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 is also subject to comprehensive US sanctions. Sudan is attempting to develop non-oil sources of revenues, such as gold mining, 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 subsided to 18% in 2015.
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:
$176.3 billion (2016 est.)
$171.1 billion (2015 est.)
$163.1 billion (2014 est.)
note: data are in 2016 dollars
country comparison to the world: 67
[see also: GDP country ranks ]
$94.3 billion (2015 est.)
[see also: GDP (official exchange rate) country ranks ]
3.1% (2016 est.)
4.9% (2015 est.)
1.6% (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 92
[see also: GDP - real growth rate country ranks ]
$4,500 (2016 est.)
$4,500 (2015 est.)
$4,400 (2014 est.)
note: data are in 2016 dollars
country comparison to the world: 172
[see also: GDP - per capita country ranks ]
10.7% of GDP (2016 est.)
9.3% of GDP (2015 est.)
10% of GDP (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 150
[see also: Gross national saving country ranks ]
household consumption: 82.6%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - household consumption country ranks ]
government consumption: 7.4%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - government consumption country ranks ]
investment in fixed capital: 14.1%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in fixed capital country ranks ]
investment in inventories: 1.3%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in inventories country ranks ]
exports of goods and services: 7.1%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - exports of goods and services country ranks ]
imports of goods and services: -12.5% (2016 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - imports of goods and services country ranks ]
agriculture: 27.5%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 20.7%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - industry country ranks ]
services: 51.8% (2016 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% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93
[see also: Industrial production growth rate country ranks ]
11.92 million (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 49
[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 ]
13.6% (2014 est.)
14.8% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147
[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.)
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - highest 10% country ranks ]
revenues: $7.301 billion
[see also: Budget revenues country ranks ]
expenditures: $11.28 billion (2016 est.)
[see also: Budget expenditures country ranks ]
7.7% of GDP (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 215
[see also: Taxes and other revenues country ranks ]
-4.2% of GDP (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 142
[see also: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) country ranks ]
68.8% of GDP (2016 est.)
68.9% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48
[see also: Public debt country ranks ]
calendar year
17.6% (2016 est.)
17.3% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 217
[see also: Inflation rate (consumer prices) country ranks ]
$9.711 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$9.511 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 83
[see also: Stock of narrow money country ranks ]
$15.64 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$15.42 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97
[see also: Stock of broad money country ranks ]
$17.41 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$17.34 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93
[see also: Stock of domestic credit country ranks ]
$NA
[see also: Market value of publicly traded shares country ranks ]
-$5.545 billion (2016 est.)
-$6.386 billion (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 172
[see also: Current account balance country ranks ]
$3.703 billion (2016 est.)
$3.169 billion (2015 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 32%, China 16.2%, Saudi Arabia 15.5%, Australia 4.7%, India 4.2% (2015)
$9.345 billion (2016 est.)
$8.368 billion (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99
[see also: Imports country ranks ]
foodstuffs, manufactured goods, refinery and transport equipment, medicines, chemicals, textiles, wheat
China 26.4%, UAE 10.1%, India 9.1%, Egypt 5.6%, Turkey 4.7%, Saudi Arabia 4.4% (2015)
$167.3 million (31 December 2016 est.)
$173.5 million (31 December 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 161
[see also: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold country ranks ]
$51.1 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$49.42 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 62
[see also: Debt - external country ranks ]
$24.41 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$24.41 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 72
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home country ranks ]
Sudanese pounds (SDG) per US dollar -
6.32 (2016 est.)
6.03 (2015 est.)
6.03 (2014 est.)
5.74 (2013 est.)
3.57 (2012 est.)