1970s | 3.79 million people | 3.41 million people | 4.23 million people | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.70 million people | 4.34 million people | 4.96 million people | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.20 million people | 4.74 million people | 5.77 million people | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.51 million people | 6.03 million people | 9.24 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.59 million people | 9.75 million people | 11.24 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.02 million people | 10.70 million people | 11.48 million people | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Sudan
More population data for South Sudan
- 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)
- Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate 3.79 births per woman (2024)
- Refugees by country of asylum 514,794 people (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception 3.79 births per woman (2024)
- Total fertility rate vs. contraceptive prevalence 3.79 births per woman (2024)
- Natural population growth rate 1.9% (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 3.86 live births per woman (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in South Sudan?
- Population in South Sudan was 11.48 million people in 2023, according to HYDE (2023); Gapminder (2022); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest population recorded in South Sudan?
- The highest recorded value was 11.48 million people in 2023.
- What is the lowest population recorded in South Sudan?
- The lowest recorded value was 859,300 people in 1600.
- How does South Sudan rank for population?
- South Sudan ranks 83rd out of 238 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population rising or falling in South Sudan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Sudan data come from?
- The figures come from HYDE (2023); Gapminder (2022); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 226 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Population by country, available from 10,000 BCE to 2023, based on data and estimates from different sources.