2024 Edition Primary

Background

Long referred to as Nubia, modern-day Sudan was the site of the Kingdom of Kerma (ca. 2500-1500 B.C.) until it was absorbed into the New Kingdom of Egypt. By the 11th century B.C., the Kingdom of Kush gained independence from Egypt; it lasted in various forms until the middle of the 4th century A.D. After the fall of Kush, the Nubians formed three Christian kingdoms of Nobatia, Makuria, and Alodia, with the latter two enduring until around 1500. Between the 14th and 15th centuries, Arab nomads settled much of Sudan, leading to extensive Islamization between the 16th and 19th centuries. Following Egyptian occupation early in the 19th century, an agreement in 1899 set up a joint British-Egyptian government in Sudan, but it was effectively a British colony. Military regimes favoring Islamic-oriented governments have dominated national politics since Sudan gained independence from Anglo-Egyptian co-rule in 1956. During most of the second half of the 20th century, Sudan was embroiled in two prolonged civil wars rooted in northern domination of the largely non-Muslim, non-Arab southern portion of the country. The first civil war ended in 1972, but another broke out in 1983. Peace talks gained momentum in 2002-04, and the final North/South Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005 granted the southern rebels autonomy for six years, followed by a referendum on independence for Southern Sudan. South Sudan became independent in 2011, but Sudan and South Sudan have yet to fully implement security and economic agreements to normalize relations between the two countries. Sudan has also faced conflict in Darfur, Southern Kordofan, and Blue Nile starting in 2003.In 2019, after months of nationwide protests, the 30-year reign of President Omar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR ended when the military forced him out. Economist and former international civil servant Abdalla HAMDOUK al-Kinani was selected to serve as the prime minister of a transitional government as the country prepared for elections in 2022. In late 2021, however, the Sudanese military ousted HAMDOUK and his government and replaced civilian members of the Sovereign Council (Sudan’s collective Head of State) with individuals selected by the military. HAMDOUK was briefly reinstated but resigned in January 2022. General Abd-al-Fatah al-BURHAN Abd-al-Rahman, the Chair of Sudan’s Sovereign Council and Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces, currently serves as de facto head of state and government. He presides over a Sovereign Council consisting of military leaders, former armed opposition group representatives, and military-appointed civilians. A cabinet of acting ministers handles day-to-day administration. 

Area

land

1,731,671 sq km

total

1,861,484 sq km

water

129,813 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly less than one-fifth the size of the US

Climate

hot and dry; arid desert; rainy season varies by region (April to November)

Coastline

853 km

Elevation

highest point

Jabal Marrah 3,042 m

lowest point

Red Sea 0 m

mean elevation

568 m

Geographic coordinates

15 00 N, 30 00 E

Geography - note

the Nile is Sudan's primary water source; its major tributaries, the White Nile and the Blue Nile, meet at Khartoum to form the River Nile, which flows northward through Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea

Irrigated land

15,666 sq km (2020)

Land boundaries

border countries

Central African Republic 174 km; Chad 1,403 km; Egypt 1,276 km; Eritrea 682 km; Ethiopia 744 km; Libya 382 km; South Sudan 2,158 km

note

note: Sudan-South Sudan boundary represents 1 January 1956 alignment; final alignment pending negotiations and demarcation; final sovereignty status of Abyei region pending negotiations between Sudan and South Sudan

total

6,819 km

Land use

agricultural land

100% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 15.7% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 84.2% (2018 est.)

forest

0% (2018 est.)

other

0% (2018 est.)

