SSD · SS · United Nations WPP 2024 · 2026
South Sudan
South Sudan had a population of 12,436,037 people in 2026, ranking 80 of 237 countries and areas. Explore its age pyramid, trends and demographic indicators.
Source: United Nations World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant.
- Total population
- 12,436,037 people 2026 · Projection
- Rank
- #80/ 237 Africa #31 / 58
- Share of world population
- 0.15% 2026
- Density
- 22.0 people/km² 2026
- Median age
- 19.0 years
- Life expectancy
- 57.97 years
Country or area overview
South Sudan is in Africa. In 2026, its population was 12,436,037 people, about 0.15% of the world total. It ranks #80 of 237 countries and areas worldwide. The population was 2,493,283 people in 1950 and is projected to reach 23,840,772 people in 2100. The annual population growth rate in 2026 is 2.02%. The median age is 19.0. 37.1% of the population is under 15 and 3.2% is 65 or older. Life expectancy is 57.97 and the total fertility rate is 3.63. Within Africa, it ranks #31 of 58 by population and #46 of 58 by population density. Data note This page uses the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium variant. Data for 1950–2023 are estimates; 2024 onward, including 2026, are projections. Values for 2100 are long-range projections.
South Sudan map
Country outline and its location in the world.
World location
Boundaries: Natural Earth 1:50m.
Population history and projection
Population from 1950 to 2100. The dashed section shows the UN medium-variant projection from 2024 onward.
Age group · 2026
Population age pyramid
Male and female population by five-year age group. Move the year slider to compare 1950, today and the 2100 projection.
Age-group data
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 812,357 | 791,615 | 1,603,972 | 12.90% |
| 5–9 | 717,381 | 704,630 | 1,422,011 | 11.43% |
| 10–14 | 801,025 | 785,422 | 1,586,447 | 12.76% |
| 15–19 | 803,416 | 791,606 | 1,595,022 | 12.83% |
| 20–24 | 677,409 | 672,773 | 1,350,182 | 10.86% |
| 25–29 | 467,882 | 465,692 | 933,574 | 7.51% |
| 30–34 | 320,289 | 331,021 | 651,310 | 5.24% |
| 35–39 | 258,864 | 287,488 | 546,352 | 4.39% |
| 40–44 | 286,722 | 323,837 | 610,559 | 4.91% |
| 45–49 | 282,363 | 319,979 | 602,342 | 4.84% |
| 50–54 | 235,731 | 271,154 | 506,885 | 4.08% |
| 55–59 | 170,095 | 202,507 | 372,602 | 3.00% |
| 60–64 | 117,386 | 144,338 | 261,724 | 2.10% |
| 65–69 | 78,486 | 100,850 | 179,336 | 1.44% |
| 70–74 | 47,077 | 64,725 | 111,802 | 0.90% |
| 75–79 | 24,025 | 36,856 | 60,881 | 0.49% |
| 80–84 | 10,661 | 18,552 | 29,213 | 0.23% |
| 85–89 | 3,309 | 6,523 | 9,832 | 0.08% |
| 90–94 | 495 | 1,370 | 1,865 | 0.01% |
| 95–99 | 16 | 105 | 121 | 0.00% |
| 100+ | 4 | 4 | 8 | 0.00% |
Demographic indicators
UN WPP 2024 indicators for 2026.
| Indicator | 2026 | Projection for 2100 | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 12,436,037 people | 23,840,772 people | people |
| Male population | 6,114,992 people | 11,541,838 people | people |
| Female population | 6,321,045 people | 12,298,934 people | people |
| Population density | 22.0 people/km² | 42.3 people/km² | people/km² |
| Sex ratio | 96.7 | 93.8 | males per 100 females |
| Median age | 19.0 | 35.2 | years |
| Natural change | 242,872 | -9,633 | people |
| Natural change rate | 19.53 ‰ | -0.40 ‰ | ‰ |
| Population change | 250,850 | 6,101 | people |
| Population growth rate | 2.02% | 0.03% | % |
| Population doubling time | 34.4 | — | years |
| Births | 365,962 people | 322,475 people | people |
| Births to women aged 15–19 | 74,847 | 23,888 | people |
| Birth rate | 29.43 ‰ | 13.53 ‰ | ‰ |
| Total fertility rate | 3.63 | 1.89 | children per woman |
| Net reproduction rate | 1.502 | 0.865 | |
| Mean age at childbearing | 28.39 | 28.90 | years |
| Sex ratio at birth | 103.5 | 103.5 | males per 100 females |
| Deaths | 123,090 people | 332,108 people | people |
| Male deaths | 67,292 | 170,220 | people |
| Female deaths | 55,797 | 161,888 | people |
| Death rate | 9.90 ‰ | 13.93 ‰ | ‰ |
| Life expectancy at birth | 57.97 | 66.16 | years |
| Male life expectancy at birth | 54.99 | 63.08 | years |
| Female life expectancy at birth | 60.98 | 69.34 | years |
| Life expectancy at age 15 | 51.11 | 55.55 | years |
| Life expectancy at age 65 | 13.01 | 13.57 | years |
| Life expectancy at age 80 | 5.64 | 5.77 | years |
| Infant deaths | 22,640 | 12,029 | people |
| Infant mortality rate | 62.15 ‰ | 37.25 ‰ | ‰ |
| Survivors to age 1 | 348,247 | 312,261 | people |
| Deaths under age 5 | 34,462 | 16,795 | people |
| Under-5 mortality rate | 96.53 ‰ | 51.75 ‰ | ‰ |
| Net migration | 7,974 | 15,732 | people |
| Net migration rate | 0.64 ‰ | 0.66 ‰ | ‰ |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the population of South Sudan?
- In 2026, South Sudan had a population of 12,436,037 people. It ranks #80 of 237 countries and areas worldwide.
- How has the population of South Sudan changed?
- The population was 2,493,283 people in 1950 and is projected to reach 23,840,772 people in 2100.
- What is the age structure of South Sudan?
- The median age is 19.0. 37.1% of the population is under 15 and 3.2% is 65 or older.
- How does South Sudan compare within Africa?
- By total population, South Sudan ranks #31 of 58 in Africa and #80 of 237 worldwide.
Estimates cover 1950–2023; 2024 and later are UN medium-variant projections. Rankings use the latest available value for the selected year. The world total is the sum of all countries and areas in the dataset.