Overview: The economy is dominated by governmental entities that contribute more than 70% to new investment. The private sector's main areas of activity are agriculture and trading, with most private industrial investment predating 1980. The economy's base is agriculture, which employs nearly 80% of the work force. Industry mainly processes agricultural items. A high foreign debt and arrearages of about $13 billion continue to cause difficulties. Since 1979 the International Monetary Fund has provided assistance and has forced Sudan to make economic reforms aimed at improving the performance of the economy.

GNP: $8.5 billion, per capita $340 (FY87); real growth rate 6.0% (FY88 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 55% (FY88)

Unemployment rate: NA

Budget: revenues $867 million; expenditures $1.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $331 million (FY88 est.)

Exports: $502 million (f.o.b., FY88 est.); @m5commodities--cotton 44%, sesame, gum arabic, peanuts; @m5partners--Western Europe 36%, Saudi Arabia 20%, Eastern Europe 10%, Japan 5%, US 5%

Imports: $1.3 billion (c.i.f., FY88 est.); @m5commodities--petroleum products, manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, medicines and chemicals; @m5partners--Western Europe 38%, US 14%, Africa and Asia 12%, Eastern Europe 3%

External debt: $8.6 billion (December 1988 est.)

Industrial production: growth rate 3.6% (FY88)

Electricity: 606,000 kW capacity; 1,259 million kWh produced, 50 kWh per capita (1988)

Industries: cotton ginning, textiles, cement, edible oils, sugar, soap distilling, shoes, petroleum refining

Agriculture: cotton, sorghum, millet, wheat, sesame, peanuts, beans, barley, gum arabic; not self-sufficient in food production

Aid: NA

Currency: Sudanese pound (plural--pounds); 1 Sudanese pound (LSd) = 100 piasters

Exchange rates: official rate--Sudanese pounds (LSd) per US$1--4.5005 (fixed rate since 1987), 2.8121 (1987), 2.5000 (1986), 2.2883 (1985); commercial exchange rate--set daily, 12.1 (February 1989)

Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June

NOTE: The information regarding Sudan on this page is re-published from the 1989 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Sudan Economy 1989 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Sudan Economy 1989 should be addressed to the CIA.