Sudan
Some figures reconciled across multiple sources via Civica's methodology (v0.2 BETA). Methodology →
Sudan⌘K
Overview
- 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.
Geography
Area
- Land
- 1,731,671 sq km
- Water
- 129,813 sq km
- Total
- 1,861,484 sq km
- Climate
- hot and dry; arid desert; rainy season varies by region (April to November)
- Terrain
- generally flat, featureless plain; desert dominates the north
Land Use
- Other
- 27.7% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 12% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 60.3% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 11.2% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 0.1% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 49% (2023 est.)
- Location
- north-eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea
- Coastline
- 853 km
Elevation
- Lowest point
- Red Sea 0 m
- Highest point
- Jabal Marrah 3,042 m
- Mean elevation
- 568 m
- Irrigated land
- 15,504 sq km (2019)
- Major aquifers
- Nubian Aquifer System, Sudd Basin (Umm Ruwaba Aquifer)
- Map references
- Africa
Land Boundaries
- 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
- 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
Maritime Claims
- Contiguous zone
- 18 nm
- Territorial sea
- 12 nm
- Continental shelf
- 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
- Natural hazards
- dust storms and periodic persistent droughts
- 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
- Natural resources
- petroleum; small reserves of iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, gold; hydropower
- Area comparative
- slightly less than one-fifth the size of the US
- Geographic coordinates
- 15 00 N, 30 00 E
- Population distribution
- with the exception of a ribbon of settlement that corresponds to the banks of the Nile, northern Sudan is sparsely populated; 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
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)
- 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 km
note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
People & Society
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)
- Religions
- Sunni Muslim, small Christian minority
Sex Ratio
- At birth
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 0 14 years
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- 15 64 years
- 0.99 male(s)/female
- Total population
- 1.01 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
- 65 years and over
- 1.07 male(s)/female
- Birth rate
- 32.95 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Death rate
- 6 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Median Age
- Male
- 19 years
- Total
- 19.5 years (2025 est.)
- Female
- 19.6 years
Population
- Male
- 25,335,092
- Total
- 50,467,278 (2024 est.)
- Female
- 25,132,186
Nationality
- Noun
- Sudanese (singular and plural)
- Adjective
- Sudanese
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 36.3% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 3.43% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
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)
- Ethnic groups
- Sudanese Arab (approximately 70%), Fur, Beja, Nuba, Ingessana, Uduk, Fallata, Masalit, Dajo, Gimir, Tunjur, Berti; there are over 500 ethnic groups
Dependency Ratios
- Total dependency ratio
- 76.4 (2024 est.)
- Youth dependency ratio
- 70.7 (2024 est.)
- Potential support ratio
- 17.5 (2024 est.)
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 5.7 (2024 est.)
- Physician density
- 0.25 physicians/1,000 population (2017)
Health Expenditure
- Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
- 2.8% of GDP (2021)
- Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
- 6.7% of national budget (2022 est.)
- Net migration rate
- -1.55 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Hospital bed density
- 0.7 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)
- Total fertility rate
- 4.41 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Drinking Water Source
- Improved: rural
- rural: 59.7% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: total
- total: 64.9% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: urban
- urban: 74.2% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: rural
- rural: 40.3% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: total
- total: 35.1% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: urban
- urban: 25.8% of population (2022 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate
- Male
- 46 deaths/1,000 live births
- Total
- 39.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
- Female
- 34.8 deaths/1,000 live births
- Population growth rate
- 2.54% (2025 est.)
- Gross reproduction rate
- 2.15 (2025 est.)
- Population distribution
- with the exception of a ribbon of settlement that corresponds to the banks of the Nile, northern Sudan is sparsely populated; 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
Life Expectancy at Birth
- Male
- 65.5 years
- Female
- 70.2 years
- Total population
- 67.8 years (2024 est.)
- Maternal mortality ratio
- 256 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Alcohol Consumption Per Capita
- Beer
- 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Wine
- 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Total
- 1.93 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Spirits
- 0.29 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Other alcohols
- 1.63 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Major urban areas population
- 6.344 million KHARTOUM (capital), 1.057 million Nyala (2023)
- Obesity adult prevalence rate
- 6.6% (2014)
- Children under the age of 5 years underweight
- 33% (2014)
School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)
- Male
- 7 years (2015 est.)
- Total
- 7 years (2015 est.)
- Female
- 7 years (2015 est.)