Location

north-eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea

Major aquifers

Nubian Aquifer System, Sudd Basin (Umm Ruwaba Aquifer)

Major rivers (by length in km)

An Nīl (Nile) (shared with Rwanda [s], Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan, and Egypt [m]) - 6,650 km; Blue Nile river mouth (shared with Ethiopia [s]) - 1,600 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Mediterranean Sea) Nile (3,254,853 sq km)Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: Lake Chad (2,497,738 sq km)

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

18 nm

continental shelf

200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

dust storms and periodic persistent droughts

Natural resources

petroleum; small reserves of iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, gold; hydropower

Population distribution

with the exception of a ribbon of settlement that corresponds to the banks of the Nile, northern Sudan, which extends into the dry Sahara, is sparsely populated; more abundant vegetation and broader access to water increases population distribution in the south extending habitable range along nearly the entire border with South Sudan; sizeable areas of population are found around Khartoum, southeast between the Blue and White Nile Rivers, and throughout South Darfur as shown on this population distribution map

Terrain

generally flat, featureless plain; desert dominates the north

Age structure

0-14 years

40.1% (male 10,278,453/female 9,949,343)

15-64 years

56.7% (male 14,211,514/female 14,390,486)

65 years and over

3.2% (2024 est.) (male 845,125/female 792,357)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

1.63 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.29 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

1.93 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

33.1 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

33% (2014)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

12.2% (2014)

Current health expenditure

3% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

61.4% (2023 est.)

Death rate

6.1 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Demographic profile

Sudan’s population grew almost fourfold between 1956 and 2008, the date of its last census.  Even after the southern part of the country became independent South Sudan in 2011, the population of Sudan has continued to grow.  The gender balance overall is fairly even.  Females, however, are more prevalent in rural areas because of males migrating to urban areas in search of work.  The total fertility rate (TFR) remains high despite falling from 7 children per woman in Sudan’s first census in 1955 to about 4.5 in 2022, which can be attributed to early marriage and a low contraceptive prevalence rate.  Among the factors that led to the reduction in fertility are family planning, improvement in women’s education and participation in the labor force outside the home, and migration and urbanization.  The continued slow decline in fertility accompanied by a drop in mortality and increased life expectancy has produced an age structure where approximately 55% of the population was of working age (15-64) as of 2020.  This share will grow as the sizable youth population becomes working age.  As Sudan’s working age population increasingly outnumbers the youth and elderly populations (the dependent populations), the country will approach the possibility of a demographic dividend.  The window of opportunity for potential economic growth depends not only on a favorable age structure but also on having a trained and educated workforce, job creation (particularly in the formal market), and investment in health, as well as generating savings to invest in schooling and care for the elderly.  As of 2018, Sudan’s literacy rate was just over 60%, and even lower among women.  Improvements in school enrollment, student-teacher ratio, infrastructure, funding, and educational quality could help the country to realize a demographic dividend.

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

6.2

potential support ratio

16.2 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

76.9

youth dependency ratio

74

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 80.7% of population

improved: total

total: 87.1% of population

improved: urban

urban: 99% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 19.3% of population

unimproved: total

total: 12.9% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 1% of population

Education expenditures

NA

Ethnic groups

Sudanese Arab (approximately 70%), Fur, Beja, Nuba, Ingessana, Uduk, Fallata, Masalit, Dajo, Gimir, Tunjur, Berti; there are over 500 ethnic groups

Gross reproduction rate

2.18 (2024 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.7 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate

female

34.8 deaths/1,000 live births

male

46 deaths/1,000 live births

total

40.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

Languages

Languages

Arabic (official), English (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, Fur

major-language sample(s)

كتاب حقائق العالم، المصدر الذي لا يمكن الاستغناء عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. (English)

Life expectancy at birth

female

70.2 years

male

65.5 years

total population

67.8 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

56.1% (2018)

male

65.4%

total population

60.7%

Major urban areas - population

6.344 million KHARTOUM (capital), 1.057 million Nyala (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

270 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

19.6 years

male

19 years

total

19.3 years (2024 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Sudanese

noun

Sudanese (singular and plural)

Net migration rate

-1.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

6.6% (2014)

Physician density

0.26 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

Population

female

25,132,186 (2024 est.)

male

25,335,092

total

50,467,278

Population distribution

with the exception of a ribbon of settlement that corresponds to the banks of the Nile, northern Sudan, which extends into the dry Sahara, is sparsely populated; more abundant vegetation and broader access to water increases population distribution in the south extending habitable range along nearly the entire border with South Sudan; sizeable areas of population are found around Khartoum, southeast between the Blue and White Nile Rivers, and throughout South Darfur as shown on this population distribution map

Population growth rate

2.55% (2024 est.)

