South Sudan

Overview

South Sudan*

South Sudan, the world’s newest country, became independent from Sudan in July 2011 after a referendum. Landlocked in east-central Africa, it borders Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Central African Republic. It covers about 646,900 km² and has about 12.2 million people. Juba is the capital. The White Nile flows north through the country and feeds the Sudd, one of the world’s largest wetlands, while savanna and woodland cover much of the rest; seasonal flooding is widespread. A civil war broke out in 2013, and a 2018 peace agreement created a transitional government. Fighting between government and opposition forces has escalated since 2025, and the United Nations has warned that the agreement is at risk of collapse. The Government of Canada advises against all travel to South Sudan due to armed conflict, inter-ethnic violence, and violent crime. English is the official language, and many local languages are spoken. Christianity is the predominant religion, alongside traditional beliefs.

South Sudan is a low-income country and, by some estimates, the world’s poorest by GDP per capita. Its economy depends heavily on oil, exported through a pipeline across Sudan to the Red Sea. A pipeline shutdown linked to Sudan’s war sharply reduced oil production and caused the economy to contract in fiscal year 2024/25; output recovered to about 157,000 barrels per day in early fiscal year 2025/26. Extreme poverty rose to an estimated 87% in 2025, and more than two-thirds of the population is projected to need humanitarian aid in 2026. About 64% of the workforce was employed in agriculture in 2023. The World Bank does not currently publish GDP per capita or real GDP growth estimates for South Sudan.

Sources: World Bank. (2026). World Development Indicators, from https://data.worldbank.org/country/south-sudan