​​South Sudan HBS

Overall objectives

This activity seeks to strengthen the production and use of high-quality data on displaced and host populations in South Sudan. Building on Government–UNHCR-World Bank collaboration and earlier initiatives such as the 2023 Forced Displacement Survey and UNHCR Community-Based Assessments, the activity focuses on closing key data gaps, notably the influx of Sudanese arrivals during 2023 and 2024, not captured in previous major surveys. It will also support the Government of South Sudan’s Revised National Development Strategy and Global Refugee Forum National Statistical Inclusion pledge.

Activity description

The activity will provide technical and financial support to include displaced populations in the upcoming Household Budget Survey (HBS) led by the National Bureau of Statistics, which is a key tool for measuring poverty, inflation, and informing economic policy. The activity will support expanded data collection, particularly for refugees living in camps and settlements, alongside technical assistance on sampling, data analysis, and reporting. The results will provide important insight into the wellbeing and living conditions of all those affected by forced displacement in South Sudan, including host communities, and enable evidence-based policy and planning towards sustainable responses.

Engagement with partners

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), in partnership with UNDP, is leading the Household Budget Survey. Sample design and selection are being carried out jointly with the World Bank and UNHCR, while UNHCR is also supporting NBS to integrate identification questions for refugees, returnees, and internally displaced persons in line with national priorities and the Global Compact on Refugees. The UNHCR and the World Bank also provide ongoing technical and capacity-building support to NBS, complemented by UNHCR’s broader engagement through initiatives such as the National Technical Committee on Durable Solutions, ensuring alignment, continuity, and synergy across data initiatives.

Background and Context

Since gaining independence in 2011, South Sudan has continued to host large numbers of refugees and asylum seekers despite ongoing conflict, widespread poverty, and limited institutional capacity. By October 2025, the country was hosting almost 600,000 refugees and asylum seekers, alongside approximately 1.9 million internally displaced persons and over 1.7 million returnees. These overlapping displacement pressures place significant strain on already scarce resources, underscoring the need for reliable socioeconomic data to inform effective policies and operational responses for displaced populations and host communities alike.

Most refugees in South Sudan (almost 95%) originate from Sudan, fleeing a protracted conflict that escalated sharply in 2023. These arrivals come amid a fragile national context marked by high poverty levels and economic spillover effects from the Sudan crisis, further complicating efforts to support integration and social cohesion.

In response, the Government of South Sudan, with UNHCR support, has taken steps to strengthen the inclusion of forcibly displaced populations in national data systems, in line with its National Statistical Inclusion pledge under the Global Compact on Refugees. Complementary initiatives such as the 2023 Forced Displacement Survey and UNHCR Community-Based assessments have generated valuable insights into living conditions and service capacity in host areas, helping to link humanitarian assistance with stabilization and development efforts.

However, significant data gaps remain. Existing surveys do not adequately capture recent Sudanese refugee arrivals or provide robust poverty data for displaced populations, limiting evidence-based planning. Building on commitments under the Revised National Development Strategy, the current proposal aims to address these gaps by supporting the National Bureau of Statistics to include refugees, IDPs and returnees in the upcoming Household Budget Survey, thereby strengthening national ownership, data quality, and policy relevance.