Religions

Sunni Muslim, small Christian minority

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 30.6% of population

improved: total

total: 45.3% of population

improved: urban

urban: 72.1% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 69.4% of population

unimproved: total

total: 54.7% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 27.9% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

7 years (2015)

male

8 years

total

8 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.03 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.99 male(s)/female

65 years and over

1.07 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.01 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.47 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

3.43% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

36.3% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

18 states (wilayat, singular - wilayah); Blue Nile, Central Darfur, East Darfur, Gedaref, Gezira, Kassala, Khartoum, North Darfur, North Kordofan, Northern, Red Sea, River Nile, Sennar, South Darfur, South Kordofan, West Darfur, West Kordofan, White Nile

note

note: the peace Agreement signed in October 2020 included a provision to establish a system of governance to restructure the country's current 18 provinces/states into regions

Capital

etymology

several explanations of the name exist; two of the more plausible are that it is derived from Arabic "al-jartum" meaning "elephant's trunk" or "hose," and likely referring to the narrow strip of land extending between the Blue and White Niles; alternatively, the name could derive from the Dinka words "khar-tuom," indicating a "place where rivers meet"

geographic coordinates

15 36 N, 32 32 E

name

Khartoum

time difference

UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

the father must be a citizen of Sudan

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

10 years

Constitution

amendments

amended 2020 to incorporate the Juba Agreement for Peace in Sudan; the military suspended several provisions of the Constitutional Declaration in October 2021

history

previous 1973, 1998, 2005 (interim constitution, which was suspended in April 2019); latest initial draft completed by Transitional Military Council in May 2019; revised draft known as the "Draft Constitutional Charter for the 2019 Transitional Period," or “2019 Constitutional Declaration” was signed by the Council and opposition coalition on 4 August 2019

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of the Sudan

conventional short form

Sudan

etymology

the name "Sudan" derives from the Arabic "bilad-as-sudan" meaning "Land of the Black [peoples]"

former

Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Sudan

local long form

Jumhuriyat as-Sudan

local short form

As-Sudan

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Colleen Crenwelge (since May 2024)

email address and website

ACSKhartoum@state.govhttps://sd.usembassy.gov/

embassy

P.O. Box 699, Kilo 10, Soba, Khartoum

mailing address

2200 Khartoum Place, Washington DC  20521-2200

note

note:  the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum suspended operations on 22 April 2023, and the Department of State ordered the departure of U.S. employees due to the continued threat from armed conflict in Sudan 

telephone

[249] 187-0-22000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2210 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Mohamed Abdalla IDRIS (since 16 September 2022)

email address and website

consular@sudanembassy.orghttps://www.sudanembassy.org/

FAX

[1] (202) 667-2406

telephone

[1] (202) 338-8565

Executive branch

cabinet

most members of the Council of Ministers were forced from office in October 2021 by the military and subsequently resigned in November 2021; the military allowed a handful of ministers appointed by former armed opposition groups to retain their posts; at present, most of the members of the Council are senior civil servants serving in an acting minister capacity appointed either by Prime Minister HAMDOUK prior to his resignation or by the military

chief of state

Sovereign Council Chair and Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces General Abd-al-Fattah al-BURHAN Abd-al-Rahman

election results

NA

elections/appointments

the 2019 Constitutional Declaration originally called for elections to be held in late 2022 at the end of the transitional period; that date was pushed back to late 2023 by the Juba Peace Agreement; the methodology for future elections has not yet been defined; according to the 2019 Constitutional Declaration, civilian members of the Sovereign Council and the prime minister were to have been nominated by an umbrella coalition of civilian actors known as the Forces for Freedom and Change; this methodology was followed in selecting HAMDOUK as prime minister in August 2019; the military purports to have suspended this provision of the 2019 Constitutional Declaration in October 2021; Prime Minister HAMDOUK’s restoration to office in November 2021 was the result of an agreement signed between him and Sovereign Council Chair BURHAN; military members of the Sovereign Council are selected by the leadership of the security forces; representatives of former armed groups to the Sovereign Council are selected by the signatories of the Juba Peace Agreement

