Life Expectancy in South Sudan (2024): Men 54.8, Women 60.7

Life expectancy in South Sudan since 1960

Women
Men

Since 1960, life expectancy in South Sudan has risen by 29.6 years, from 28.1 to 57.7. During the COVID-19 pandemic it fell by 1.1 years (from 58.1 in 2019 to 57.0 in 2021) and is still below its 2019 level. Women live 5.9 years longer than men (60.7 vs 54.8).

Expected age at death in South Sudan by age

Life expectancy at birth includes deaths in childhood. Once people reach adulthood they can expect to live longer — here is the average expected age at death for people who have already reached each age:

Current age	Birth	20	40	60	80
Men	54.8	61.2	62.9	68.5	81.7
Women	60.7	67.7	68.9	72.7	83.2

Birth: World Bank. Other ages: our survival model calibrated to South Sudan’s figures (method).

How people die in South Sudan

Chronic diseases: 28.2%
Infections, maternal & nutritional: 61.5%
Injuries: 10.3%

In 2019, 28% of deaths in South Sudan were caused by chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes (world: 74%). A South Sudan man has a 26% chance and a woman 20% of dying of one of these diseases between the ages of 30 and 70 (world: 21% and 16%). Road traffic accidents kill 36.7 people per 100,000 each year (world: 16.7).

See which causes of death are most likely for you →

Child mortality

Out of every 1,000 babies born in South Sudan, about 96.7 die before their fifth birthday (world: 37.4). This is one of the main reasons life expectancy at birth differs so much between countries.

South Sudan compared with its region

South Sudan is in the World Bank’s Sub-Saharan Africa region, where the average life expectancy is 64.8 years. It ranks #46 of 48 countries there.

#	Country	Overall	Men	Women
40	Benin	61.0	59.5	62.4
41	Guinea	60.9	59.7	62.1
42	Mali	60.7	59.3	62.2
43	Somalia, Fed. Rep.	59.0	56.5	61.6
44	Lesotho	57.8	55.0	60.4
45	Central African Republic	57.7	55.5	59.6
46	South Sudan	57.7	54.8	60.7
47	Chad	55.2	53.4	57.2
48	Nigeria	54.6	54.3	54.9

See all 217 countries ranked →

Frequently asked questions

What is the life expectancy in South Sudan?

57.7 years in 2024: 54.8 for men and 60.7 for women, according to the World Bank.

Do women live longer than men in South Sudan?

Yes. Women in South Sudan live about 5.9 years longer than men. Worldwide the gap is 4.9 years in favour of women.

How does South Sudan rank for life expectancy?

South Sudan ranks #215 out of 217 countries and territories with data. That is 15.8 years below the world average of 73.5.

What is the average age of death in South Sudan?

Life expectancy at birth (57.7) is pulled down by deaths in childhood. Adults live longer: a 40-year-old man in South Sudan can expect to live to about 62.9, and a 40-year-old woman to about 68.9.

Sources

World Bank, World Development Indicators: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.MA.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.FE.IN), under-5 mortality (SH.DYN.MORT), causes of death (SH.DTH.NCOM.ZS, SH.DTH.INJR.ZS), mortality from major chronic diseases (SH.DYN.NCOM.MA.ZS, SH.DYN.NCOM.FE.ZS) and road traffic deaths (SH.STA.TRAF.P5). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Link

Data updated October 25, 2026.