Government
Civica · structure
How power is organised
ExecutiveLegislative
- Flag
- description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black, with a green isosceles triangle based on the left side
meaning: red stands for the struggle for freedom; white for peace, light, and love, black for the people; green for Islam, agriculture, and prosperity
history: colors and design are based on the Arab Revolt flag of World War I
Capital
- Name
- Khartoum
- Etymology
- the name derives from the Arabic words ras (head or end) and al-khurtum (elephant's trunk), referring to the narrow strip of land between the Blue and White Niles where the city is located
- Time difference
- UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Geographic coordinates
- 15 36 N, 32 32 E
- Suffrage
- 17 years of age; universal
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
- Note
- note: 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
- Former
- Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Sudan
- Etymology
- the name derives from the Arabic balad-as-sudan, meaning "Land of the Black [peoples]"
- Local long form
- Jumhuriyat as-Sudan
- Local short form
- As-Sudan
- Conventional long form
- Republic of the Sudan
- Conventional short form
- Sudan
- Independence
- 1 January 1956 (from Egypt and the UK)
- Legal system
- mixed system of Islamic law and English common law
- Government type
- presidential republic
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); a Constitutional Court was required in the 2019 Constitutional Declaration, but it has yet to be implemented
- Subordinate courts
- Court of Appeal; other national courts; public courts; district, town, and rural courts
- Judge selection and term of office
- National Supreme Court and Constitutional Court judges selected by the Supreme Judicial Council
Executive Branch
- 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 2022
note 2: Sovereign Council currently consists of 5 generals - Cabinet
- the military forced most members of the Council of Ministers out of office in 2021; a handful of ministers appointed by former armed opposition groups were allowed to retain their posts; at present, most of the members of the Council are appointed senior civil servants serving in an acting-minister capacity
- Chief of state
- Sovereign Council Chair and Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces General Abd-al-Fattah al-BURHAN Abd-al-Rahman (since 11 November 2021)
- Election results
- NA
- Head of government
- Sovereign Council Chair and Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces General Abd-al-Fattah al-BURHAN Abd-al-Rahman (since 11 November 2021)
- Election/appointment process
- 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
- Expected date of next election
- supposed to be held in 2022 or 2023, but the methodology for elections has still not been defined
- National holiday
- Independence Day, 1 January (1956)
- National color(s)
- red, white, black, green
National Heritage
- Total world heritage sites
- 3 (2 cultural, 1 natural)
- 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)
- Political parties
- Democratic Unionist Party
Democratic Unionist Party or DUP
Federal Umma Party
Muslim Brotherhood or MB
National Congress Party or NCP
National Umma Party or NUP
Popular Congress Party or PCP
Reform Movement Now
Sudan National Front
Sudanese Communist Party or SCP
Sudanese Congress Party or SCoP
Umma Party for Reform and Development
Unionist Movement Party or UMP
Legislative Branch
- 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(s)
- Title
- "Nahnu Djundulla Djundulwatan" (We Are the Army of God and of Our Land)
- History
- adopted 1956; originally served as the anthem of the Sudanese military
- Lyrics/music
- Sayed Ahmad Muhammad SALIH/Ahmad MURJAN
- National symbol(s)
- secretary bird
- 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
Diplomatic Representation in the US
- Fax
- [1] (202) 667-2406
- Chancery
- 2210 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
- Telephone
- [1] (202) 338-8565
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador Mohamed Abdalla IDRIS (since 16 September 2022)
- Email address and website
consular@sudanembassy.org
https://www.sudanembassy.org/
Diplomatic Representation from the US
- Note
- note: the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum suspended operations (to include visa, passport, and other routine consular services) on 22 April 2023
- Embassy
- P.O. Box 699, Kilo 10, Soba, Khartoum
- Telephone
- [249] 187-0-22000
- Mailing address
- 2200 Khartoum Place, Washington DC 20521-2200
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Colleen Crenwelge (since May 2024)
- Email address and website
ACSKhartoum@state.gov
https://sd.usembassy.gov/
- International organisations
- 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)
- International law organization participation
- accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; withdrew acceptance of ICCt jurisdiction in 2008
Legislature
SUDAN · LOWER HOUSE
National Assembly
426 seats · hover a seat for the party
Total seats
426
Majority line
214
Largest party
—
Parties
—
Upper house
SUDAN · UPPER HOUSE
Council of States
56 seats · hover a seat for the party
Total seats
56
Majority line
29
Largest party
—
Parties
—
Leaders
Current
Abdel Fattah al-Burhan
- Head of State
Abdalla Hamdok
- Head of Government
Economy
Budget
- 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.)
- Expenditures
- $9.103 billion (2015 est.)
Exports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $5.065 billion (2020 est.)
- Note
- note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
- Exports 2020
- $5.065 billion (2020 est.)
