Quantitative data is often difficult to obtain from South Sudan, the newest nation in the world.. On many charts, South Sudanese statistics might still be co-mingled with Sudanese figures; and on world maps, South Sudanese territory might be grayed out with an asterisk indicating that data is unreliable or not available. Yet in a country like South Sudan suffering the extreme impact of conflict, corruption, climate change, and poverty, a few simple numbers help to paint the picture for U.S. and other international decision-makers.
Here are some numbers I drew from during my time as the U.S. ambassador to Juba:
- 99% – The percentage of South Sudanese who voted for independence in the 2011 national referendum.
- 193rd – South Sudan became the 193rd member state of the United Nations in 2011.
- Zero – The number of national elections held in South Sudan since attaining independence in 2011.
- 2 – The number of years of peace before newly independent South Sudan lapsed into civil war.
- 5 – The number of vice-presidents following the 2018 peace agreement. (Despite the inclusive design of that agreement, most observers predict the agreement is poised to fall apart in the near future.)
- 44th – South Sudan is the 44th largest country in the world by area (slightly smaller than Texas). Its population is approximately 13 million.
- 15% — A vast swamp formed by the White Nile – the Sudd – covers approximately 15% of South Sudan’s territory. South Sudan is the 2nd most vulnerable country to extreme climate events.
- 64 – The number of different tribal groups and languages in South Sudan.
- 1st – South Sudan has the fastest population growth rate in the world (4.65%); people aged 0-14 years comprise 42% of the population.
- 1st —South Sudan has the highest maternal mortality rate in the world (1,223 deaths/100,000 live births).
- 400,000 – The approximate number of excess deaths caused by the South Sudan civil war from 2013-18, as determined by a ground-breaking U.S.Government-funded study conducted by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
- 150,000 – 200,000 – The estimated number of active Defense Forces (2025) in South Sudan; the United Nations Mission in South Sudan had about 15,000 personnel deployed in the country as of 2024.
- 2,800,000 — UNICEF estimates that 2.8 million school-age children (70%) are NOT enrolled in schools. The South Sudanese government ranks 191st of 193 in terms of government expenditures on education – just 1.5% of GDP in a 2016 estimate. Literacy rate is 34.5%.
- 7,700,000 – The number of South Sudanese facing high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above) in need of urgent action.
- 1st – South Sudan has long been considered the most dangerous country for humanitarian workers (Gaza is in the running in recent years as well) per the Aid Worker Security Report. It is also one of the most expensive places to deliver aid because of geography and conflict conditions.
- 1st — South Sudan’s refugee crisis remains the largest in Africa, with over 2.3 million South Sudanese refugees hosted in neighboring countries. In turn, South Sudan hosts some 330,000 refugees and asylum-seekers (mainly from Sudan) and has 2 million internally displaced persons due to conflict, insecurity and the impact of climate change. In addition, over 500,000 South Sudanese refugees have returned to the country since the signing of the 2018 Peace Agreement.
- 193 of 193 – South Sudan’s ranking in UNDP’s composite Human Development Index.
Numbers alone can’t fully describe the dire situation in South Sudan. Direct engagement and thoughtful analysis are also critical, in addition to actual data, as the U.S. Administration makes consequential decisions about its relationship to the South Sudanese government and the provision of needed humanitarian and development assistance benefitting the South Sudanese people.
Tom Hushek was the United States Ambassador to South Sudan, 2018-2020. He is a member of the Board of AFRECS.