The NLA was founded in 2011 following the independence of South Sudan. However, the House was dissolved and reconstituted in 2016 in line with the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (ARCSS). This brought the total number of members of the House to 400.

This arrangement continued until 2020 when Parliament was dissolved again and reconstituted as per the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS). The Agreement increased the number of NLA members to 550 and the distribution of seats was as follows:

• The SPLM-IG (332 MPs)
• SPLM-IO (128 MPs)
• South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA 50 MPs)
• Independents; N-Agenda (30 MPs)
• Former detainees (10 MPs)