South Sudan Agriculture Value Added

South Sudan’s agriculture value added, as a share of GDP, rose from a trough of 4.20 percent in 2008 to a peak of 10.36 percent in 2015, the latest available data, reflecting a growing reliance on the agricultural sector in the early years following independence. This 2015 figure placed South Sudan at rank 127 globally, narrowly above Iran at 10.09 percent and Bolivia at 10.24 percent, and just below Suriname at 10.41 percent and Algeria at 10.53 percent. Over the eight-year period with available data, the consistent upward trajectory suggests agriculture played an increasingly central role in the economy, likely driven by limited industrial development and ongoing conflict disrupting other sectors. The 2015 peak coincided with a period of severe economic instability following the 2013 civil conflict, which may have pushed more of the population toward subsistence farming as formal employment and imports declined. Given the country’s heavy dependence on rain-fed agriculture and minimal infrastructure, future progress in this sector will depend on investments in irrigation, extension services, and post-harvest storage, as well as broader political stability to enable market development and attract agricultural financing. Without structural improvements, the trend may remain volatile.