The Forced Displacement Survey (FDS)—South Sudan 2023 is the first nationally representative survey of refugees and host communities in the country. It assesses legal status, living conditions, access to services, livelihoods, and household resilience, generating evidence to inform policy and operational responses.
As of March 2023, South Sudan hosted approximately 298,000 refugees, the vast majority from Sudan, many in protracted displacement for more than a decade. The findings show a predominantly young population, with close to 60 percent under age 18, alongside gaps in access to basic services, high exposure to shocks—including flooding and rising prices—and limited participation in formal labor markets. At the same time, high levels of registration and documentation reflect South Sudan’s established refugee framework.
The survey was implemented by UNHCR in partnership with the Government of the Republic of South Sudan and the National Bureau of Statistics, with financial and technical support from the World Bank–UNHCR Joint Data Center on Forced Displacement and the Government of Denmark. It strengthens national statistical systems and supports coordinated humanitarian and development planning.