Demographics & population — South Sudan
Population size, age structure, migration, ethnicity, language, education, and health indicators.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Demographics & population at a glance
Population size, age structure, migration, ethnicity, language, education, and health indicators. Key figure for South Sudan: 10,561,244
Immigration rules and fees change frequently — confirm current requirements on official government or embassy websites.
Population overview
- Population
10,561,244
- Population Growth Rate
4.23%
- Urban Population
- Population in Major Urban Areas
JUBA (capital) 269,000
Age & family
Migration
- Net Migration Rate - migrant(s)/1,000 population
12.5
Ethnicity & language
- Ethnic Groups
Dinka, Kakwa, Bari, Azande, Shilluk, Kuku, Murle, Mandari, Didinga, Ndogo, Bviri, Lndi, Anuak, Bongo, Lango, Dungotona, Acholi
- Nationality Noun
South Sudanese (singular and plural)
Education
- Literacy - total population
27%
- Literacy - male
40%
- Literacy - female
16%
- Literacy Definition
age 15 and over can read and write
- Total School Life Expectancy - (primary to tertiary)
Health & living conditions
- Life Expectancy at Birth
- Infant Mortality Rate
- Infant Mortality Rate - total deaths/1,000 live births
- Maternal Mortality Rate - deaths/100,000 live births
2,054
- Physicians Density - physicians/1,000 population
.28
- Major Infectious Diseases - degree of risk
very high
- Obesity - adult prevalence rate
6%
- Drinking Water Source - percent of urban population improved
- Sanitation Facility Access - percent of urban population improved
- Underweight - percent of children under five years
32.5%