- Exports 2021
- $6.664 billion (2021 est.)
- Exports 2022
- $5.908 billion (2022 est.)
Imports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $10.52 billion (2020 est.)
- Note
- note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
- Imports 2020
- $10.52 billion (2020 est.)
- Imports 2021
- $10.271 billion (2021 est.)
- Imports 2022
- $11.575 billion (2022 est.)
- Industries
- oil, cotton ginning, textiles, cement, edible oils, sugar, soap distilling, shoes, petroleum refining, pharmaceuticals, armaments, automobile/light truck assembly, milling
- Labor force
- 10.949 million (2022 est.)
Public Debt
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 99.5% of GDP (2016 est.)
- Public debt 2016
- 99.5% of GDP (2016 est.)
Remittances
- Note
- note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
- Remittances 2021
- 3.3% of GDP (2021 est.)
- Remittances 2022
- 2.9% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Remittances 2023
- 2.5% of GDP (2023 est.)
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.)
Debt External
- Note
- note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
- Debt external 2023
- $21.65 billion (2023 est.)
- 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
Unemployment Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 11.45% (2023 est.)
- Note
- note: % of labor force seeking employment
- Unemployment rate 2021
- 11.1% (2021 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2022
- 7.6% (2022 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2023
- 11.45% (2023 est.)
- Exports partners
- UAE 21%, China 17%, Saudi Arabia 16%, Malaysia 9%, Egypt 8% (2023)
- Imports partners
- China 21%, India 19%, Egypt 16%, UAE 14%, Saudi Arabia 7% (2023)
Real GDP Per Capita
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $2,116
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP per capita 2022
- $3,100 (2022 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2023
- $2,200 (2023 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2024
- $1,900 (2024 est.)
Real GDP Growth Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- -14.0%
- Note
- note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
- Real GDP growth rate 2022
- -1% (2022 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2023
- -29.4% (2023 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2024
- -13.5% (2024 est.)
- Agricultural products
- sugarcane, sorghum, milk, onions, groundnuts, sesame seeds, goat milk, bananas, mangoes/guavas, millet (2023)
- Exports commodities
- crude petroleum, gold, oil seeds, sheep and goats, ground nuts (2023)
- Imports commodities
- raw sugar, wheat flours, refined petroleum, garments, packaged medicine (2023)
Current Account Balance
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- -$4.4B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
- 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.)
- Taxes and other revenues
- 7.4% (of GDP) (2016 est.)
- GDP (official exchange rate)
- $49.91 billion (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY End Use
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
- Household consumption
- 80.7% (2024 est.)
- Government consumption
- 16.5% (2024 est.)
- Investment in inventories
- 0% (2024 est.)
- Investment in fixed capital
- 2.9% (2024 est.)
- Exports of goods and services
- 1.2% (2024 est.)
- Imports of goods and services
- -1.3% (2024 est.)
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 138.8%
- Note
- note: annual % change based on consumer prices
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020
- 163.3% (2020 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021
- 359.1% (2021 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
- 138.8% (2022 est.)
- Industrial production growth rate
- -13.1% (2024 est.)
Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $94.42 billion (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
- $154.672 billion (2022 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
- $109.147 billion (2023 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024
- $94.42 billion (2024 est.)
Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)
- Male
- 11.8% (2022 est.)
- Note
- note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
- Total
- 12% (2022 est.)
- Female
- 13.1% (2022 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.)
GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
- Industry
- 23% (2024 est.)
- Services
- 54.9% (2024 est.)
- Agriculture
- 22.1% (2024 est.)
Energy
Coal
- Exports
- 15 metric tons (2023 est.)
- Imports
- 200 metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum
- Total petroleum production
- 68,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
- Crude oil estimated reserves
- 1.25 billion barrels (2021 est.)
- Refined petroleum consumption
- 129,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Electricity
- Imports
- 882 million kWh (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 13.983 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Installed generating capacity
- 3.815 million kW (2023 est.)
- Transmission/distribution losses
- 3.646 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Natural Gas
- Proven reserves
- 84.951 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Electricity Access
- Electrification rural areas
- 49.4%
- Electrification urban areas
- 84%
- Electrification total population
- 63.2% (2022 est.)
Energy Consumption Per Capita
- Total energy consumption per capita 2023
- 6.145 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Electricity Generation Sources
- Solar
- 0.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Fossil fuels
- 29.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Hydroelectricity
- 68.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Biomass and waste
- 0.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Communications
Internet Users
- Percent of population
- 26% (2020 est.)
