Life expectancy vs. GDP per capita (Riley; Zijdeman) in South Sudan
South Sudan: Life expectancy vs. GDP per capita (Riley; Zijdeman) was 57.62 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Life expectancy vs. GDP per capita in South Sudan, 1950–2023
Source: Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2023, life expectancy vs. gdp per capita in South Sudan stood at 57.62 years.
The figure is up 0.7% on the previous year and down 1.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy vs. gdp per capita in South Sudan peaked at 58.29 years in 2013 and was at its lowest, 10.99 years, in 1988.
South Sudan ranks 232nd of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Life expectancy vs. GDP per capita (Riley; Zijdeman) in South Sudan, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 30.21 years | — |
| 1951 | 30.63 years | +1.4% |
| 1952 | 30.98 years | +1.1% |
| 1953 | 31.36 years | +1.2% |
| 1954 | 31.7 years | +1.1% |
| 1955 | 32.02 years | +1.0% |
| 1956 | 31.62 years | -1.2% |
| 1957 | 30.89 years | -2.3% |
| 1958 | 27.61 years | -10.6% |
| 1959 | 27.83 years | +0.8% |
| 1960 | 28.05 years | +0.8% |
| 1961 | 28.28 years | +0.8% |
| 1962 | 28.51 years | +0.8% |
| 1963 | 28.25 years | -0.9% |
| 1964 | 32.46 years | +14.9% |
| 1965 | 28.78 years | -11.3% |
| 1966 | 25.63 years | -10.9% |
| 1967 | 25.86 years | +0.9% |
| 1968 | 26.1 years | +0.9% |
| 1969 | 25.4 years | -2.7% |
| 1970 | 25.63 years | +0.9% |
| 1971 | 30.99 years | +20.9% |
| 1972 | 31.29 years | +1.0% |
| 1973 | 36.28 years | +15.9% |
| 1974 | 36.59 years | +0.9% |
| 1975 | 36.87 years | +0.8% |
| 1976 | 37.09 years | +0.6% |
| 1977 | 37.4 years | +0.8% |
| 1978 | 37.59 years | +0.5% |
| 1979 | 37.81 years | +0.6% |
| 1980 | 38.03 years | +0.6% |
| 1981 | 38.31 years | +0.7% |
| 1982 | 38.68 years | +0.9% |
| 1983 | 34.73 years | -10.2% |
| 1984 | 31.79 years | -8.5% |
| 1985 | 32.36 years | +1.8% |
| 1986 | 32.82 years | +1.4% |
| 1987 | 20.72 years | -36.9% |
| 1988 | 10.99 years | -47.0% |
| 1989 | 28.22 years | +156.8% |
| 1990 | 28.63 years | +1.5% |
| 1991 | 29.19 years | +1.9% |
| 1992 | 21.94 years | -24.8% |
| 1993 | 22.26 years | +1.5% |
| 1994 | 44.86 years | +101.5% |
| 1995 | 31.51 years | -29.8% |
| 1996 | 32.12 years | +1.9% |
| 1997 | 33.07 years | +2.9% |
| 1998 | 19.05 years | -42.4% |
| 1999 | 44.54 years | +133.8% |
| 2000 | 47.59 years | +6.9% |
| 2001 | 48.55 years | +2.0% |
| 2002 | 49.39 years | +1.7% |
| 2003 | 52.32 years | +5.9% |
| 2004 | 53.05 years | +1.4% |
| 2005 | 53.96 years | +1.7% |
| 2006 | 54.65 years | +1.3% |
| 2007 | 55.42 years | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 56.28 years | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 56.85 years | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 57.48 years | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 57.67 years | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 58.24 years | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 58.29 years | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 45.62 years | -21.7% |
| 2015 | 39.76 years | -12.9% |
| 2016 | 36.72 years | -7.6% |
| 2017 | 35.35 years | -3.7% |
| 2018 | 51.9 years | +46.8% |
| 2019 | 58.13 years | +12.0% |
| 2020 | 57.65 years | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 57.05 years | -1.0% |
| 2022 | 57.2 years | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 57.62 years | +0.7% |
South Sudan compared with similar countries
- South Sudan's 57.62 years is below the median for low income countries, which is 63.65 years, 91% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- South Sudan's 57.62 years is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 64.1 years, 90% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Life expectancy vs. GDP per capita (Riley; Zijdeman) in South Sudan changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | +156.8% | 10.99 years | 28.22 years |
| 1999 | +133.8% | 19.05 years | 44.54 years |
| 1994 | +101.5% | 22.26 years | 44.86 years |
| 1988 | -47.0% | 20.72 years | 10.99 years |
| 2018 | +46.8% | 35.35 years | 51.9 years |
| 1998 | -42.4% | 33.07 years | 19.05 years |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 30.49 years | 27.61 years | 32.02 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 27.73 years | 25.4 years | 32.46 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 34.75 years | 25.63 years | 37.81 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 30.66 years | 10.99 years | 38.68 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 30.72 years | 19.05 years | 44.86 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 52.81 years | 47.59 years | 56.85 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 49.92 years | 35.35 years | 58.29 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 57.38 years | 57.05 years | 57.65 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Sudan
More health data for South Sudan
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.47 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.665 % change on previous year (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 12,029 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 57 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.93 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2015)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0637 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.92 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2015)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0654 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy vs. gdp per capita in South Sudan?
- Life expectancy vs. gdp per capita in South Sudan was 57.62 years in 2023, according to Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest life expectancy vs. gdp per capita recorded in South Sudan?
- The highest recorded value was 58.29 years in 2013.
- What is the lowest life expectancy vs. gdp per capita recorded in South Sudan?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.99 years in 1988.
- How does South Sudan rank for life expectancy vs. gdp per capita?
- South Sudan ranks 232nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in South Sudan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Sudan data come from?
- The figures come from Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Life expectancy vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Period life expectancy is the number of years the average person born in a certain year would live if they experienced the same chances of dying at each age as people did that year.