South Sudan (Republic of South Sudan)

South Sudan Republic of South Sudan
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	196th best
Capital	Juba
Land Area
Location	Africa
Population	11.0m1
Life Expectancy	54.98yrs (2017)2
GNI	$0 768 (2017)3
ISO3166-1 Codes	SS, SSD, 4
Internet Domain	.ss5
Currency	Pound (SSP)6
Telephone	+2117

1. Introduction
2. South Sudan National and Social Development
3. South Sudan's Demographics and Migration
4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
5. South Sudan's Health
6. South Sudan's Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. South Sudan's Modernity and Learning
8. South Sudan's Culture, Peace and Inequality
9. Religion and Beliefs
10. Links

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1. Introduction

#christianity #islam #south_sudan #sudan

When Sudan was united, the Muslim north persecuted the Christian south, causing two civil wars₈, eventually leading to the independence of South Sudan.

“On 9 July 2011 Africa´s largest country, Sudan, split into two and with that South Sudan, the world´s newest country, was born. The birthing process of the world´s newest country was a violent and bloody one. For decades the people of South Sudan have known little but war as they fought for independence from the north - and potential visitors should know that fighting between the new government and various rebel groups continues today in many parts of the country.

Today South Sudan is one of the poorest, least-developed and most little-known nations on the planet, but the very fact that South Sudan remains such an unknown is the thing that is likely to attract the first intrepid visitors here. And once they arrive they will be amazed by a wealth of tribal groups and excited by national parks packed with vast numbers of large mammals.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₉

2. South Sudan National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)10
Pos.		Higher is better Value10
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
184	Burkina Faso	0.449
185	Mozambique	0.446
186	Mali	0.428
187	Burundi	0.426
188	Central African Rep.	0.404
189	Niger	0.400
190	Chad	0.394
191	S. Sudan	0.385
	Africa Avg	0.56
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)10
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $10
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
186	Liberia	$1 289
187	Niger	$1 240
188	Mozambique	$1 198
189	Congo, DR	$1 076
190	Somalia	$1 018
191	Central African Rep.	$0 966
192	S. Sudan	$0 768
193	Burundi	$0 732
	Africa Avg	$5 339
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index11
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank11
1	Denmark	29.1
2	Norway	32.3
3	Sweden	34.1
	...
192	Sudan	130.5
193	Equatorial Guinea	132.0
194	Angola	132.1
195	Eritrea	136.3
196	S. Sudan	140.9
197	Vatican City	142.5
198	Somalia	150.8
199	Western Sahara	151.9
	Africa Avg	119.0
	World Avg	88.9
q=199.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. South Sudan's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population:

South Sudan's population is predicted to rise to 16.1 million by 2030. These millions of extra people will all need space to live, food to eat, energy to consume, and will increase the burden on the planet's resources. This country has a fertility rate of 4.34. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₂

Population1
Pos.		2018 Population1
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
80	Cuba	11.3m
81	Burundi	11.2m
82	Haiti	11.1m
83	S. Sudan	11.0m
84	Czechia	10.7m
85	Dominican Rep.	10.6m
86	Greece	10.5m
87	Portugal	10.3m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better10
Pos.		2021 Years10
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
188	Ivory Coast	58.6
189	Swaziland	57.1
190	Somalia	55.3
191	S. Sudan	55.0
192	Central African Rep.	53.9
193	Lesotho	53.1
194	Nigeria	52.7
195	Chad	52.5
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best13
Pos.		202213
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
185	Zambia	4.24
186	Guinea	4.30
187	Senegal	4.31
188	S. Sudan	4.34
189=	Ivory Coast	4.34
189=	Mauritania	4.34
191	Cameroon	4.38
192	Sudan	4.38
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better14
Pos.		2016 Per 10014
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
28	Guinea-Bissau	06.1
29=	Lesotho	06.1
29=	Kenya	06.1
31	S. Sudan	06.2
32=	Tanzania	06.2
32=	Sao Tome & Principe	06.2
34	Comoros	06.3
35=	Mozambique	06.4
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

• The Population of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

Migration:

Immigrants15
Pos.		2017 %15
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
70	Botswana	7.3%
71	St Lucia	7.2%
72	S. Africa	7.1%
73	S. Sudan	6.7%
74	Grenada	6.6%
75	Armenia	6.5%
76	Bhutan	6.5%
77	Macedonia	6.3%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #freethought #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #religious_tolerance #south_sudan #south_sudan_freethought #tolerance

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)16
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank16
1	Sweden	6.1
2	Denmark	8.6
3	Norway	9.0
	...
146	Uganda	112.1
147	Ivory Coast	112.2
148	Bangladesh	112.2
149	S. Sudan	113.3
150	Papua New Guinea	113.5
151	Bahrain	115.4
	Africa Avg	110.04
	World Avg	86.55
q=199.

