Zambia vs South Sudan

Zambia
Sub-Saharan Africa
Lower middle income
Capital: Lusaka
Population
21.3M
GDP
$25.3B
South Sudan
Sub-Saharan Africa
Low income
Capital: Juba
Population
11.9M
GDP
$12.0B

POP 1.8x GDP 2.1x LE 8.8 yrs LMC↔LIC

Widest indicator spreads · Zambia vs South Sudan

GDP Growth Rate135.4%Foreign Direct Investment96.5%Electric Power Consumption93.4%Access to Electricity89.4%Maternal Mortality Ratio87.7%Inflation (Consumer Pric…83.6%Forest Area81%Intentional Homicides62.8%
MID pair: GDP Growth Rate is the opener; totals are closer than rates on LMC↔LIC.

Demographics: Urban Population (Zambia, 53% spread)

Indicator Zambia South Sudan Year
Urban Population 45.5% 21.4% 2024
Population 21.3M 11.9M 2024
Population Ages 65+ 1.9% 3.0% 2024
Population Density 27.9 18.2 2023

1 closer demographics rows sit on the Zambia and South Sudan profiles; this pair keeps the steep spreads only.

Economy: GDP Growth Rate (Zambia, 135% spread)

Indicator Zambia South Sudan Year
GDP Growth Rate 3.8% -10.8% 2024
Foreign Direct Investment $2.4B $83.4M 2024
Inflation (Consumer Prices) 15.0% 91.4% 2024
GDP (Current USD) $25.3B $12.0B 2024

4 closer economy rows sit on the Zambia and South Sudan profiles; this pair keeps the steep spreads only.

Health: Maternal Mortality Ratio (Zambia, 88% spread)

Indicator Zambia South Sudan Year
Maternal Mortality Ratio 85 692 2023
Infant Mortality Rate 34.6 71.9 2024
Under-5 Mortality Rate 48.4 96.7 2024
Health Expenditure (% of GDP) 6.0% 11.6% 2023

3 closer health rows sit on the Zambia and South Sudan profiles; this pair keeps the steep spreads only.

Education: Literacy Rate (Adult) (Zambia, 63% spread)

Indicator Zambia South Sudan Year
Literacy Rate (Adult) 71.8% 26.8% 2024
Education Expenditure (% of GDP) 4.1% 1.6% 2023
School Enrollment (Secondary) 56.8% 122.1% 2024
Youth Literacy Rate 77.7% 36.7% 2024

2 closer education rows sit on the Zambia and South Sudan profiles; this pair keeps the steep spreads only.

Environment: Electric Power Consumption (Zambia, 93% spread)

Indicator Zambia South Sudan Year
Electric Power Consumption 727 48 2023
Forest Area 59.5% 11.3% 2023
Renewable Energy Consumption 83.0% 32.4% 2021
Freshwater Withdrawal 2.0% 2.5% 2022

1 closer environment rows sit on the Zambia and South Sudan profiles; this pair keeps the steep spreads only.

Infrastructure: Access to Electricity (Zambia, 89% spread)

Indicator Zambia South Sudan Year
Access to Electricity 51.1% 5.4% 2023
Internet Users 17.1% 6.7% 2024
Mobile Subscriptions 108.7 46.6 2024

Social: Intentional Homicides (South Sudan, 63% spread)

Indicator Zambia South Sudan Year
Intentional Homicides 5.2 14.0 2015
Net Migration 7.4K 15.4K 2024
Female Labor Participation 56.4% 70.4% 2024

3 closer social rows sit on the Zambia and South Sudan profiles; this pair keeps the steep spreads only.

How to read this Zambia vs South Sudan comparison

Zambia (LMC) and South Sudan (LIC) sit in a MID-spread band on this curated board (LMC↔LIC). Population is 78% larger; GDP is 2.1x larger. Open with GDP Growth Rate (~135%) before the 7-topic tables (40 rows). Both in Sub-Saharan Africa, so regional peers are a fair control. Figures may come from different reporting years; dollar values move with exchange rates; national averages conceal inequality. See our methodology.

Other curated pairs · MID band

Indexable comparisons only (Module 42). Full picker with every country lives on /compare, not duplicated under every pair.

Zambia vs South Sudan figures: World Bank Open Data and health rows: WHO Global Health Observatory. CC BY 4.0 · LMC↔LIC · MID scale band.