head of government

Sovereign Council Chair and Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces General Abd-al-Fattah al-BURHAN Abd-al-Rahman

note

note 1: the 2019 Constitutional Declaration established a collective chief of state of the "Sovereign Council," which was chaired by al-BURHAN; on 25 October 2021, al-BURHAN dissolved the Sovereign Council but reinstated it on 11 November 2021, replacing its civilian members (previously selected by the umbrella civilian coalition the Forces for Freedom and Change) with civilians of the military’s choosing but then relieved the newly appointed civilian members of their duties on 6 July 2022note 2: Sovereign Council currently consists of only the 5 generalsnote 3: former Prime Minister Abdallah HAMDOUK resigned on 2 January 2022; HAMDOUK served as prime minister from August 2019 to October 2019 before he was kidnapped; he was later freed and reinstated as prime minister on 21 November 2021

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with a green isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; colors and design based on the Arab Revolt flag of World War I, but the meanings of the colors are expressed as follows: red signifies the struggle for freedom, white is the color of peace, light, and love, black represents the people of Sudan (in Arabic 'Sudan' means black), green is the color of Islam, agriculture, and prosperity

Government type

presidential republic

Independence

1 January 1956 (from Egypt and the UK)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; withdrew acceptance of ICCt jurisdiction in 2008

International organization participation

ABEDA, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU (suspended), CAEU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

National Supreme Court (consists of 70 judges organized into panels of 3 judges and includes 4 circuits that operate outside the capital); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 justices including the court president); note - the Constitutional Court resides outside the national judiciary and has not been appointed since the signature of the 2019 Constitutional Declaration

judge selection and term of office

National Supreme Court and Constitutional Court judges selected by the Supreme Judicial Council, which replaced the National Judicial Service Commission upon enactment of the 2019 Constitutional Declaration

subordinate courts

Court of Appeal; other national courts; public courts; district, town, and rural courts

Legal system

mixed legal system of Islamic law and English common law; note - in mid-July 2020, Sudan amended 15 provisions of its 1991 penal code

Legislative branch

elections

Council of State - last held 1 June 2015; dissolved in April 2019National Assembly - last held on 13-15 April 2015; dissolved in April 2019

note

note:  the Parliament of Sudan was dissolved after a coup in April 2019; the August 2019 Constitutional Declaration established Sudan's transitional government; a Transitional Legislative Council (TLC) was to have served as the national legislature during the transitional period until elections could be held, but the TLC has not been created

National anthem

lyrics/music

Sayed Ahmad Muhammad SALIH/Ahmad MURJAN

name

"Nahnu Djundulla Djundulwatan" (We Are the Army of God and of Our Land)

note

note: adopted 1956; originally served as the anthem of the Sudanese military

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Gebel Barkal and the Sites of the Napatan Region (c); Archaeological Sites of the Island of Meroe (c); Sanganeb Marine National Park and Dungonab Bay – Mukkawar Island Marine National Park (n)

total World Heritage Sites

3 (2 cultural, 1 natural)

National holiday

Independence Day, 1 January (1956)

National symbol(s)

secretary bird; national colors: red, white, black, green

Political parties

Democratic Unionist PartyDemocratic Unionist Party or DUPFederal Umma PartyMuslim Brotherhood or MBNational Congress Party or NCPNational Umma Party or NUPPopular Congress Party or PCPReform Movement NowSudan National FrontSudanese Communist Party or SCPSudanese Congress Party or SCoPUmma Party for Reform and DevelopmentUnionist Movement Party or UMP

note

note:  in November 2019, the transitional government banned the National Congress Party

Suffrage

17 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

sorghum, sugarcane, milk, groundnuts, millet, onions, sesame seeds, goat milk, bananas, mangoes/guavas (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Budget

expenditures

$9.103 billion (2015 est.)

note

note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

revenues

$9.045 billion (2015 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2020

-$5.841 billion (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

-$2.62 billion (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

-$4.443 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Debt - external

Debt - external 2022

$19.642 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

Economic overview

low-income Sahel economy devastated by ongoing civil war; major impacts on rural income, basic commodity prices, industrial production, agricultural supply chain, communications and commerce; hyperinflation and currency depreciation worsening food access and humanitarian conditions

Exchange rates

Currency

Sudanese pounds (SDG) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2018

24.329 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

45.767 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

53.996 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

370.791 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

546.759 (2022 est.)

