Child Mortality (under 5) in South Sudan: 1800 to Today (and Tomorrow)

Behind every statistic lies the weight of an early goodbye. In South Sudan, these figures are not abstract markers; they measure the breath, illness, and survival of actual infants whose lives make up the collective history of the region. To track how many children never reached their fifth birthday is to witness a profound human reality. Of every 1,000 children born, the number who died before age five defines the fragility and endurance of families navigating centuries of change and the deep silence of loss.

The historical arc reveals a slow, monumental shift. In the 1800s estimate, child mortality stood at 450 per 1,000 births, ticking down slowly until reaching 430 per 1,000 births in the 1900s estimate. The decline then gathered a steadier pace, moving through the 1950s at 320, the 1980s at 180, and the 2010s at 112.5. This trajectory suggests a future where the foundational odds of survival are rewritten, with a 2050s projection of 38.4 and eventually the 2100s projection of 12.58.

For someone born in the 2020s, child mortality (under 5) in South Sudan stands at 75 per 1,000 births — ranking #150 of 157 countries. While this represents a vastly altered horizon of hope compared to the near coin-flip chance of survival in the 1800s estimate, the current ranking highlights a persistent global disparity. As the rate moves toward the 2090s projection of 15.73, you can see the gradual closing of a gap that once defined an entire era of human existence.

Explore MYRIAD to compute your own parallel lives across the centuries.