South Sudan is very poor at ensuring human rights and freedom compared to the rest of the world, and it has cultural issues when it comes to tolerance and equality. S. Sudan does better than average when it comes to freethought₁₇. But unfortunately S. Sudan gets most other things wrong. It does worse than average in terms of commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₁₈, supporting press freedom₁₉ and in LGBT equality₂₀. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 in eliminating modern slavery₂₁ and in its average Freedom in the World rating. Since 2013 South Sudan´s civil war has seen atrocities and war crimes committed consistently by both sides, in some cases possibly constituting crimes against humanity₂₂.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

• Human Rights and Freedom in South Sudan

5. South Sudan's Health

#birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #south_sudan #vaccines

Compared to Africa (2025)23
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank23
1	Mauritius	71.9
2	Tunisia	75.6
3	Morocco	88.2
	...
46	Chad	138.8
47	Niger	139.4
48	Mali	142.7
49	Equatorial Guinea	142.9
50	Somalia	144.1
51	Ivory Coast	145.8
52	Nigeria	146.0
53	Angola	149.2
54	S. Sudan	149.6
	Africa Avg	111.13
q=54.

Health (2025)23
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank23
1	Monaco	14.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Isle of Man	32.1
	...
206	Nauru	145.1
207	Ivory Coast	145.8
208	Nigeria	146.0
209	Angola	149.2
210	S. Sudan	149.6
211	Niue	153.4
212	Marshall Islands	163.0
213	Cook Islands	164.3
	World Avg	97.60
q=213.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and The Isle of Man₂₄. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are The Cook Islands, The Marshall Islands and Niue₂₄.

25 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Balkans₂₄, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Australasia₂₄.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2020).

Health:

South Sudan is amongst the unhealthiest places in the world, causing serious issues for most of its citizens. S. Sudan does better than average in its smoking rate₂₅ (but bad for Africa). But that's it. S. Sudan has problems. It does worse than average in terms of its adolescent birth rate₂₆ and in its fertility rate₁₃. It sits amongst the bottom 20 when it comes to its average life expectancy₁₀. And finally, it is second-from-the-bottom in terms of its immunizations take-up₂₇. The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the past 40 years. Life expectancy in South Sudan in 1990 was the lowest in the world, at 29.9yrs, and in 1992 and 1993 things were even worse. But it improved greatly, by +26yrs, in the 30 years from then, higher than any other country and triple the global average improvement of +7.9yrs. South Sudan's peak fertility rate was 8.01 in 1988 and it had highest average fertility rate in the world in the 1990s.

Life Expectancy Higher is better10
Pos.		2021 Years10
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
188	Ivory Coast	58.6
189	Swaziland	57.1
190	Somalia	55.3
191	S. Sudan	55.0
192	Central African Rep.	53.9
193	Lesotho	53.1
194	Nigeria	52.7
195	Chad	52.5
	Africa Avg	62.79
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best13
Pos.		202213
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
185	Zambia	4.24
186	Guinea	4.30
187	Senegal	4.31
188	S. Sudan	4.34
189=	Ivory Coast	4.34
189=	Mauritania	4.34
191	Cameroon	4.38
192	Sudan	4.38
	Africa Avg	3.97
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking Rates Lower is better25
Pos.		201425
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
67	Colombia	359
68	Antigua & Barbuda	362
69	Yemen	388
70	S. Sudan	398
71	Belize	400
72	Swaziland	427
73	Sudan	428
74	Costa Rica	432
	Africa Avg	340
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Adult Obesity Lower is better28
Pos.		2022 %28
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
22	Central African Rep.	7.7%
23	Laos	7.8%
24	Congo, (Brazzaville)	8.0%
25	S. Sudan	8.0%
26	China	8.2%
27	Guinea	8.3%
28	Senegal	8.7%
29	Philippines	8.7%
	Africa Avg	13.7%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better26
Pos.		2022 Per 100026
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
170	Gabon	89.8
171	Benin	90.8
172	Zimbabwe	92.6
173	S. Sudan	97.4
174	Sierra Leone	97.9
175	Nigeria	99.6
176	Congo, (Brazzaville)	101.2
177	Ivory Coast	103.3
	Africa Avg	84.6
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better27
Pos.		2015 Avg %27
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
187	Syria	62.4
188	Ukraine	55.2
189	Chad	52.5
190	Nigeria	50.0
191	Central African Rep.	49.4
192	Somalia	46.0
193	S. Sudan	45.7
194	Equatorial Guinea	36.8
	Africa Avg	81.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

