🇸🇸 South Sudan: Politics & Democracy
By V-Dem's measure, no — South Sudan scores 0.072 on the 0–1 liberal democracy index, which places it firmly in the autocratic range.
Current leaders
Salva Kiir Mayardit
Head of State · Sudan People's Liberation Movement
Democracy trend
Upcoming elections
2026 South Sudanese general election
2026-12-22T00:00:00ZVoting alignment
South Sudan's closest UN General Assembly voting partners since 1946:
Frequently asked questions
Is South Sudan a democracy?
By V-Dem's measure, no — South Sudan scores 0.072 on the 0–1 liberal democracy index, which places it firmly in the autocratic range. It ranks #155 of 179 countries in 2024.
Is democracy in South Sudan improving or declining?
South Sudan's V-Dem liberal democracy score has improved by 0.005 points over the past decade, standing at 0.072 in 2024 (1-year change: 0.000).
Who leads South Sudan?
Salva Kiir Mayardit is South Sudan's head of state (Sudan People's Liberation Movement).
When is the next election in South Sudan?
2026 South Sudanese general election is scheduled for 2026-12-22T00:00:00Z.