By William Madouk
The Council of Ministers has adopted the latest survey by the South Sudan Population Estimates Survey (SSPES) that projected the country’s total populace at 12,444,018.
This comes after the presentation made by Minister of Finance and Planning, Dier Tong Ngor on behalf of South Sudan Population Census Bureau.
Minister of Information and government spokesman, Michael Makuei said cabinet listened to the report of estimated population survey conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics in September, 2022.
“According to presentation made, the estimated population of South Sudan at present or in 2021 when it was prepared, is within the range of 12,444,018. This is an approximate estimation,” Makuei said.
“Of course, this is not a substitute to population census but it’s an indication that we have increase in population because in the last population census, we were 8 million according to 2008 population census,” he added.
He noted that estimations are less in weight than actual population census because it is done on numerical bases and spheroidic assessment using satellite that can be interrupted and misplace facts.
“If you are using satellite, satellites sometimes can commit a mistake when there are clouds in that area it will be in position to take proper images that will support the statisticians to enable them to calculate and see how far it is true,” he explained.
Makuei said, report registered challenges of migration of people from place to another due to natural and manmade disasters.
“You find that some areas which were highly populated have reduced and some areas which were not populated now have increase in population due to natural catastrophes and the insecurity as well,” he said.
According to him, the latest estimation covers all ten states and three administrative areas as well as internally displaced people with exception of refugees.
South Sudan Population Estimates Survey reported that the South Sudan’s population has grown by slightly over four million in the last 14 years and placed the population at 12,444,018.
According to the Survey, conducted between May and June 2022, there is 4.2 million growths from the 2008 census, which was estimated at 8.26 million.
The results of the survey were approved by the Economic Cluster in August last year.
The country has not conducted any population census for 11 years since the attainment of independence in 2011.
However, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) is planning to conduct the first-ever census to determine the country’s population.