South Sudan vs Zambia
South Sudan vs Zambia: GDP growth
GDP growth in 2025: 41.4% a year in South Sudan and 3.8% a year in Zambia, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Sudan, by 37.7 percentage points, or 11 times that in Zambia.
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- South Sudan has been higher since 2025, when it overtook Zambia.
- In 2025, South Sudan ranked 1 and Zambia ranked 58 of 143 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts South Sudan at 2.9% a year and Zambia at 5.3% a year in 2031.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | South Sudan | Zambia |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 41.4 | 3.8 |
| 2024 | -28.1 | 3.8 |
| 2023 | 5.3 | 5.4 |
| 2022 | -5.2 | 5.2 |
| 2021 | 5.3 | 6.2 |
| 2020 | -6.5 | -2.8 |
| 2019 | 0.9 | 1.4 |
| 2018 | -2.1 | 4 |
| 2017 | -5.8 | 3.5 |
| 2016 | -13.3 | 3.8 |
| 2015 | -0.2 | 2.9 |
| 2014 | 1.6 | 4.7 |
| 2013 | 27.3 | 5.1 |
| 2012 | -50.3 | 7.6 |
| 2011 | – | 5.6 |
| 2010 | – | 10.3 |
| 2009 | – | 9.2 |
| 2008 | – | 7.8 |
| 2007 | – | 8.4 |
| 2006 | – | 7.9 |
| 2005 | – | 7.2 |
| 2004 | – | 7 |
| 2003 | – | 6.9 |
| 2002 | – | 4.5 |
| 2001 | – | 5.3 |
| 2000 | – | 3.9 |
| 1999 | – | 4.7 |
| 1998 | – | -0.4 |
| 1997 | – | 3.8 |
| 1996 | – | 6.2 |
| 1995 | – | 2.9 |
| 1994 | – | -13.3 |
| 1993 | – | -0.1 |
| 1992 | – | 2.1 |
| 1991 | – | -0.7 |
| 1990 | – | -0.6 |
| 1989 | – | -3.7 |
| 1988 | – | 9.3 |
| 1987 | – | 1.5 |
| 1986 | – | 1.7 |
| 1985 | – | 1.2 |
| 1984 | – | -1.7 |
| 1983 | – | -1.1 |
| 1982 | – | -2.9 |
| 1981 | – | 6.6 |
| 1980 | – | 3.9 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | South Sudan | Zambia |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 10.5 | 5.6 |
| 2027 | 3.9 | 4.9 |
| 2028 | 3.5 | 5 |
| 2029 | 3.3 | 5.3 |
| 2030 | 3.6 | 5.3 |
| 2031 | 2.9 | 5.3 |
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 Zambia
Health
- Life expectancySouth Sudan: 57.6 years in 2023Zambia: 66.4 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySouth Sudan: 9.7 per 100 live births in 2024Zambia: 4.8 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySouth Sudan: 63.8 per 1,000 live births in 2023Zambia: 38.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionSouth Sudan: 3.7% in 2017Zambia: 3.64% in 2017
- Suicide rateSouth Sudan: 12 per 100,000 people in 2017Zambia: 13.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSouth Sudan: 11.5 million people in 2023Zambia: 20.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthSouth Sudan: 5.86% a year in 2023Zambia: 2.83% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSouth Sudan: 3.86 births per woman in 2023Zambia: 4.1 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSouth Sudan: 21.7% in 2025Zambia: 45.9% in 2025
- Median ageSouth Sudan: 18 years in 2023Zambia: 17.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSouth Sudan: 2.9% in 2023Zambia: 1.9% in 2023
- Net migration rateSouth Sudan: 39.6 per 1,000 people in 2023Zambia: 0.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSouth Sudan: 3.43% of GDP in 2025Zambia: 1.26% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSouth Sudan: $103M in 2025Zambia: $343M in 2025
- Military spending per personSouth Sudan: $15 in 2025Zambia: $19 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSouth Sudan: 18.4% of government spending in 2025Zambia: 4.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSouth Sudan: 53,000 people in 2020Zambia: 16,000 people in 2020
- National powerSouth Sudan: 0.08% of world capability in 2022Zambia: 0.1% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSouth Sudan: 1.18% of the labour force in 2020Zambia: 0.24% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSouth Sudan: 10 million TIV in 2022Zambia: 1 million TIV in 2024