- Broadcast media
- state-owned broadcasters that self-censor but are somewhat independent (2022)
- Internet country code
- .sd
Telephones Fixed Lines
- Total subscriptions
- 156,000 (2022 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- (2022 est.) less than 1
Telephones Mobile Cellular
- Total subscriptions
- 34.7 million (2022 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 74 (2022 est.)
Broadband Fixed Subscriptions
- Total
- 30,000 (2022 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- (2022 est.) less than 1
Transport
Ports
- Large
- 0
- Small
- 2
- Medium
- 2
- Key ports
- Al Khair Oil Terminal, Beshayer Oil Terminal, Port Sudan, Sawakin Harbor
- Very small
- 0
- Total ports
- 4 (2024)
- Ports with oil terminals
- 3
- Airports
- 45 (2025)
Railways
- Note
- 1,400 km 0.600-m gauge for cotton plantations
- Total
- 7,251 km (2014)
- Narrow gauge
- 5,851 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge
- Heliports
- 8 (2025)
Merchant Marine
- Total
- 14 (2023)
- BY type
- other 14
- Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
- ST
Environment
- Climate
- hot and dry; arid desert; rainy season varies by region (April to November)
Land Use
- Other
- 27.7% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 12% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 60.3% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 11.2% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 0.1% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 49% (2023 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 36.3% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 3.43% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Methane Emissions
- Other
- 38.8 kt (2019-2021 est.)
- Waste
- 198.7 kt (2019-2021 est.)
- Energy
- 218.5 kt (2022-2024 est.)
- Agriculture
- 1,509.6 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Waste and Recycling
- Municipal solid waste generated annually
- 2.831 million tons (2024 est.)
- Percent of municipal solid waste recycled
- 8.9% (2022 est.)
- Environmental issues
- water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water; water scarcity and drought; overhunting; soil erosion; desertification; deforestation; loss of biodiversity
Total Water Withdrawal
- Municipal
- 950 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
- Industrial
- 75 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
- Agricultural
- 25.91 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
- Total emissions
- 18.242 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From coal and metallurgical coke
- 300 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From petroleum and other liquids
- 18.242 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- Particulate matter emissions
- 24.4 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
- Total renewable water resources
- 37.8 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
International Environmental 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
Military & Security
- Military note
- the primary responsibilities of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) are border control, external defense, and internal security; SAF operations have traditionally been supported by militia and paramilitary forces, particularly the Rapid Support Forces (RSF); in the Spring of 2023, fighting broke out between the SAF and the 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 subsequently spread and continued into 2025 with reports of atrocities, ethnic cleansing, food insecurity, heavy civilian casualties, and millions of internally displaced persons; each side is supported by allied militias and both reportedly have received foreign support
the 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 2025, UNISFA had approximately 3,800 personnel assigned (2025)
Military Expenditures
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 0.9%
- Note
- note: many defense expenditures are probably off-budget
- 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.)
- Military and security forces
- Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF): Ground Force (Sudanese Army), Sudanese Navy, Sudanese Air Force; Rapid Support Forces (RSF); Border Guards
Ministry of Interior: Sudan Police Forces (SPF), Central Reserve Police (CRP) (2025) - Military service age and obligation
- 18-33 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service for men and women; service obligation 12-24 months (2025)
- Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
- the SAF's inventory includes a mix of mostly Chinese, Russian/Soviet, and some domestically produced weapons systems; Sudan has a state-run defense industry, which mostly manufactures copies of foreign-supplied armaments, such as armored vehicles, under license (2025)
- Military and security service personnel strengths
- prior to the outbreak of fighting between the SAF and the RSF in 2023, size estimates for Sudan's armed forces varied widely: up to 200,000 SAF; up to 100,000 RSF; up to 80,000 Central Reserve Police (2023)
Terrorism
- Terrorist group(s)
- Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); al-Qa’ida; Harakat Sawa’d Misr
Transnational Issues
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 remained on Tier 3; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/sudan
Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons
- Idps
- 11,559,970 (2024 est.)
- Refugees
- 837,988 (2024 est.)
Scores & Rankings
ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of
Civica Index10.0 / 100as of 2024-Q4182 / 1902024-Q4
V-Dem Liberal Democracy0.04as of 2024-Q4162 / 1702024-Q4
Freedom House StatusNot Free (8/100)as of 2024-Q4—2024-Q4
Press Freedom (RSF)Partly free (50/100)as of 2024—2024
Cite this page
Cite this page
Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Sudan — vintage 2026-Q1: Sudan factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/sudan
Sources: FAO FAOSTAT, ILO ILOSTAT, IMF (WEO), UN Statistics Division, UNDP HDR, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, WTO Stats, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata