Sudan profile

Demography and Health

Sudan’s population stands at about 50.45 million in 2024, placing it among Africa’s larger populations and suggesting a substantial domestic market if economic conditions improve. The country exhibits a classic demographic profile for many developing economies: a high birth rate of 33.6 per 1,000 people (2023) coupled with a relatively low death rate of 6.4 per 1,000. This combination points to a young and growing population, with a large cohort entering the working-age years in coming years, provided livelihoods, education, and health services keep pace.

Life expectancy at birth is around 66.3 years (2023), reflecting persistent health and development challenges relative to global averages. The under-5 mortality rate is notably high at 50.1 per 1,000 live births (2023), signaling gaps in maternal and child health, access to immunizations, nutrition, and primary health care services. Malnutrition remains a concern, with 11.4% of the population undernourished in 2022, underscoring vulnerabilities that can translate into ongoing health and developmental deficits for children and wider communities.

Migration patterns add complexity: net migration in 2024 is negative, at about -544,257 people, indicating substantial outflows. Out-migration can relieve domestic labor-market pressure in the short term but may erode the pool of skilled workers, reduce domestic demand, and constrain long-run growth unless matched by investment and job creation. Health and social protection systems face constraints reflected in fiscal indicators: current health expenditure accounts for 4.62% of GDP (2022), while domestic general government health expenditure per capita in purchasing power parity terms is about 31.5 international dollars (2022). These measures suggest limited per-capita investment in health and potentially stretched health-system capacity, which can limit service quality and resilience to shocks.

Governance conditions compound health and development challenges. Political stability and absence of violence/terrorism score -2.47 (2023), with regulatory quality at -1.6, rule of law at -1.67, control of corruption at -1.5, and government effectiveness at -1.98, all indicating a weak operating environment for public service delivery. In practical terms, weak governance can hinder efficient health planning, supply chains, and social protection programs, complicating efforts to reduce child mortality, improve nutrition, and expand access to care. Taken together, Sudan’s demography contains a potential dividend—an expanding future workforce and consumer base—but realizing that potential requires major investments in health, nutrition, education, and governance that align with the needs of a youthful population.

Economy, Trade and Investment

Sudan’s economy appears small and fragile by many measures. GDP per capita stands at 989 current U.S. dollars (2024), and even on a PPP basis, GDP per capita is about 2,127 international dollars (2024), signaling lower material living standards than many peers and significant development gaps. The export base is highly limited: exports of goods and services account for only 1.19% of GDP (2024), while imports are roughly 1.27% of GDP (2024). This suggests a narrowly leveraged economy with little external exposure or diversification through trade, and it likely relies more on domestic demand, informal activity, or aid than on exports for growth momentum.

Inflation has been extreme, with consumer prices rising 139% in 2022, reflecting macroeconomic instability, currency pressures, and supply constraints. Although inflation data for 2023–2024 are not provided here, such high inflation often persists without credible macro policy, undermining savings, investment, and household welfare. The current account balance was -8.6% of GDP in 2022, indicating a sizable external deficit that has to be financed by capital inflows or reserves, and it interacts with the low level of foreign direct investment (FDI net inflows at 1.11% of GDP in 2022), suggesting limited external financing or investor confidence to date.

The fiscal and external environment is further stressed by relatively modest outward investment and a small yet evolving energy-mix story. Military expenditure in 2021 was about 375 million USD, a modest share of GDP that is unlikely to drive growth directly but points to security considerations shaping the investment climate. Notably, renewable energy consumption accounted for 61% of total final energy consumption in 2021, which could offer a foundation for lower carbon intensity and energy resilience, provided the sector is expanded and modernized to attract investment and ensure reliability in power supply.

On the supply side, unemployment was 7.53% in 2022, a figure that may understate joblessness in a context of large public-sector employment constraints and informal labor. Net migration remains negative, implying a drain of skills and talent. The Logistics Performance Index reading of 2.3 in 2022 suggests moderate to poor-quality trade and transport-related infrastructure, which can raise the cost of moving goods, constrain export competitiveness, and deter investment. Overall, Sudan’s economy faces substantial headwinds from macro volatility, weak openness to trade, and governance-related constraints, but the very low measured level of military spending and a relatively high share of renewable energy point to potential avenues for stabilization and growth if macro and governance reforms are pursued with urgency.

Trade and Investment

Trade openness in Sudan is limited, as shown by exports totaling 1.19% of GDP and imports at 1.27% of GDP in 2024. These tiny shares imply a minimal external trade footprint and limited participation in regional or global value chains, which can constrain scale and resilience in the face of shocks. A small export base also means vulnerability to price swings for whatever commodities Sudan exports and to disruptions in global demand or transport routes. The data suggest a current account environment that is sensitive to exchange-rate movements, external financing conditions, and commodity prices.

Foreign direct investment net inflows were 1.11% of GDP in 2022, indicating limited foreign capital inflows relative to peers. This could reflect ongoing governance and security concerns, macroeconomic volatility, and infrastructure gaps that deter long-term investment. The combination of weak FDI and a large external deficit underscores the importance of restoring policy credibility, improving macro stability, and bolstering the rule of law to attract capital, technology transfer, and technology-enabled productivity gains.

Renewable energy consumption is relatively high at 61% of total final energy consumption (2021), which can be a strategic asset for energy security and climate resilience if leveraged to attract investment in generation, transmission, and grid modernization. However, the overall picture remains that Sudan’s external sector is underdeveloped, with limited trade leverage, modest investment inflows, and a need for structural improvements in infrastructure and business climate to unlock more dynamic integration into regional and global markets.

Governance and Institutions

Safer governance is a critical bottleneck for development. Sudan’s political stability and absence of violence/terrorism score -2.47 (2023), and regulatory quality at -1.6, rule of law at -1.67, control of corruption at -1.5, and government effectiveness at -1.98 all reflect a governance environment with meaningful deficiencies. These scores, drawn from comparative governance frameworks, indicate significant challenges in policy formulation, rule enforcement, anti-corruption efforts, and public service delivery. Such conditions can impede long-term policy credibility, deterring private investment, complicating donor coordination, and undermining the efficiency of public programs in health, education, and infrastructure.

The governance gaps intersect with economic and social outcomes. Weak regulatory quality and rule of law can hamper contract enforcement, property rights, and the ability of firms to operate predictably. Low government effectiveness and high corruption risk can erode trust in institutions, complicate revenue collection, and impede the targeted delivery of social protection and health services. In sum, while Sudan has substantial development needs, turning the demographic and economic opportunities into durable outcomes hinges on strengthening governance, reducing corruption, and improving the predictability and efficiency of public institutions.

Infrastructure and Technology

Infrastructure and technology readiness appear constrained. The Logistics Performance Index (LPI) for 2022 is 2.3 on a 1-to-5 scale, where 1 is low and 5 is high. This places Sudan in the lower-middle tier for trade and transport-related infrastructure, suggesting bottlenecks in ports, roads, customs, and logistics services that raise the cost and time of moving goods domestically and internationally. Such constraints depress export potential, increase import costs, and deter private investment, particularly in value-added sectors that could diversify the economy.

On the energy side, renewable energy accounts for about 61% of total final energy consumption in 2021—a structurally important feature that could lower energy costs and reduce exposure to fossil-fuel price volatility if supported by investment in transmission and grid reliability. Yet, the country remains exposed to climate risk, and relying heavily on hydropower or traditional biomass without adequate modernization can heighten vulnerability to droughts and water stress. The limited scale of formal investment and the governance constraints highlighted earlier further complicate the ability to translate this energy profile into reliable, affordable power for households and industry.

Overall, Sudan’s technology and infrastructure landscape show a need for major investments in transport networks, logistics capabilities, and digital infrastructure, alongside energy system modernization. By prioritizing predictable policy environments, targeted infrastructure financing, and capacity-building in logistics and ICT, Sudan could better connect its young, growing population to opportunities at home and abroad.

Environment and Sustainability

Sudan faces severe environmental and resource-management pressures. The level of water stress, measured as freshwater withdrawal relative to available resources, is listed at 119.0 in 2021, indicating extreme water stress and potential competition among agriculture, urban use, and industry. In a country with a large and growing population, such high water stress raises concerns about food security, livelihoods, and resilience to climate variability. Adaptation and water-management reforms will be essential to avert longer-term deficits in agricultural production and urban water supply.

Greenhouse gas emissions per capita, excluding LULUCF, are 2.77 metric tons CO2e (2023). This is relatively low by global standards, reflecting limited industrial activity and fossil-fuel use, but it does not capture the full picture of climate vulnerability or land-use emissions. The 2021 renewable energy share (61%) provides a potential advantage for decarbonization and energy security, particularly if investment strengthens grid reliability and integrates variable renewable sources with storage and transmission improvements.

On the human-nutrition front, undernourishment affects 11.4% of the population (2022), a reminder that environmental pressures, food systems, and income levels intersect to shape nutrition outcomes. Strengthening agriculture resilience, improving water management, and expanding social protection could help reduce vulnerability and support sustainable livelihoods. In sum, Sudan sits at a crossroads where climate risk, water resource management, and a favorable renewable-energy base offer opportunities for sustainable development—but only with coordinated policy, investment, and governance reforms that align environmental stewardship with broad-based growth and social protection.