Economy - overview:
Sudan has experienced protracted social conflict, civil war, and, in July 2011, the loss of three-quarters of its oil production due to the secession of South Sudan. The oil sector had driven much of Sudan's GDP growth since 1999. For nearly a decade, the economy boomed on the back of rising oil production, high oil prices, and significant inflows of foreign direct investment. Since the economic shock of South Sudan's secession, Sudan has struggled to stabilize its economy and make up for the loss of foreign exchange earnings. The interruption of oil production in South Sudan in 2012 for over a year and the consequent loss of oil transit fees further exacerbated the fragile state of Sudan’s economy. Ongoing conflicts in Southern Kordofan, Darfur, and the Blue Nile states, lack of basic infrastructure in large areas, and reliance by much of the population on subsistence agriculture, keep close to half of the population at or below the poverty line.Sudan was subject to comprehensive US sanctions, which were lifted in October 2017. Sudan is attempting to develop non-oil sources of revenues, such as gold mining and agriculture, while carrying out an austerity program to reduce expenditures. The world’s largest exporter of gum Arabic, Sudan produces 75-80% of the world’s total output. Agriculture continues to employ 80% of the work force.Sudan introduced a new currency, still called the Sudanese pound, following South Sudan's secession, but the value of the currency has fallen since its introduction. Khartoum formally devalued the currency in June 2012, when it passed austerity measures that included gradually repealing fuel subsidies. Sudan also faces high inflation, which reached 47% on an annual basis in November 2012 but fell to about 35% per year in 2017.
GDP (purchasing power parity): GDP (official exchange rate): GDP - real growth rate: GDP - per capita (PPP): Gross national saving: GDP - composition, by end use: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: Agriculture - products: Industries: Industrial production growth rate: Labor force: Labor force - by occupation: Unemployment rate: Population below poverty line: Household income or consumption by percentage share: Budget: Taxes and other revenues: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): Public debt: Fiscal year: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Stock of narrow money: Stock of broad money: Stock of domestic credit: Market value of publicly traded shares: Current account balance: Exports: Exports - commodities: Exports - partners: Imports: Imports - commodities: Imports - partners: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Debt - external: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: Exchange rates:
$186.8 billion (2017 est.)
$180.1 billion (2016 est.)
$174.7 billion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 69
$119 billion (2016 est.)
[see also: GDP (official exchange rate) country ranks ]
3.7% (2017 est.)
3.1% (2016 est.)
4.9% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 84
[see also: GDP - real growth rate country ranks ]
$4,600 (2017 est.)
$4,500 (2016 est.)
$4,500 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 174
12.1% of GDP (2017 est.)
11.5% of GDP (2016 est.)
9.1% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 145
[see also: Gross national saving country ranks ]
household consumption: 77.3%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - household consumption country ranks ]
government consumption: 6.1%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - government consumption country ranks ]
investment in fixed capital: 18.5%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in fixed capital country ranks ]
investment in inventories: 0.9%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in inventories country ranks ]
exports of goods and services: 8.9%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - exports of goods and services country ranks ]
imports of goods and services: -11.7% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - imports of goods and services country ranks ]
agriculture: 39.6%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 2.6%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - industry country ranks ]
services: 57.8% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - services country ranks ]
cotton, groundnuts (peanuts), sorghum, millet, wheat, gum Arabic, sugarcane, cassava (manioc, tapioca), mangoes, papaya, bananas, sweet potatoes, sesame seeds; animal feed, sheep and other livestock
oil, cotton ginning, textiles, cement, edible oils, sugar, soap distilling, shoes, petroleum refining, pharmaceuticals, armaments, automobile/light truck assembly, milling
2.5% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109
[see also: Industrial production growth rate country ranks ]
11.92 million (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50
[see also: Labor force country ranks ]
agriculture: 80%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 7%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - industry country ranks ]
services: 13% (1998 est.)
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - services country ranks ]
19.6% (2017 est.)
20.6% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 182
[see also: Unemployment rate country ranks ]
46.5% (2009 est.)
[see also: Population below poverty line country ranks ]
lowest 10%: 2.7%
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10% country ranks ]
highest 10%: 26.7% (2009 est.)
revenues: $8.198 billion
[see also: Budget - revenues country ranks ]
expenditures: $13.4 billion (2017 est.)
[see also: Budget - expenditures country ranks ]
6.9% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 217
[see also: Taxes and other revenues country ranks ]
-4.4% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147
[see also: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) country ranks ]
54.8% of GDP (2017 est.)
65.4% of GDP (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 86
[see also: Public debt country ranks ]
calendar year
26.9% (2017 est.)
17.8% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 222
[see also: Inflation rate (consumer prices) country ranks ]
$13.64 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$12.51 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 76
[see also: Stock of narrow money country ranks ]
$20.96 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$19.53 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 90
[see also: Stock of broad money country ranks ]
$21.63 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$21.61 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 88
[see also: Stock of domestic credit country ranks ]
$NA
[see also: Market value of publicly traded shares country ranks ]
-$2.317 billion (2017 est.)
-$5.126 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 162
[see also: Current account balance country ranks ]
$3.808 billion (2017 est.)
$3.094 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 118
[see also: Exports country ranks ]
gold; oil and petroleum products; cotton, sesame, livestock, peanuts, gum Arabic, sugar
UAE 42.9%, Saudi Arabia 19.5%, Egypt 15.9% (2016)
$8.649 billion (2017 est.)
$7.325 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 104
[see also: Imports country ranks ]
foodstuffs, manufactured goods, refinery and transport equipment, medicines, chemicals, textiles, wheat
UAE 15.4%, India 11.2%, Egypt 10.4%, Saudi Arabia 9.2%, Turkey 8.9%, Japan 5% (2016)
$504.9 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$168.3 million (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 143
[see also: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold country ranks ]
$53.35 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$51.26 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 63
[see also: Debt - external country ranks ]
$25.47 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$25.47 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 73
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home country ranks ]
Sudanese pounds (SDG) per US dollar -
6.72 (2017 est.)
6.14 (2016 est.)
6.14 (2015 est.)
6.03 (2014 est.)
5.74 (2013 est.)