Exports

Exports 2020

$5.065 billion (2020 est.)

Exports 2021

$6.664 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$5.908 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

gold, crude petroleum, oil seeds, ground nuts, cotton (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

UAE 43%, China 16%, Italy 8%, Egypt 8%, Turkey 4% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

1.2% (2023 est.)

government consumption

16.2% (2023 est.)

household consumption

81.7% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-1% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

2% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

5.6% (2023 est.)

industry

5.2% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

7.6% (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$109.327 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2014

34.2 (2014 est.)

note

note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

27.8% (2014 est.)

lowest 10%

3.2% (2014 est.)

note

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports

Imports 2020

$10.52 billion (2020 est.)

Imports 2021

$10.271 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$11.575 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

raw sugar, wheat, refined petroleum, garments, jewelry (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

China 22%, UAE 20%, India 18%, Egypt 9%, Turkey 5% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

-11.6% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

oil, cotton ginning, textiles, cement, edible oils, sugar, soap distilling, shoes, petroleum refining, pharmaceuticals, armaments, automobile/light truck assembly, milling

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

163.26% (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

359.09% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

138.81% (2022 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

13.59 million (2023 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Public debt

Public debt 2017

121.6% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$156.168 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$154.672 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$136.039 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2021

-1.87% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

-0.96% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

-12.05% (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2021

$3,400 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$3,300 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$2,800 (2023 est.)

Remittances

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

3.27% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

2.9% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

0.91% of GDP (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2015

$173.516 million (2015 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2016

$168.284 million (2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2017

$177.934 million (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

7.39% (of GDP) (2016 est.)

note

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Unemployment rate

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

11.47% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

7.53% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

11.45% (2023 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

17.5% (2023 est.)

male

18.5% (2023 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

18.2% (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

1,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

16.496 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

16.497 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Coal

exports

35 metric tons (2022 est.)

imports

300 metric tons (2022 est.)

Electricity

consumption

14.875 billion kWh (2022 est.)

imports

933 million kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

3.815 million kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

3.913 billion kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

49.4%

electrification - total population

63.2% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

84%

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

fossil fuels

37.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

hydroelectricity

61.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

0.2% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

6.271 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

Natural gas

proven reserves

84.951 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil estimated reserves

1.25 billion barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

127,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

total petroleum production

68,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

0.1 (2020 est.)

total

28,782 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

Following the establishment of Sudan’s transitional government in August 2019, government-owned broadcasters became increasingly independent from government and military control. Following the October 2021 military takeover, additional restrictions were imposed on these government-owned broadcasters, which now practice a heightened degree of self-censorship but still operate more independently than in the pre-2019 environment. (2022)

Internet country code

.sd

Internet users

percent of population

28.8% (2021 est.)

total

13.248 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

teledensity fixed-line is 1 per 100 and mobile-cellular is 74 telephones per 100 persons (2022)

general assessment

Sudan emerged as a poorer country when South Sudan separated from it in 2011; although Sudan has about four times the population of South Sudan, the latter benefits from its control of the majority of known oil reserves; the Sudanese economy has been affected by hyperinflation in recent years, partly the result of the loss of oil revenue but also due to domestic volatility and social unrest; the difficult economic conditions have meant that for several years telcos have reported revenue under hyper inflationary reporting standards; pressure on revenue has made it difficult for operators to invest in infrastructure upgrades, and so provide improved services to customers; despite this, the number of mobile subscribers increased 7% in 2021, year-on-year; this level of growth is expected to have been maintained in 2022, though could slow from 2023; the country’s poor fixed-line infrastructure has helped the development of mobile broadband services; after fighting started in April 2023, much of the telecommunications infrastructure was damaged (2023)

international

country code - 249; landing points for the EASSy, FALCON and SAS-1,-2, fiber-optic submarine cable systems linking Africa, the Middle East, Indian Ocean Islands and Asia; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2022 est.) less than 1

total subscriptions

156,000 (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

74 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

34.671 million (2022 est.)

