Ethiopia vs South Sudan: Percentage of territory effectively controlled by government
Ethiopia
68.3%
in 2025
South Sudan
65.0%
in 2025
Ethiopia rank
166th
South Sudan rank
169th
Percentage of territory effectively controlled by government over time
- Ethiopia
- South Sudan
How they compare
Ethiopia currently reports 68.3% against 65.0% in South Sudan, a difference of 3.3%.
That makes Ethiopia's figure about 1.1 times South Sudan's.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 71 shared years of data; in 1855 it was Ethiopia ahead.
Ethiopia ranks 166th and South Sudan ranks 169th of 174 countries.
Across the 9 decades both report, Ethiopia averaged higher in 5 and South Sudan in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ethiopia | South Sudan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 56.5% | 40.0% | 16.5% | Ethiopia |
| 1950s | 79.3% | 80.6% | 1.3% | South Sudan |
| 1960s | 79.3% | 80.6% | 1.3% | South Sudan |
| 1970s | 80.0% | 84.6% | 4.6% | South Sudan |
| 1980s | 80.5% | 79.7% | 0.8% | Ethiopia |
| 1990s | 92.2% | 71.0% | 21.2% | Ethiopia |
| 2000s | 95.0% | 67.7% | 27.3% | Ethiopia |
| 2010s | 95.3% | 68.6% | 26.7% | Ethiopia |
| 2020s | 66.7% | 67.3% | 0.6% | South Sudan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher percentage of territory effectively controlled by government, Ethiopia or South Sudan?
- Ethiopia, at 68.3% against 65.0% in South Sudan as of 2025.
- What is the difference in percentage of territory effectively controlled by government between Ethiopia and South Sudan?
- 3.3%, with Ethiopia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ethiopia and South Sudan?
- 71 years are reported by both, from 1855 to 2025.
- How do Ethiopia and South Sudan rank globally for percentage of territory effectively controlled by government?
- Ethiopia ranks 166th and South Sudan ranks 169th of 174 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Percentage of territory effectively controlled by government. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Central estimate of the percentage of territory controlled by the government.