Share of children who have completed primary school in South Sudan
South Sudan: Share of children who have completed primary school was 7.9% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Share of children who have completed primary school in South Sudan, 1981–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
South Sudan recorded 7.9% for share of children who have completed primary school in 2025. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
The figure is up 1.0% on the previous year and up 11.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children who have completed primary school in South Sudan peaked at 7.9% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 4.8%, in 1981.
That places South Sudan 165th out of 165 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Share of children who have completed primary school in South Sudan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 4.8% | — |
| 1982 | 4.8% | +1.3% |
| 1983 | 4.9% | +1.7% |
| 1984 | 5.0% | +1.4% |
| 1985 | 5.1% | +1.4% |
| 1986 | 5.1% | +1.4% |
| 1987 | 5.2% | +1.4% |
| 1988 | 5.2% | +1.0% |
| 1989 | 5.3% | +1.1% |
| 1990 | 5.4% | +1.3% |
| 1991 | 5.5% | +1.7% |
| 1992 | 5.6% | +1.8% |
| 1993 | 5.7% | +2.0% |
| 1994 | 5.8% | +2.3% |
| 1995 | 6.0% | +2.4% |
| 1996 | 6.1% | +2.9% |
| 1997 | 6.3% | +2.8% |
| 1998 | 6.4% | +2.2% |
| 1999 | 6.5% | +1.9% |
| 2000 | 6.6% | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 6.6% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 6.5% | -0.9% |
| 2003 | 6.5% | -1.1% |
| 2004 | 6.4% | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 6.3% | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 6.3% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 6.4% | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 6.5% | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 6.6% | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 6.7% | +1.7% |
| 2011 | 6.8% | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 6.9% | +1.6% |
| 2013 | 7.0% | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 7.1% | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 7.1% | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 7.2% | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 7.3% | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 7.4% | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 7.4% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 7.5% | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 7.6% | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 7.7% | +1.1% |
| 2023 | 7.8% | +1.3% |
| 2024 | 7.9% | +1.0% |
| 2025 | 7.9% | +1.0% |
South Sudan compared with similar countries
- South Sudan's 7.9% is below the median for low income countries, which is 57.7%, 14% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
- South Sudan's 7.9% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 72.2%, 11% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 5.1% | 4.8% | 5.3% | 9 |
| 1990s | 5.9% | 5.4% | 6.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.5% | 6.3% | 6.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.1% | 6.7% | 7.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.7% | 7.5% | 7.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Sudan
More education data for South Sudan
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), annual growth 0.0497 % change on previous year (2014)
- Start of the academic school year (pre-primary to post-secondary non) 0.0494 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of lower secondary education (years), annual 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of upper secondary education (years), annual 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of secondary education (years), annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), gaps filled 2,021 tertiary education (2022)
- Duration of pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 38.0% (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 58.9% (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of children who have completed primary school in South Sudan?
- Share of children who have completed primary school in South Sudan was 7.9% in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of children who have completed primary school recorded in South Sudan?
- The highest recorded value was 7.9% in 2025.
- What is the lowest share of children who have completed primary school recorded in South Sudan?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.8% in 1981.
- How does South Sudan rank for share of children who have completed primary school?
- South Sudan ranks 165th out of 165 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of children who have completed primary school rising or falling in South Sudan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Sudan data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children who have completed primary school. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of children who are three to five years older than the official age for the last grade of primary education who have successfully completed it. This broader age band is used to include children who started school late or had to resit particular years.