South Sudan’s electricity consumption in 2023 was about 51 kWh per person—just over 1% of the global average of 3,853 kWh per person, or roughly 75 times lower. Low-carbon electricity generation was only about 3 kWh per person, equivalent to around 6% of consumption. The supplied figures do not identify the sources of the remaining electricity, so they do not establish an exact fossil-fuel share. Such exceptionally low electricity availability can constrain healthcare, education, water pumping, refrigeration and business development, making expanded access to clean electricity an urgent priority.

Is Electricity Growing in South Sudan?

Electricity consumption is not showing sustained growth relative to South Sudan’s historical peak. Consumption in 2023 remained below the 2018 record of about 58 kWh per person, with the supplied comparison indicating a shortfall of roughly 6 kWh per person based on underlying, unrounded figures. Low-carbon generation also slipped below its 2022 record: the displayed values fell from about 4 to 3 kWh per person, although the supplied underlying change rounds to zero. These figures indicate disappointing stagnation rather than the strong growth needed for wider electricity access and future electrification.

Suggestions

South Sudan should prioritize solar electricity through household systems, community mini-grids and larger projects connected to an expanding grid. South Africa offers a relevant African example, generating about 19 TWh from solar; India, with about 223 TWh, also provides lessons in scaling deployment across diverse communities. These are examples of successful expansion, not immediate output targets for South Sudan. Storage, stronger distribution networks and workforce training would help translate new generation into dependable access. Nuclear should also be considered in long-term electricity planning: South Africa generated about 11 TWh from nuclear, while Pakistan produced about 25 TWh. Partnerships with experienced operators and institutions could help South Sudan develop the expertise and planning needed for a future solar-and-nuclear clean electricity system.

History

From 2013 through 2023, every reported annual change in South Sudan’s solar electricity generation was zero TWh at the precision shown. Across both the 2010s and early 2020s, the series therefore records no measurable annual expansion. These rounded changes do not prove that solar generation itself was zero or that no small additions occurred. Nevertheless, the history provides little evidence of meaningful growth, underscoring the need to accelerate clean electricity development from today’s very low starting point.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade