South Sudan Demographics

Population of South Sudan (2026)

View live population, charts & trends: Population of South Sudan

South Sudan Population
12,436,037
see live
Yearly Change
+2.03%
Global Share
0.15%
Global Rank

Median Age

The median age in South Sudan is 19.0 years (2026).

Fertility in South Sudan

A Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1 represents the Replacement-Level Fertility : the average number of children per woman needed for each generation to exactly replace itself without needing international immigration. A value below 2.1 will cause the native population to decline


Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
3.63
(Live Births per Woman, 2026)

Life Expectancy in South Sudan

See also: Countries in the world ranked by Life Expectancy

Both Sexes
58.0
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes combined)
Females
61.0
(life expectancy at birth, females)
Males
55.0
(life expectancy at birth, males)


Infant Mortality Rate and Deaths of Children under 5 Years Old in South Sudan


Infant Mortality
62.2
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
Deaths under age 5
96.5
(per 1,000 live births)


South Sudan Urban Population

Currently, 22.0% of the population of South Sudan is urban (2,735,482 people in 2026)


Population Density

The 2026 population density in South Sudan is 19 people per km² (50 people per mi2), calculated on a total land area of 644,329 km² (248,777 sq. miles).

Largest Cities and Towns in South Sudan

All 16 cities and towns, ranked by population at the census of April 22, 2008 (by National Bureau of Statistics, South Sudan).

RankCity or TownPopulation
1Juba230,195
2Wau118,331
3Malakal114,528
4Yambio105,881
5Yei69,720
6Renk69,079
7Aweil59,217
8Maridi55,602
9Bentiu41,328
10Bor25,188
11Leer17,827
12Kapoeta16,449
13Yirol12,707
14Tambura12,008
15Warrap5,769
16Kodok4,103
See all 17 cities and towns in South Sudan

See also

Sources

Definitions

Population Pyramid

A Population pyramid (also called "Age-Sex Pyramid") is a graphical representation of the age and sex of a population.

Types:

  • Expansive - pyramid with a wide base (larger percentage of people in younger age groups, indicating high birth rates and high fertility rates) and narrow top (high death rate and lower life expectancies). It suggests a growing population. Example: Nigeria Population Pyramid
  • Constrictive - pyramid with a narrow base (lower percentage of younger people, indicating declining birth rates with each succeeding age group getting smaller than the previous one). Example: United States
  • Stationary - with a somewhat equal proportion of the population in each age group. The population is stable, neither increasing nor decreasing.

Stages:

Population pyramid stages

Dependency Ratio

There are three types of age dependency ratio: Youth, Elderly, and Total. All three ratios are commonly multiplied by 100.

Youth Dependency Ratio

Definition: population ages 0-15 divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 0-15] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Elderly dependency ratio

Definition: population ages 65-plus divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 65-plus] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Total dependency ratio

Definition: sum of the youth and old-age ratios.

Formula: (([Population ages 0-15] + [Population ages 65-plus]) ÷ [Population ages 16-64] ) × 100

NOTE: Dependency Ratio does not take into account labor force participation rates by age group. Some portion of the population counted as "working age" may actually be unemployed or not in the labor force whereas some portion of the "dependent" population may be employed and not necessarily economically dependent.