Browse a full set of economic indicators

South Sudan

Includes South Sudan real Gross Domestic Product growth rate, with latest forecasts and historical data, GDP per capita, GDP composition and breakdown by sector.

Browse additional economic indicators and data sets, selected by Global Finance editors, to learn more about South Sudan economic outlook, debt to GDP ratio, international trade performance and population trends. Rankings of South Sudan best banks and safest banks are also available.

Basic Information

Government Type: Presidential republic

Capital City: Juba

GDP & Economic Information

Macroeconomy & Sovereign Data

Central Bank Bank of South Sudan

Currency South Sudanese pounds (SSP)

International Reserves USD 0.07 billion (2016)

International Monetary Fund (IMF), data retrieved October 2019
Gross Domestic Product – GDP USD 3.9 billion (2018, estimate)
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) Intl$ 19.5 billion (2017, estimate)

GDP Data

Real GDP growth 2014 2.9%
2015 -0.2%
2016 -16.7%
2017* 5.5%
2018* 1.2%

*Estimate
GDP per capita – current prices USD 302.8 (2018, estimate)
GDP per capita – PPP
Intl$ 1,502.1 (2018, estimate)
GDP (PPP) – share of world total 0.02% (2019 estimate)
GDP – composition by sector N/A
Gross domestic expenditure on R&D; (% of GDP) N/A
Inflation 2014 52.8%
2015 379.8%
2016* 187.9%
2017* 83.5%
2018* 24.5%

*Estimate

Inflation & Debt

Inflation 2014 52.8%
2015 379.8%
2016* 187.9%
2017* 83.5%
2018* 24.5%

*Estimate
Government Bond Ratings Standard & Poor’s: N/A

Moody’s: N/A

Standard & Poor’s / Moody’s (Updated January 2017)
Unemployment rate N/A
Household saving rates N/A
Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP) 2014 60.3%
2015 85.7%
2016 63.2%
2017* 42.2%
2018* 34.4%

*Estimate
Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP) 2014 -17.4%
2015 -15.5%
2016 3.3%
2017* 1.2%
2018* 2.4%

*Estiamte
Market value of publicly traded shares N/A
Largest Companies N/A

Import/Export

Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services) 54.9% (2016)

Shares in world total merchandising export N/A
Shares in world total commercial services export N/A
Total exports USD 3.1 billion (2018 estimate)
Export commodities N/A
Total imports USD 2.1 billion (2018 estimate)
Import commodities N/A
Exports – major partners N/A
Imports – major partners N/A

Competitiveness & Trade

Current account balance USD -0.3 billion (2018 estimate)
Current account balance by percentage of GDP -6.5% (2018 estimate)
FDI inflows 2016 USD -17 million
2017 USD 80 million
2018 USD 191 million
FDI Outflows N/A
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser N/A


United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) – World Investment Report
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014 N/A
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015 N/A
Best countries for doing business Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.

Overall ranking: 185 out of 190 countries

Subcategories:

Starting a Business: 172 out of 190 countries

Dealing with Construction Permits: 171 out of 190 countries

Getting Electricity: 187 out of 190 countries

Registering Property: 177 out of 190 countries

Getting Credit: 181 out of 190 countries

Protecting Minority Investors: 185 out of 190 countries

Paying Taxes: 74 out of 190 countries

Trading across Borders: 180 out of 190 countries

Enforcing Contracts: 84 out of 190 countries

Resolving Insolvency: 168 out of 190 countries
Global competitiveness ranking N/A
Index of Economic Freedom N/A

Population & Geographic Data

Time Zone UTC+3

Total Area 644,329 sq km



Total Population 1990 N/A
2000 N/A
2010 N/A
2015 11.88 million
2020* 13.79 million

*Estimate
Urban population as % of total population 1960 8.7%
1980 8.5%
2000 16.5%
2018 19.6%
Population median age 18.1 years (2018 estimate)
Population growth rate 1.6% (2018 estimate)
Life expectancy N/A
% of population living on less than $3.10 a day 64.8% (last available estimate, 2009)
Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index) 46.3 (last available estimate, 2009)
Freedom House rating Political Rights: 7
Civil Liberties: 7 (2019)

(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating)
Total telephone subscribers as % of population Fixed: 0% Mobile: 33.5% (2018) (fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers)
Internet users as % of total population 7.98 % (2017)

Language & Religon

Languages English (official), Arabic (includes Juba and Sudanese variants), regional languages include Dinka, Nuer, Bari, Zande, Shilluk

Literacy Total population: 27%
Male: 40%
Female: 16% (2009 est.)

(age 15 and over can read and write)
Religions Animist, Christian

World Rankings

Population 13.79 M
Mercer Cost of living index N/A
C02 Emissions per capita 0.14 metric tons per capita (2014)

Global Finance Rankings & Awards: South Sudan

Global Finance Magazine holds several conferences and awards ceremonies throughout the year to recognize the winning financial institutions and companies in a host of categories including World’s Best Trade Finance Banks, World's Biggest Banks, World's Safest Banks, World's Best Developed & Emerging Markets Banks, World's Best Internet Banks, and World’s Best Investment Banks.

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Data Sources:

IMF World Economic Outlook

UN World Population Prospects

World Inequality Report

S&P Global Ratings

Moody’s

Fitch Ratings

IMF Direction of Trade Statistics (DOTS)

UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

CIA The World Factbook

World Bank’s World Integrated Trade Solution

Forbes Global 2000

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