Key Facts: South Sudan vs Egypt Wages
- South Sudan Minimum Wage
- £7,000/mo ($1.52 USD)
- Egypt Minimum Wage
- E£29.17/hr ($0.57 USD)
- South Sudan Avg. Gross Monthly Salary
- £125,000 /mo ($27.23 USD)
- Egypt Avg. Gross Monthly Salary
- E£6,833 /mo ($134.51 USD)
- Data Sources
- ILO ILOSTAT / World Bank / South Sudan Ministry of Labour (2026-02-25), Ministry of Manpower / National Wages Council; 2025 and 2026 announcements verified via JETRO citing Egyptian government sources (2026-05-27)
South Sudan
Egypt
Updated 2026-05-27
The minimum wage in South Sudan is 166% higher than in Egypt when converted to USD. Average gross salaries diverge further: $27/mo in South Sudan versus $135/mo in Egypt, a 4.9:1 ratio. Egypt has the tighter labor market, with unemployment at 6.8% compared to 12.4%.
South Sudan's unemployment rate is 12.4% compared to Egypt's 6.8%.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | South Sudan | Egypt |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum wage /hr | — | E£29.17 $0.57 |
| Minimum wage /mo | £7,000 $1.52 | E£7,000 $137.80 |
| Minimum wage /yr | — | E£84,000 $1,653.54 |
| Avg. gross salary /mo | £125,000 /mo $27.23 | E£6,833 /mo $134.51 |
| Avg. net salary /mo | £112,000 /mo $24.40 | E£6,150 /mo $121.06 |
Percentage differences are based on USD equivalent values. Positive means South Sudan is higher.
Work Week
- South Sudan
-
40 hrs/wk standard
Max 48 hrs/wk
Overtime : 1.5x pay
Labour Act 2017 sets 40 hours/week as standard. Enforcement is effectively non-existent across most of the country due to ongoing conflict, institutional collapse, and absence of functioning labour inspectorates.
- Egypt
-
48 hrs/wk standard
Max 48 hrs/wk
Overtime : 1.35x pay
Labour Law No. 12 of 2003 sets maximum working hours at 8 hours/day or 48 hours/week (excluding meal breaks). Overtime premium: 35% during the day, 70% at night. Maximum 2 overtime hours/day. Friday is the default weekly rest day. During Ramadan, working hours are commonly reduced in practice.
What This Means for Workers
A minimum wage worker moving from Egypt to South Sudan would see a 166% increase in USD-equivalent hourly earnings. Standard work weeks differ: South Sudan mandates 40 hours while Egypt mandates 48 hours. A minimum wage worker's weekly earnings in South Sudan are $61 vs $28 in Egypt.
See this comparison from Egypt's perspective: Egypt vs South Sudan
Compare South Sudan with...
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the minimum wage higher in South Sudan or Egypt?
In South Sudan, the minimum wage is £7,000/mo ($1.52 USD). In Egypt, it is E£29.17/hr ($0.57 USD). South Sudan has the higher rate by 166% in USD terms. That nominal gap does not account for local prices; see the purchasing power comparison below for a cost-of-living-adjusted view. Workers in Egypt may retain a larger share of their earnings if prices there are lower.
How much less does the average worker earn in South Sudan compared to Egypt?
The average gross salary in South Sudan is £125,000/mo ($27.23 USD), compared to E£6,833/mo ($134.51 USD) in Egypt. In USD terms, workers in South Sudan earn approximately 394% less. Average salaries reflect the full labor market, not just the minimum wage floor. The gap between South Sudan and Egypt is shaped by differences in industry composition, labor productivity, and the overall cost of living in each country. Workers in Egypt earn more in nominal terms, though how far that income stretches depends on local prices in South Sudan.
How do work hours compare between South Sudan and Egypt?
Egypt has a longer standard work week at 48 hours, compared to 40 hours in South Sudan. Workers in South Sudan work 40 hours per week by law. Longer mandatory hours can offset a nominally higher wage; a worker in South Sudan working fewer hours may have comparable or better effective hourly earnings depending on the wage levels of each country. Total annual compensation depends on both the wage rate and the number of hours required.