South Sudan vs Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Rural population
South Sudan
78.3%
in 2025
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
55.3%
in 2025
South Sudan rank
8th
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank
11th
Rural population over time
- South Sudan
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
How they compare
South Sudan currently reports 78.3% against 55.3% in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), a difference of 23.0%.
That makes South Sudan's figure about 1.4 times Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)'s.
Across all 66 years both countries report, South Sudan has been ahead every year.
South Sudan ranks 8th and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 11th of 218 countries.
South Sudan has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Sudan | Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 91.4% | 83.9% | 7.5% | South Sudan |
| 1970s | 91.5% | 79.3% | 12.2% | South Sudan |
| 1980s | 90.5% | 74.5% | 16.0% | South Sudan |
| 1990s | 85.5% | 69.6% | 15.9% | South Sudan |
| 2000s | 83.3% | 65.1% | 18.1% | South Sudan |
| 2010s | 81.3% | 60.4% | 20.9% | South Sudan |
| 2020s | 79.1% | 56.6% | 22.5% | South Sudan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher rural population, South Sudan or Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- South Sudan, at 78.3% against 55.3% in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) as of 2025.
- What is the difference in rural population between South Sudan and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- 23.0%, with South Sudan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Sudan and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do South Sudan and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank globally for rural population?
- South Sudan ranks 8th and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 11th of 218 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.