By Ginaba Lino
The United Nations has urged South Sudan to invest in education, health, and youth empowerment to harness the potential of its rapidly growing young population and drive sustainable development.
The call was made during the 2026 World Population Day High-Level Dialogue in Juba, organized by the Government of South Sudan with support from UNFPA under the theme: “Harnessing Demographic Intelligence for the Realization of the Hopes and Aspirations of Young People – Today and for the Future.”
Speaking at the event, George Otoo, Head of Strategic Planning at the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, said South Sudan’s population, currently estimated at 16 million, is projected to reach 20 million by 2030, with nearly 72 percent of citizens under the age of 30.
He warned that low school completion rates, child marriage, high adolescent birth rates, displacement, and climate shocks continue to limit opportunities for young people.
“Investing in health, especially sexual and reproductive health, is a human rights imperative that will protect mothers and empower youth for productive contribution to a peaceful and developed South Sudan,” Otoo said.
Dr. Augustino T. Mayai, Director General of the National Bureau of Statistics, stressed that demographic intelligence must guide national planning and policymaking.
“These demographic realities are not abstract numbers. They represent classrooms that must be built, health services that must be expanded, skills that must be developed, and jobs that must be created,” Mayai said.
He urged government institutions and partners to use population data for budgeting, policy interventions, and investments in education, health, livelihoods, peacebuilding, and climate resilience.
Representing the South Sudan Parliamentary Network on Population and Development, Hon. Simon Lumuri Philip said Parliament remains committed to advancing youth-focused policies and fulfilling national commitments on population and development.
“We know that 70 percent of the population is youth. All sectors should take the issue of youth as a priority to create responsible youth in our country,” he said.
Participants called for stronger collaboration to ensure demographic evidence translates into policies that improve the lives and future prospects of South Sudan’s young people.