South Sudan was amongst 49 countries in the 1990s who had an adolescent birth rate of over 100 (per 1000 girls aged 15-19); in the 2010s it was still amongst only 37 countries that still fell into the same grouping, although each decade things are getting better.

6. South Sudan's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #deforestation #environmentalism #fiji #food #haiti #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #south_sudan #the_environment #timor-leste_(east_timor) #USA #vatican_city #veganism #vegetarianism

This is computed using 21 data sets. S. Sudan does better than average in reducing annual meat consumption per person₂₉ and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₃₀. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 when it comes to its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better30
Pos.		Total30
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
118=	Grenada	0.0%
118=	Aruba	0.0%
118=	Svalbard	0.0%
118=	S. Sudan	0.0%
118=	Curaço	0.0%
118=	Turks & Caicos Islands	0.0%
118=	Lesotho	0.0%
118=	Anguilla	0.0%
	Africa Avg	-8.7%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
184	Sao Tome & Principe	40%
185	Brunei	39%
186	Nauru	39%
187	S. Sudan	37%
188	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	36%
189	Bhutan	35%
190	Palau	34%
191	Angola	33%
	Africa Avg	56.4%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

South Sudan sits alongside the USA, Haiti, the Vatican, Timor-Leste and Fiji as the few countries who, after 30 years, have still not not signed the Basel Convention on transporting and dumping hazardous waste

Meat Consumption Lower is better29
Pos.		2021 kg29
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
40	Sudan	19.9
41=	Myanmar (Burma)	20.0
41=	Angola	20.0
43	S. Sudan	20.2
44	Liberia	20.3
45	Ghana	20.9
46	Haiti	21.6
47	Lesotho	21.7
	Africa Avg	24.9
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

7. South Sudan's Modernity and Learning

#education #modernity #south_sudan #technology #the_internet

Compared to Africa (2020)31
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank31
1	S. Africa	56.9
2	Tunisia	70.8
3=	Mauritius	79.6
	...
45	Gambia	155.6
46	Equatorial Guinea	156.7
47	Central African Rep.	160.3
48	Chad	162.1
49	Niger	164.1
50	Guinea	164.6
51	Sierra Leone	167.6
52	S. Sudan	171.7
53	Eritrea	179.4
	Africa Avg	120.19
q=53.

Modernity & Learning (2020)31
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank31
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
183	Papua New Guinea	158.4
184	Central African Rep.	160.3
185	Chad	162.1
186	Niger	164.1
187	Guinea	164.6
188	Sierra Leone	167.6
189	S. Sudan	171.7
190	Eritrea	179.4
	World Avg	86.31
q=190.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Belgium and Denmark₃₂. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone₃₂. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₃₃.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”

Bill Emmott (2017)₃₄

15 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Intellectual Endeavours, Maths, Science & Reading, Religiosity, IQ, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₃₂, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₃₂.