Airports

41 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

ST

Heliports

4 (2024)

Merchant marine

by type

other 14

total

14 (2023)

National air transport system

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

269,958 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

42

number of registered air carriers

9 (2020)

Pipelines

156 km gas, 4,070 km oil, 1,613 km refined products (2013)

Ports

key ports

Al Khair Oil Terminal, Beshayer Oil Terminal, Port Sudan, Sawakin Harbor

medium

2

ports with oil terminals

3

small

2

total ports

4 (2024)

Railways

narrow gauge

5,851 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge

note

1,400 km 0.600-m gauge for cotton plantations

total

7,251 km (2014)

Roadways

paved

8,000 km

total

30,000 km

unpaved

22,000 km

urban

1,000 km (2019)

Waterways

4,068 km (2011) (1,723 km open year-round on White and Blue Nile Rivers)

Military - note

the primary responsibilities of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) are internal security, border control, and countering potential external threats from its neighbors; SAF operations have traditionally been supported by militia and paramilitary forces, particularly the Rapid Support Forces (RSF); in the Spring of 2023, heavy fighting broke out between the SAF and the paramilitary RSF, particularly around the capital Khartoum and in the western region of Darfur, amid disputes over an internationally-backed plan for a transition towards civilian rule; fighting has since spread and continued into 2024 with reports of atrocities, ethnic cleansing, food insecurity, heavy civilian casualties, and millions of internally displaced personsthe Sudanese military has been a dominant force in the ruling of the country since its independence in 1956; in addition, the military has a large role in the country's economy, reportedly controlling over 200 commercial companies, including businesses involved in gold mining, rubber production, agriculture, and meat exports the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) has operated in the disputed Abyei region along the border between Sudan and South Sudan since 2011; UNISFA's mission includes ensuring security, protecting civilians, strengthening the capacity of the Abyei Police Service, de-mining, monitoring/verifying the redeployment of armed forces from the area, and facilitating the flow of humanitarian aid; as of 2024, UNISFA had approximately 3,200 personnel assignedthe October 2020 peace agreement provided for the establishment of a Joint Security Keeping Forces (JSKF) comprised of 12,000 personnel tasked with securing the Darfur region in the place of the UN African Union Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), a joint African Union-UN peacekeeping force that operated in the war-torn region between 2007 and the end of its mandate in December 2020; in June 2021, Sudan's transitional government announced it would increase the size of this force to 20,000 and expand its mission scope to include the capital and other parts of the country suffering from violence; the force would include the SAF, RSF, police, intelligence, and representatives from armed groups involved in peace negotiations; in September 2022, the first 2,000 members of the JSKF completed training; the status of the JSKF since the start of the civil war is not available (2024)

Military and security forces

Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF): Ground Force, Navy, Sudanese Air Force; Rapid Support Forces (RSF); Border GuardsMinistry of Interior: security police, special forces police, traffic police, Central Reserve Police (2024)

note

note 1: the RSF is a semi-autonomous paramilitary force formed in 2013 to fight armed rebel groups in Sudan, with Mohammed Hamdan DAGALO (aka Hemeti) as its commander; it was initially placed under the National Intelligence and Security Service, then came under the direct command of former president Omar al-BASHIR, who boosted the RSF as his own personal security force; as a result, the RSF was better funded and equipped than the regular armed forces; the RSF has since recruited from all parts of Sudan beyond its original Darfuri Arab groups but remains under the personal patronage and control of DAGALO; the RSF has participated in combat operations in Yemen and in counterinsurgency operations in Darfur, South Kordofan, and the Blue Nile State; it has also been active along the borders with Libya and the Central African Republic and has been used to respond to anti-regime demonstrations; the RSF has been accused of committing human rights abuses against civilians and is reportedly involved in business enterprises, such as gold mining; in 2023, heavy fighting broke out between the SAF and the RSFnote 2: the Central Reserve Police (aka Abu Tira) is a combat-trained paramilitary force that has been used against demonstrators and sanctioned by the US for human rights abuses

