South Sudan's unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) was 12.37% in 2023, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is down 0.29 percentage points from 12.67% in 2013.
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 12.37% | 2023 |
| Five years earlier | 12.85% | 2018 |
| Ten years earlier | 12.67% | 2013 |
| Highest | 14.25% | 2020 |
| Lowest | 12.07% | 1997 |
| Average since 2014 | 12.94% | 2014–2023 |
| First recorded | 12.33% | 1991 |
What the numbers say
In 2023, South Sudan's unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) fell 0.1 percentage points on 2022 (from 12.48% to 12.37%).
Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +0 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.43 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 1.59 percentage points in 2020 and the biggest yearly fall was 1.47 percentage points in 2022. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2014 to 2023 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 5% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
How it compares
See how every economy compares in the full ranking.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| South Sudan | 12.37% | 2023 |
| World | 4.79% | 2025 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 5.66% | 2025 |
| Low income | 4.89% | 2025 |
Closest to South Sudan in the 2023 ranking
- Lebanon — 2nd of 2: 10.99%
What this measures
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment.
Limitations: While the unemployment rate may be considered the most informative labour market indicator, reflecting the general performance of the labour market and the economy as a whole, it should not be interpreted as a measure of economic hardship or of well-being. When based on the internationally-recommended standards, the unemployment rate simply reflects the proportion of the labour force that does not have a job but is available and actively looking for work. It says nothing about the economic resources of unemployed workers or their family members. Its use should, therefore, be limited to serving as a measurement of the utilization of labour and an indication of the failure to find work.
Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.
All 33 values
| Year | Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 12.37 |
| 2022 | 12.48 |
| 2021 | 13.95 |
| 2020 | 14.25 |
| 2019 | 12.66 |
| 2018 | 12.85 |
| 2017 | 12.98 |
| 2016 | 12.85 |
| 2015 | 12.46 |
| 2014 | 12.56 |
| 2013 |
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) in nearby economies
- Angola — 14.11% (2025)
- Benin — 1.59% (2025)
- Botswana — 24.48% (2025)
- Burkina Faso — 3.48% (2025)
- Burundi — 0.92% (2025)
- Cabo Verde — 11.94% (2025)
- Cameroon — 3.6% (2025)
- Central African Republic — 6.25% (2025)
- Chad
More social protection & labor data for South Sudan
- Net migration — 6,145 (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 63.55% (2023)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 61.95% (2023)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 62.74% (2023)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate) — 72.03% (2023)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate) — 76.8% (2023)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate) — 74.35% (2023)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is South Sudan's unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate)?
- 12.37% in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1991?
- It is up 0.04 percentage points from 12.33% in 1991. The highest value was 14.25% in 2020 and the lowest 12.07% in 1997.
- Is the latest change in unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) unusual for South Sudan?
- In 2023, South Sudan's unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) fell 0.1 percentage points on 2022 (from 12.48% to 12.37%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +0 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.43 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), uri: https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/bulk/, publisher: ILOSTAT, type: external database, date accessed: January 17, 2026 Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.
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