South Sudan vs Sudan
South Sudan vs Sudan: GDP growth
GDP growth: 41.4% a year in South Sudan in 2025 and -2.5% a year in Sudan in 2019, by IMF estimates. In 2019 the value was higher in South Sudan, by 3.4 percentage points.
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- South Sudan has been higher since 2018, when it overtook Sudan.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts South Sudan at 2.9% a year and Sudan at 8% a year in 2031.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | South Sudan | Sudan |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 41.4 | – |
| 2024 | -28.1 | -19.3 |
| 2023 | 5.3 | -23.5 |
| 2022 | -5.2 | -2.5 |
| 2021 | 5.3 | 0.5 |
| 2020 | -6.5 | -3.6 |
| 2019 | 0.9 | -2.5 |
| 2018 | -2.1 | -2.3 |
| 2017 | -5.8 | 0.8 |
| 2016 | -13.3 | 4.7 |
| 2015 | -0.2 | 4.9 |
| 2014 | 1.6 | 4.7 |
| 2013 | 27.3 | 2 |
| 2012 | -50.3 | -17 |
| 2011 | – | -3.2 |
| 2010 | – | 3.9 |
| 2009 | – | -2.8 |
| 2008 | – | 3.8 |
| 2007 | – | 5.7 |
| 2006 | – | 6.5 |
| 2005 | – | 5.6 |
| 2004 | – | 5.1 |
| 2003 | – | 6.3 |
| 2002 | – | 5.9 |
| 2001 | – | 10.9 |
| 2000 | – | 8.4 |
| 1999 | – | 4.2 |
| 1998 | – | 8.2 |
| 1997 | – | 6.1 |
| 1996 | – | 5.5 |
| 1995 | – | 8.9 |
| 1994 | – | 3.5 |
| 1993 | – | 2.8 |
| 1992 | – | 5.5 |
| 1991 | – | 7 |
| 1990 | – | 0.8 |
| 1989 | – | 1.4 |
| 1988 | – | 4.3 |
| 1987 | – | 6.5 |
| 1986 | – | 9.9 |
| 1985 | – | -0.6 |
| 1984 | – | -5.6 |
| 1983 | – | -1.5 |
| 1982 | – | 4.1 |
| 1981 | – | 6.3 |
| 1980 | – | 2.5 |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | South Sudan | Sudan |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 10.5 | 7 |
| 2027 | 3.9 | 15 |
| 2028 | 3.5 | 10 |
| 2029 | 3.3 | 8 |
| 2030 | 3.6 | 8 |
| 2031 | 2.9 | 8 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- How much the economy grew or shrank in a year, after inflation.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 143 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
South Sudan vs Sudan
Health
- Life expectancySouth Sudan: 57.6 years in 2023Sudan: 66.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySouth Sudan: 9.7 per 100 live births in 2024Sudan: 6.2 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySouth Sudan: 63.8 per 1,000 live births in 2023Sudan: 36.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionSouth Sudan: 3.7% in 2017Sudan: 3.78% in 2017
- Suicide rateSouth Sudan: 12 per 100,000 people in 2017Sudan: 5 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSouth Sudan: 11.5 million people in 2023Sudan: 50 million people in 2023
- Population growthSouth Sudan: 5.86% a year in 2023Sudan: 0.02% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSouth Sudan: 3.86 births per woman in 2023Sudan: 4.32 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSouth Sudan: 21.7% in 2025Sudan: 34.9% in 2025
- Median ageSouth Sudan: 18 years in 2023Sudan: 18.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSouth Sudan: 2.9% in 2023Sudan: 3.2% in 2023
- Net migration rateSouth Sudan: 39.6 per 1,000 people in 2023Sudan: -27 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSouth Sudan: 3.43% of GDP in 2025Sudan: 0.93% of GDP in 2021
- Military spending in US dollarsSouth Sudan: $103M in 2025Sudan: $2.77B in 2021
- Military spending per personSouth Sudan: $15 in 2025Sudan: $8 in 2021
- Military share of state spendingSouth Sudan: 18.4% of government spending in 2025Sudan: 9.5% of government spending in 2021
- Armed forces personnelSouth Sudan: 53,000 people in 2020Sudan: 144,000 people in 2020
- National powerSouth Sudan: 0.08% of world capability in 2022Sudan: 0.37% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSouth Sudan: 1.18% of the labour force in 2020Sudan: 1.34% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSouth Sudan: 10 million TIV in 2022Sudan: 57 million TIV in 2025