Military and security service personnel strengths

prior to the outbreak of fighting between the SAF and the RSF in 2023, size estimates for Sudanese armed forces varied widely: up to 200,000 SAF personnel; up to 100,000 RSF fighters; up to 80,000 Central Reserve Police (2023)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the SAF's inventory includes a mix of mostly Chinese, Russian, Soviet-era, and domestically produced weapons systems; Sudan has one of the largest defense industries in Africa, which includes state-owned companies with military involvement; it has mostly manufactured weapons systems under license from China, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine (2024)

note

note 1: Sudan has been under a UN Security Council approved arms embargo since 2005 as a result of violence in Darfur; in September 2024, the embargo was extended for another yearnote 2:  the RSF traditionally has been a lightly armed paramilitary force but over the years is reported to have acquired some heavier weapons and equipment such as armored vehicles, artillery, and anti-aircraft guns, although their origins are not available; it has captured some SAF arms and equipment during the ongoing conflict; since the start of the conflict, both the RSF and the SAF are reported to have received additional weaponry from various foreign suppliers

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2017

3.6% of GDP (2017 est.)

Military Expenditures 2018

2% of GDP (2018 est.)

Military Expenditures 2019

2.4% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military Expenditures 2020

1% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

1% of GDP (2021 est.)

note

note: many defense expenditures are probably off-budget

Military service age and obligation

18-33 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service for men and women; 12-24 month service obligation (2023)

note

note: implementation of conscription is reportedly uneven

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

6.5 million (armed conflict between rival factions of the military government of Sudan since 15 April 2023) (2024); note - includes some non-Sudanese nationals

refugees (country of origin)

696,246 (South Sudan) (refugees and asylum seekers), 137,402 (Eritrea) (refugees and asylum seekers), 93,477 (Syria) (refugees and asylum seekers), 72,334 (Ethiopia) (refugees and asylum seekers), 18,279 (Central African Republic) (2023)

Trafficking in persons

tier rating

Tier 3 — Sudan does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; therefore, Sudan was downgraded to Tier 3; for more details, go to:  https://www.state.gov/reports/2024-trafficking-in-persons-report/sudan/

Terrorist group(s)

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); al-Qa’ida; Harakat Sawa’d Misr

note

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

20 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

75.1 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

21.43 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate

hot and dry; arid desert; rainy season varies by region (April to November)

Environment - current issues

water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water; water scarcity and periodic drought; wildlife populations threatened by excessive hunting; soil erosion; desertification; deforestation; loss of biodiversity  

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Food insecurity

severe localized food insecurity

due to conflict, civil insecurity, and soaring food prices - about 19.9 million people are currently expected to require emergency food and livelihood assistance, due to the conflict that broke out in mid-April 2023 which severely damaged livelihoods, paralyzed economic activities, triggered a surge in the already high food prices and caused large-scale displacements, with about 1.67 million people displaced inside of the country and about 528,000 people having fled to neighboring countries (2023)

Land use

agricultural land

100% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 15.7% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 84.2% (2018 est.)

forest

0% (2018 est.)

other

0% (2018 est.)

Major aquifers

Nubian Aquifer System, Sudd Basin (Umm Ruwaba Aquifer)

Major rivers (by length in km)

An Nīl (Nile) (shared with Rwanda [s], Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan, and Egypt [m]) - 6,650 km; Blue Nile river mouth (shared with Ethiopia [s]) - 1,600 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Mediterranean Sea) Nile (3,254,853 sq km)Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: Lake Chad (2,497,738 sq km)

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

3.01% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

37.8 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

25.91 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

80 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

950 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

3.43% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

36.3% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

2,831,291 tons (2015 est.)