Country profile · Sub-Saharan Africa

🇸🇩 Sudan

Low income. Capital Khartoum. Full World Bank, WHO, ILO & OECD indicator profile across 39 measures, with regional peers and rankings.

50.4 million
Population
$49.7 billion
GDP
$985
GDP / capita
66.5 years
Life expectancy
Sub-Saharan Africa Low income Capital: Khartoum

The verdict

Sudan ranks 94th of 217 by total GDP and 182nd for life expectancy - a low income economy in Sub-Saharan Africa.

#94
World GDP rank (of 217)
$985
GDP per capita
#182
Life-expectancy rank
#30
Population rank

Ranks are computed across the 217 countries with data for each indicator; see the full tables and sources below.

Sudan on the global income map

Sudan (SDN) plotted alongside its largest economic peers on GDP per capita and the Human Development Index. Bubble area scales with population; color encodes income tier; gold rings mark OECD members.

Sudan on the global income map Sudan positioned on the GDP-per-capita / HDI plane against its largest economic peers. 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 $200 $1K $10K $100K GDP per capita (USD, log scale) Human Development Index (0–1) India - GDP/cap $2,695 · lower-middle income IND China - GDP/cap $13,303 · upper-middle income CHN United States - GDP/cap $84,534 · high income · OECD USA Indonesia - GDP/cap $4,925 · upper-middle income IDN Pakistan - GDP/cap $1,479 · lower-middle income Nigeria - GDP/cap $1,084 · low income Brazil - GDP/cap $10,311 · upper-middle income Bangladesh - GDP/cap $2,593 · lower-middle income Russian Federation - GDP/cap $14,889 · high income Ethiopia - GDP/cap $1,134 · low income Mexico - GDP/cap $14,186 · high income · OECD Japan - GDP/cap $32,487 · high income · OECD Egypt, Arab Rep. - GDP/cap $3,338 · lower-middle income Philippines - GDP/cap $3,985 · lower-middle income Congo, Dem. Rep. - GDP/cap $693 · low income Viet Nam - GDP/cap $4,717 · upper-middle income Iran, Islamic Rep. - GDP/cap $5,190 · upper-middle income Turkiye - GDP/cap $15,893 · high income · OECD Germany - GDP/cap $56,104 · high income · OECD Thailand - GDP/cap $7,387 · upper-middle income United Kingdom - GDP/cap $53,246 · high income · OECD Tanzania - GDP/cap $1,193 · lower-middle income France - GDP/cap $46,103 · high income · OECD South Africa - GDP/cap $6,267 · upper-middle income Italy - GDP/cap $40,385 · high income · OECD Kenya - GDP/cap $2,133 · lower-middle income Myanmar - GDP/cap $1,359 · lower-middle income Colombia - GDP/cap $7,951 · upper-middle income · OECD Korea, Rep. - GDP/cap $36,239 · high income · OECD Sudan - GDP/cap $985 · low income Income tier Low Lower-middle Upper-middle High OECD member

Indicators tracked

39

Across 8 topic areas

GDP per capita

$985

Latest WB report

Population

50.4 million

UN estimate

OECD member

No

Outside OECD harmonized stats

Population
50.4 million
GDP
$49.7 billion
GDP per Capita
$985
Life Expectancy
66.5 years

Overview

Sudan has a population of 50.4 million, making it the 30th-most populous country out of 217 tracked in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Its economy totals $49.7 billion - ranked 94th globally by total GDP. GDP per capita stands at $985, placing it in the Low income category.

Life expectancy at birth is 66.5 years (ranked 182nd globally), reflecting overall health outcomes as measured by the World Bank.

The capital is Khartoum.

👥 Demographics

Population
50.4 million
2024
Population Ages 0-14
40.5%
2024
Population Ages 65+
3.3%
2024
Population Density
26.8/km²
2023
Urban Population
34.9%
2024

💰 Economy

Foreign Direct Investment
$548.2 million
2023
GDP (Current USD)
$49.7 billion
2024
GDP Growth Rate
-14.0%
2024
GDP Per Capita (Current USD)
$984.608
2024
Inflation (Consumer Prices)
138.8%
2022
Trade (% of GDP)
2.0%
2024
Unemployment Rate
7.5%
2022

🏥 Health

Health Expenditure (% of GDP)
2.9%
2023
Infant Mortality Rate
42.9 per 1,000
2024
Life Expectancy at Birth
66.5 years
2024
Maternal Mortality Ratio
256
2023
Physicians (per 1,000 people)
0.3 per 1,000
2017
Stunting Prevalence (under 5)
38.2
2014
Under-5 Mortality Rate
61.6 per 1,000
2024

📚 Education

Education Expenditure (% of GDP)
2.0%
2009
Literacy Rate (Adult)
53.5
2008
School Enrollment (Primary)
72.4
2019
School Enrollment (Secondary)
43.5
2019
School Enrollment (Tertiary)
15.9
2015
Youth Literacy Rate
65.8
2008

