Alarm as 92% of South Sudanese living below poverty lines-AfDB
According to the continental Bank’s report, the country’s economy has declined significantly due to a combination of factors, including declining oil exports and persistent insecurity.
By The City Review
A recent report by the African Development Bank has revealed that 92% of South Sudan’s population live below the poverty line.
The stark figures were released by Hoth Tut Chany, the African Development Bank’s senior National Economist for South Sudan, at a presentation at the University of Juba on Wednesday.
According to the report, the country’s economy has declined significantly due to a combination of factors, including declining oil exports and persistent insecurity.
The report indicates an alarming rise in poverty rates, from 84% in 2023 to 92% in 2024, with projections indicating that this trend may worsen this year.
It comes just days after the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food Agricultural Organization (FAO) stated that between April and July this year, an estimated 7.7 million people, or 57% of the population, will face severe hunger.
The UN bodies classified 2.5 million of the population under the emergency phase (IPC Phase 4), and 63,000 people teetering on the edge of famine (IPC Phase 5).
The bodies said escalating violence in Upper Nile, Jonglei, and Unity states had displaced over 1.8 million people, disrupting livelihoods and agricultural cycles.
Meanwhile, World Bank’s 2025 Economic Monitor report projected that poverty in South Sudan will become endemic by the end of 2025 unless current macroeconomic and insecurity trends are addressed.
“As a result of the social index, the poverty rate has increased to 92% by 2024. This is based on a World Bank survey. It has increased from 84% to 92% because we have lost our source of income, and also because of other internal challenges, including conflict and insecurity, which have also affected the agricultural sector,” Hoth said.
On a positive note, in areas spared from conflict, there have been encouraging signs. FAO’s Country Representative, Meshack Malo, recently pointed to the “dividends of peace,” noting improved food security in counties that have enjoyed relative stability and increased crop production, aided by humanitarian support.
However, the challenges are staggering. The continued influx of refugees from Sudan—now over one million—has put additional strain on already scarce resources. Compounding the crisis are declining oil revenues, which have collapsed South Sudan’s currency, and soaring food prices, now five times higher than last year, leaving families unable to afford essentials.
Both returnees and refugees face enormous challenges, including limited access to food, shelter, clean water, and healthcare services.
The AfDB report noted how widespread insecurity and ongoing political instability have profoundly eroded investor confidence, impacting the exploration and exploitation of South Sudan’s vital oil, gas, and mining sectors.
Mitigating the threats
To address the challenges, AfDB highlighted about six key recommendations to recover and sustain development in the country. These includes enhancing governance, boosting investor confidence, building transparent institutions, developing the mining sector, creating an enabling business environment and creating value addition.
