Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of South Sudan: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna Power score (10.23/100, ranked #184 of 195).
South Sudan is a presidential republic in East-Central Africa; south of Sudan, north of Uganda and Kenya, west of Ethiopia. The country's capital is Juba; it covers 644,329 sq km. Independence: 9 July 2011 (from Sudan). Terrain: plains in the north and center rise to southern highlands along the border with Uganda and Kenya; the White Nile, flowing north out of the uplands of Central Africa, is the major geographic feature of the country; The Sudd (a name derived from floating vegetation that hinders navigation) is a large swampy area of more than 100,000 sq km fed by the waters of the White Nile that dominates the center of the country. Climate: hot with seasonal rainfall influenced by the …
| Capital | Juba |
|---|---|
| Population | 12,703,714 (2024 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $6.752 billion (2023 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $400 (2023 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | -5.2% (2017 est.) |
| Inflation | 91.4% |
| Unemployment | 12.5% |
| Public debt | 86.6% of GDP (2016 est.) |
| Exports | $4.499 billion (2023 est.) |
| Imports | $4.443 billion (2023 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 60.3 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 18.7 |
| Urbanization | 21.2% of total population (2023) |
| Government | presidential republic |
| Independence | 9 July 2011 (from Sudan) |
| Languages | English (official), Arabic (includes Juba and Sudanese variants), ethnic languages include Dinka, Nuer, Bari, Zande, Shilluk |
POWER 10.23/100 — The Magna Power score is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — five dimensions, 100+ indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
No single event defined Jul–Sep 2026. The country's position is the product of long-cycle forces — geography, trade, neighbours — all of which held steady.
Momentum at zero is not stagnation; it is the accurate record of a quarter without a catalyst.
Hydropower, Gold, Diamonds, Oil, Iron ore, Copper, Chromium, Zinc, Tungsten, Mica, Silver.
Salva Kiir Mayardit — President. President Salva KIIR Mayardit (since 9 July 2011)
South Sudan maintains 28 embassies and 1 consulates abroad, hosts 19 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York, AU Addis Ababa. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 28 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 1 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 19 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, AU Addis Ababa |
Source: Consular Affairs Center, Diplomatic and Consular Networks Database and Rankings, January 2026 (Zenodo, CC BY 4.0). https://zenodo.org/records/18109976
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Landlocked — no seacoast; exports move through transit corridors across neighbouring countries. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 89 + 2 heliports (registration prefix Z8) |
| Railways | 248 km |
Juba International Airport (JUB) — Juba; Malakal International Airport (MAK) — Malakal; Wau Airport (WUU) — Wau.
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28); theodora.com CIA mirror (CIA World Factbook Transportation section), scraped 2026-10-02
| Political system | presidential republic |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
POWER 10.23/100 Ranked #184 of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for South Sudan.