🌍 Environment

CO2 Emissions Per Capita
0.4
2024
Electric Power Consumption
223 kWh
2023
Forest Area
9.6
2023
Freshwater Withdrawal
673.4
2022
Renewable Energy Consumption
61.0%
2021

🏗️ Infrastructure

Access to Electricity
66.0%
2023
Internet Users
18.6%
2017
Mobile Subscriptions
70.2
2022

⚖️ Social

Female Labor Participation
14.5
2022
GINI Index
34.2
2014
Intentional Homicides
5.1
2008
Male Labor Participation
61.6
2022
Net Migration
-544,257
2024
Poverty (< $2.15/day)
10.1%
2014

🫀 Disease Burden

Key causes of death and disease risk in Sudan. Source: WHO Global Health Observatory.

NCD Death Rate
579
per 100K · 2021
Premature NCD Risk
21.2%
dying 30–70 from NCD
Road Traffic Deaths
19.6
per 100K
Suicide Rate
6.6
per 100K
TB Deaths
8.60
per 100K
Maternal Mortality
256
per 100K births

Sources: WHO Global Health Observatory. NCD mortality rate: 2021. Rates are age-standardized per 100,000 population. Premature NCD risk covers cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory disease.

Compare Sudan with Another Country

What the data says about Sudan

Statistical infrastructure in low-income economies like Sudan typically relies more heavily on household surveys and modeled estimates than on continuous administrative registration, so several figures on this profile carry a wider margin of uncertainty and a longer lag between the reference year and today than a high-income country's data would. Spread across a large population, Sudan's national averages can obscure enormous variation between its urban centres and its rural regions, so a single national figure should be read as a rough midpoint rather than a description of most people's actual circumstances. Absence of data should never be read as evidence of good or bad performance.

Sudan sits in Sub-Saharan Africa with a population of 50.4 million, placing it 30th out of 217 countries by headcount. Its capital, Khartoum, anchors a Low income economy with total GDP of $49.7 billion - ranked 94th globally, and GDP per capita of $985. This combination of demographic scale and economic output shapes everything from household purchasing power and domestic market depth to the country's weight in regional trade flows and international development programmes.

Life expectancy at birth in Sudan is 66.5 years, ranking 182nd worldwide and offering a summary read on healthcare access, nutrition, sanitation, and long-run living standards. The World Bank's World Development Indicators, combined with the WHO Global Health Observatory and ILO ILOSTAT wage statistics, expose 39 data points across 7 thematic areas, from fertility and urbanisation to CO₂ emissions, school enrolment, and labour-force participation. Reading these indicators together, rather than in isolation, is what turns headline numbers into a grounded portrait of how people actually live.

Use the indicator tables below to track trajectories over time, jump to Sudan's placement on specific rankings such as GDP, population density, or life expectancy, and open the side-by-side Compare view to benchmark against peers inside Sub-Saharan Africa or across income groups. Because all figures come from official, CC BY 4.0-licensed datasets with clear vintages, you can cite them directly in research or journalism. Where a field reads "N/A", the upstream agency has not yet released that value for Sudan - we never fabricate estimates or carry forward stale values, so missing points stay visible rather than quietly filled in.

Using the Sudan profile

A single rank only means something in context, read Sudan's numbers against its peers and over time.

  • Put Sudan side-by-side with another country to see exactly where the gaps are. Compare countries
  • See the full GDP table to find every country above and below Sudan's #94 position. GDP rankings
  • Browse Sub-Saharan Africa to benchmark Sudan against its regional peers. Regional peers

Figures come from official World Bank, WHO, ILO and OECD releases; observation years differ by indicator (shown in the “Year” column) and unavailable values appear as “N/A” rather than estimates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does the data for Sudan come from?

Data for Sudan is sourced from the World Bank Open Data catalog, WHO Global Health Observatory, and ILO ILOSTAT (for average wages and working hours). These are official, publicly available datasets.

How current is the data for Sudan?

It varies by indicator - most points are 2020-2024. See our methodology page for the update cadence per source.

Can I compare Sudan with other countries?

Yes - use the compare tool above, or the rankings catalog to see where Sudan stands on any single indicator.

What does GDP per capita tell us about Sudan?

Sudan's total output divided by its population, in current US dollars - an approximate read on average economic productivity per person. See our methodology page for the PPP-adjustment caveats.

How does Sudan's life expectancy compare to the global average?

66.5 years, ranking 182nd of 217 countries tracked - against a global average near 73 years.

Does PlainCountries cover visa or travel information for Sudan?

No - PlainCountries is development and health data only. PlainVisa (plainvisa.com) covers immigration policy; PlainFlights (plainflights.com) covers flight routes.

Source: World Bank Open Data, Source: WHO Global Health Observatory, Source: ILO ILOSTAT. World Bank and ILO data licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, financial, or policy advice. Data is sourced from the World Bank, WHO, ILO, and OECD. See our full disclaimer and editorial policy.