For more, see:

• "Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Modernity and Education:

From 2012, South Sudan became the country with the least amount of education duration for the average citizen (5.14 years on average).₃₅

Secondary Education Higher is better36
Pos.		201836
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
135	Kenya	35.2%
136	Honduras	33.5%
137	Haiti	33.2%
138	S. Sudan	33.2%
139	Swaziland	32.6%
140	Morocco	32.2%
141	Uganda	32.1%
142	Angola	30.2%
	Africa Avg	34.4%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better37
Pos.		2021 Years37
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
186	Eritrea	8.1
187	Central African Rep.	8.0
188	Chad	8.0
189	Sudan	7.9
190	Djibouti	7.4
191	Mali	7.4
192	Niger	7.0
193	S. Sudan	5.5
	Africa Avg	11.0
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users Higher is better38
Pos.		201638
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
159	Pakistan	18%
160	Nepal	17%
161=	Mauritania	17%
161=	S. Sudan	17%
163	Gambia	17%
164	Laos	16%
165	Namibia	16%
166	Turkmenistan	15%
	Africa Avg	18.4%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

8. South Sudan's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#capitalism #charitability #corruption #culture #economics #equality #extremism #health #human_development #inequality #life_expectancy #peace #politics #poverty #religious_violence #social_development #south_sudan #terrorism

Compared to Africa (2020)39
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank39
1	Mauritius	48.3
2	Sao Tome & Principe	67.7
3	Tunisia	74.9
	...
45	Sudan	122.7
46	Equatorial Guinea	123.0
47	Burundi	123.1
48	Comoros	130.7
49	Chad	132.1
50	Congo, DR	133.7
51	Central African Rep.	137.1
52	S. Sudan	137.8
53	Somalia	152.9
	Africa Avg	101.84
q=53.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2020)39
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank39
1	Denmark	11.2
2	Norway	13.9
3	Netherlands	14.4
	...
173	Yemen	130.3
174	Comoros	130.7
175	Chad	132.1
176	Congo, DR	133.7
177	Central African Rep.	137.1
178	S. Sudan	137.8
179	Afghanistan	140.3
180	Somalia	152.9
	World Avg	78.12
q=180.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 22 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, Inequality in Life Expectancy, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

• "Which are the Countries for International Contributions, Creativity, Peace and Inequality?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

National Culture:

Corruption Higher is better40
Pos.		2022 Points40
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
173	Libya	17.0
174=	Haiti	17.0
174=	Burundi	17.0
176	Yemen	16.0
177	Venezuela	14.0
178=	S. Sudan	13.0
178=	Syria	13.0
180	Somalia	12.0
	Africa Avg	32.31
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

On average through the 2010s, South Sudan scored the 4th-worst on the Corruption Perception Index.

Peace Versus Instability:

Global Peace Index Lower is better41
Pos.		2023 Score41
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
156	Somalia	3.04
157	Ukraine	3.04
158	Russia	3.14
159	Congo, DR	3.21
160	S. Sudan	3.22
161	Syria	3.29
162	Yemen	3.35
163	Afghanistan	3.45
	Africa Avg	2.29
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better42
Pos.		2019 Score42
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
131	Sudan	5.81
132	Colombia	5.91
133	Thailand	6.03
134	S. Sudan	6.32
135	Turkey	6.53
136	Cameroon	6.62
137	Central African Rep.	6.62
138	Mali	6.65
	Africa Avg	3.41
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

Economic Inequality and Poverty:

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better43
Pos.		201943
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
175	Equatorial Guinea	34.60
176	Benin	34.90
177	Congo, DR	36.10
178	S. Sudan	36.20
179	Mali	36.70
180	Nigeria	37.10
181	Somalia	38.90
182	Sierra Leone	39.00
	Africa Avg	26.10
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better44
Pos.		2023 %44
1	Slovakia	24.1%45
2	Slovenia	24.3%45
3	Belarus	24.4%46
	...
140=	St Lucia	43.7%47
140=	Rwanda	43.7%48
142	Grenada	43.8%49
143	S. Sudan	44.1%48
144	Turkey	44.4%45
145	Ecuador	44.6%50
146=	Congo, DR	44.7%46
146=	Venezuela	44.7%51
	Africa Avg	40.7%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

Income inequality data is rarely available for South Sudan - only for 2 years between 1980 and 2019.

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better52
Pos.		2018 Severity52
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
	...
94	Madagascar	.453
95	Mali	.457
96	Central African Rep.	.465
97	Ethiopia	.489
98	Burkina Faso	.519
99	Chad	.533
100	S. Sudan	.580
101	Niger	.590
	Africa Avg	.264
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₅₃:

Christian	60.5%
Muslim	6.2%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	32.9%
Jewish	0.1%
Unaffiliated	0.5%

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems