content: <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><edgarSubmission xmlns="http://www.sec.gov/edgar/ownership" xmlns:com="http://www.sec.gov/edgar/common">
    <headerData>
      <submissionType>144</submissionType>
      <filerInfo>
        <filer>
          <filerCredentials>
            <cik>0001573512</cik>
            <ccc>XXXXXXXX</ccc>
          </filerCredentials>
        </filer>
        <liveTestFlag>LIVE</liveTestFlag>
  
  
  
      </filerInfo>
    </headerData>
    <formData>
      <issuerInfo>
        <issuerCik>0000092122</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>SOUTHERN CO</issuerName>
        <secFileNumber>001-03526</secFileNumber>
        <issuerAddress>
          <com:street1>30 IVAN ALLEN JR. BLVD., N.W.</com:street1>
          <com:city>ATLANTA</com:city>
          <com:stateOrCountry>GA</com:stateOrCountry>
          <com:zipCode>30308</com:zipCode>
        </issuerAddress>
        <issuerContactPhone>4045065000</issuerContactPhone>
        <nameOfPersonForWhoseAccountTheSecuritiesAreToBeSold>Greene Kimberly S,</nameOfPersonForWhoseAccountTheSecuritiesAreToBeSold>
        <relationshipsToIssuer>
          <relationshipToIssuer>Officer</relationshipToIssuer>
        </relationshipsToIssuer>
      </issuerInfo>
      <securitiesInformation>
        <securitiesClassTitle>COMMON</securitiesClassTitle>
        <brokerOrMarketmakerDetails>
          <name>MERRILL LYNCH</name>
          <address>
            <com:street1>3455 PEACHTREE RD NE</com:street1>
            <com:street2>SUITE 1000</com:street2>
            <com:city>ATLANTA</com:city>
            <com:stateOrCountry>GA</com:stateOrCountry>
            <com:zipCode>30363</com:zipCode>
          </address>
        </brokerOrMarketmakerDetails>
        <noOfUnitsSold>20000</noOfUnitsSold>
        <aggregateMarketValue>1452321.00</aggregateMarketValue>
        <noOfUnitsOutstanding>1090402540</noOfUnitsOutstanding>
        <approxSaleDate>07/21/2023</approxSaleDate>
        <securitiesExchangeName>NEW YORK</securitiesExchangeName>
      </securitiesInformation>
      <securitiesToBeSold>
        <securitiesClassTitle>COMMON</securitiesClassTitle>
        <acquiredDate>02/11/2019</acquiredDate>
        <natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>PERFORMANCE STOCK UNIT VEST</natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>
        <nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>SOUTHERN COMPANY</nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>
        <isGiftTransaction>N</isGiftTransaction>
        <amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>6264</amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>
        <paymentDate>02/11/2019</paymentDate>
        <natureOfPayment>COMPENSATORY PAYMENT</natureOfPayment>
      </securitiesToBeSold>
      <securitiesToBeSold>
        <securitiesClassTitle>COMMON</securitiesClassTitle>
        <acquiredDate>02/13/2019</acquiredDate>
        <natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT VEST</natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>
        <nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>SOUTHERN COMPANY</nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>
        <isGiftTransaction>N</isGiftTransaction>
        <amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>1938</amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>
        <paymentDate>02/13/2019</paymentDate>
        <natureOfPayment>COMPENSATORY PAYMENT</natureOfPayment>
      </securitiesToBeSold>
      <securitiesToBeSold>
        <securitiesClassTitle>COMMON</securitiesClassTitle>
        <acquiredDate>02/03/2021</acquiredDate>
        <natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT VEST</natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>
        <nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>SOUTHERN COMPANY</nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>
        <isGiftTransaction>N</isGiftTransaction>
        <amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>1476</amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>
        <paymentDate>02/03/2021</paymentDate>
        <natureOfPayment>COMPENSATORY PAYMENT</natureOfPayment>
      </securitiesToBeSold>
      <securitiesToBeSold>
        <securitiesClassTitle>COMMON</securitiesClassTitle>
        <acquiredDate>02/11/2021</acquiredDate>
        <natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT VEST</natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>
        <nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>SOUTHERN COMPANY</nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>
        <isGiftTransaction>N</isGiftTransaction>
        <amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>2135</amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>
        <paymentDate>02/11/2021</paymentDate>
        <natureOfPayment>COMPENSATORY PAYMENT</natureOfPayment>
      </securitiesToBeSold>
      <securitiesToBeSold>
        <securitiesClassTitle>COMMON</securitiesClassTitle>
        <acquiredDate>02/12/2021</acquiredDate>
        <natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>PERFORMANCE STOCK UNIT VEST</natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>
        <nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>SOUTHERN COMPANY</nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>
        <isGiftTransaction>N</isGiftTransaction>
        <amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>6790</amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>
        <paymentDate>02/12/2021</paymentDate>
        <natureOfPayment>COMPENSATORY PAYMENT</natureOfPayment>
      </securitiesToBeSold>
      <securitiesToBeSold>
        <securitiesClassTitle>COMMON</securitiesClassTitle>
        <acquiredDate>03/08/2019</acquiredDate>
        <natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>DIVIDEND REINVEST</natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>
        <nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>SOUTHERN COMPANY</nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>
        <isGiftTransaction>N</isGiftTransaction>
        <amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>507</amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>
        <paymentDate>03/08/2019</paymentDate>
        <natureOfPayment>CASH</natureOfPayment>
      </securitiesToBeSold>
      <securitiesToBeSold>
        <securitiesClassTitle>COMMON</securitiesClassTitle>
        <acquiredDate>12/06/2019</acquiredDate>
        <natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>DIVIDEND REINVEST</natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>
        <nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>SOUTHERN COMPANY</nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>
        <isGiftTransaction>N</isGiftTransaction>
        <amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>569</amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>
        <paymentDate>12/06/2019</paymentDate>
        <natureOfPayment>CASH</natureOfPayment>
      </securitiesToBeSold>
      <securitiesToBeSold>
        <securitiesClassTitle>COMMON</securitiesClassTitle>
        <acquiredDate>02/11/2020</acquiredDate>
        <natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT VEST</natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>
        <nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>SOUTHERN COMPANY</nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>
        <isGiftTransaction>N</isGiftTransaction>
        <amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>321</amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>
        <paymentDate>02/11/2020</paymentDate>
        <natureOfPayment>COMPENSATORY PAYMENT</natureOfPayment>
      </securitiesToBeSold>
      <nothingToReportFlagOnSecuritiesSoldInPast3Months>N</nothingToReportFlagOnSecuritiesSoldInPast3Months>
      <securitiesSoldInPast3Months>
        <sellerDetails>
          <name>KIMBERLY GREENE</name>
          <address>
            <com:street1>30 IVAN ALLEN JR. BLVD</com:street1>
            <com:city>ATLANTA</com:city>
            <com:stateOrCountry>GA</com:stateOrCountry>
            <com:zipCode>30308</com:zipCode>
          </address>
        </sellerDetails>
        <securitiesClassTitle>COMMON</securitiesClassTitle>
        <saleDate>06/05/2023</saleDate>
        <amountOfSecuritiesSold>47326</amountOfSecuritiesSold>
        <grossProceeds>3302329.00</grossProceeds>
      </securitiesSoldInPast3Months>
      <noticeSignature>
        <noticeDate>07/21/2023</noticeDate>
        <planAdoptionDates>
          <planAdoptionDate>03/06/2023</planAdoptionDate>
        </planAdoptionDates>
        <signature>KIMBERLY GREENE</signature>
      </noticeSignature>
    </formData>
  </edgarSubmission>
metadata_documents: [{"type": "144", "sequence": "1", "filename": "primary_doc.xml", "secsgml_size_bytes": 7330}]
text: 144
  0001573512
  XXXXXXXX
  LIVE
  0000092122
  SOUTHERN CO
  001-03526
  30 IVAN ALLEN JR. BLVD., N.W.
  ATLANTA
  GA
  30308
  4045065000
  Greene Kimberly S,
  Officer
  COMMON
  MERRILL LYNCH
  3455 PEACHTREE RD NE
  SUITE 1000
  ATLANTA
  GA
  30363
  20000
  1452321.00
  1090402540
  07/21/2023
  NEW YORK
  COMMON
  02/11/2019
  PERFORMANCE STOCK UNIT VEST
  SOUTHERN COMPANY
  N
  6264
  02/11/2019
  COMPENSATORY PAYMENT
  COMMON
  02/13/2019
  RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT VEST
  SOUTHERN COMPANY
  N
  1938
  02/13/2019
  COMPENSATORY PAYMENT
  COMMON
  02/03/2021
  RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT VEST
  SOUTHERN COMPANY
  N
  1476
  02/03/2021
  COMPENSATORY PAYMENT
  COMMON
  02/11/2021
  RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT VEST
  SOUTHERN COMPANY
  N
  2135
  02/11/2021
  COMPENSATORY PAYMENT
  COMMON
  02/12/2021
  PERFORMANCE STOCK UNIT VEST
  SOUTHERN COMPANY
  N
  6790
  02/12/2021
  COMPENSATORY PAYMENT
  COMMON
  03/08/2019
  DIVIDEND REINVEST
  SOUTHERN COMPANY
  N
  507
  03/08/2019
  CASH
  COMMON
  12/06/2019
  DIVIDEND REINVEST
  SOUTHERN COMPANY
  N
  569
  12/06/2019
  CASH
  COMMON
  02/11/2020
  RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT VEST
  SOUTHERN COMPANY
  N
  321
  02/11/2020
  COMPENSATORY PAYMENT
  N
  KIMBERLY GREENE
  30 IVAN ALLEN JR. BLVD
  ATLANTA
  GA
  30308
  COMMON
  06/05/2023
  47326
  3302329.00
  07/21/2023
  03/06/2023
  KIMBERLY GREENE