Country page · Sub-Saharan Africa
If you were born in South Sudan
1 in 377 babies · 0.27% of births · about 356,181 a year
Right now, about 0.27% of the world's babies are born in South Sudan — 1 in 377, or roughly 356,181 a year and 976 a day. Life expectancy there is 57.7 years.
How the 1 in 377 is calculated
This number is not based on population. It uses births: South Sudan has about 356,181 births a year, and the world has about 134,147,481. Divide one by the other and you get 0.27% — 1 in 377. Using population instead would understate young countries and overstate ageing ones, so every draw is weighted by births.
Life in South Sudan, in numbers
| Indicator | Value | World rank |
|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy women 60.7 · men 54.8 | 57.7 years | 169th highest of 172 countries |
| Chance of dying before 5 96.7 / 1,000 | 9.7% | 166th lowest of 170 countries |
| Chance of dying before 1 71.9 / 1,000 | 7.2% | 170th lowest of 170 countries |
| Mothers who die giving birth per 100,000 births | 692 | 168th lowest of 170 countries |
| Children per woman | 3.79 | 142nd lowest of 172 countries |
| Expected years of schooling | — | — |
| Tertiary enrollment | — | — |
| Income per person (PPP) GDP per capita, PPP | $1,155 | 170th highest of 170 countries |
| Income inequality closer to 0 = more equal | 44.00 | 23rd highest of 157 countries |
| People living in cities | 21.7% | 168th highest of 172 countries |
| People working in farming | 63.8% | 161st lowest of 171 countries |
| People using the internet | 6.7% | 171st highest of 172 countries |
| Homicide per 100,000 people | 14.0 | 137th lowest of 155 countries |
| Health costs paid out of pocket share of health spending | 27.1% | 75th lowest of 168 countries |
| Adults living with HIV | 1.50% | 26th highest of 142 countries |
| People who smoke | — | — |
How to read these numbers
Income is shown in purchasing-power-parity dollars, so it compares what money buys locally rather than market exchange rates. The under-5 rate is the share of babies who die before their fifth birthday; the maternal mortality ratio is per 100,000 live births. A Gini index closer to 0 means a more equal income distribution, and a higher number means a more unequal one.
Each indicator uses the most recent year with a non-empty value, which can differ by country; the rank compares this country with the other 171 in the dataset, not with every country on Earth. Where a value is missing, the page shows a dash rather than an estimate.
South Sudan compared with Sub-Saharan Africa
Life expectancy in South Sudan is 57.7 years, against a Sub-Saharan Africa average of 0.0. The under-5 death rate is 9.7%, versus 0.0% across the region. Income per person is $1,155, against $0 regionally; expected schooling is 0.0 years against 0.0. 21.7% of people live in cities, against 0.0% in the region.
| Indicator | South Sudan | Sub-Saharan Africa | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy | 57.7 years old | — | 73.3 years old |
| Under-5 deaths | 9.7% | — | 2.6% |
| Income per person (PPP) | $1,155 | — | $30,311 |
| Expected schooling | — | — | 13.0 years |
| People in cities | 21.7% | — | 61.6% |
What a life there looks like
Put those numbers together and you get a life: about 57.7 years on average, with roughly 96.7 of every 1,000 babies dying before their fifth birthday. A child can expect 0.0 years of school, and income per person is around $1,155. These are averages — every life still lands somewhere on the distribution.
If you play as someone born in South Sudan
The game draws South Sudan in about 1 of every 377 births. From there the life runs year by year: 57.7 years of life expectancy on average, a 9.7% chance of dying before five, and an income of about $1,155 per person. Choices move the odds; the starting statistics do not.
Nearby and similar countries
- Chance of being born in Togo — 1 in 487
- Chance of being born in Rwanda — 1 in 328
- Chance of being born in Sierra Leone — 1 in 505
- All 172 countries
Frequently asked questions
What are the odds of being born in South Sudan?
What is life expectancy in South Sudan?
How many babies are born in South Sudan each year?
Is South Sudan a good country to be born in, in the game?
Source: World Bank World Development Indicators, with UN World Population Prospects 2024 and UN IGME for births and mortality. Values are the most recent non-empty year for each indicator; the year is noted where it differs. Page updated Oct 24, 2026.