01
Physical geography
Generally flat, featureless plain; desert dominates the north.
Local timeKhartoum ·
Africa / Northern Africa · Card 052
Sudan
Sudan is a country in Northern Africa. Its capital is Khartoum.
Find Sudan
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Khartoum
- Languages
- Arabic & English
- Currency
- Sudanese pound (SDG)
- Population
- 51.7 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 1,886,068 km²728,215 square miles
- Independence
- 1956from Egypt and the UK
Sudan in context
Africa and its surrounding islands. The dot marks Khartoum; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include Arabic, English.
03
Location
north-eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea.
Flag
Three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black, with a green isosceles triangle based on the left side
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived country profile · Government update
History & independence
Sudan became independent on 1 January 1956, ending Anglo-Egyptian rule. Decades of conflict between north and south led to a peace agreement and South Sudan’s independence in 2011. War between the armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces began in 2023.
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Independence from Anglo-Egyptian rule
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South Sudan becomes independent
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War begins between the armed forces and the RSF
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived country profile · Government update
Economy
Main activities
Agriculture, livestock, gold and services are important activities. The separation of South Sudan reduced oil resources. The ongoing war has severely disrupted production, trade and public services.
Industry and production
oil, cotton ginning, textiles, cement, edible oils, sugar, soap distilling, shoes, petroleum refining, pharmaceuticals, armaments, automobile/light truck assembly, milling
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived country profile · Government update
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people51.72025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 11,695,771 | 11.696 |
| 1980 | 17,058,905 | 17.059 |
| 1990 | 22,021,481 | 22.021 |
| 2000 | 27,816,745 | 27.817 |
| 2010 | 35,414,399 | 35.414 |
| 2020 | 46,789,231 | 46.789 |
| 2025 | 51,662,147 | 51.662 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars30.12025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 20,456,015,801 | 20.456 |
| 1991 | 21,992,448,810 | 21.992 |
| 1992 | 23,439,081,608 | 23.439 |
| 1993 | 24,509,954,459 | 24.510 |
| 1994 | 24,756,580,789 | 24.757 |
| 1995 | 26,241,255,779 | 26.241 |
| 1996 | 27,794,508,186 | 27.795 |
| 1997 | 32,884,421,186 | 32.884 |
| 1998 | 34,301,247,873 | 34.301 |
| 1999 | 35,365,991,404 | 35.366 |
| 2000 | 37,610,270,337 | 37.610 |
| 2001 | 40,055,073,507 | 40.055 |
| 2002 | 42,460,970,096 | 42.461 |
| 2003 | 45,131,259,049 | 45.131 |
| 2004 | 47,451,406,763 | 47.451 |
| 2005 | 50,129,334,265 | 50.129 |
| 2006 | 53,403,487,492 | 53.403 |
| 2007 | 56,466,323,951 | 56.466 |
| 2008 | 58,638,439,293 | 58.638 |
| 2009 | 57,015,500,648 | 57.016 |
| 2010 | 59,215,296,614 | 59.215 |
| 2011 | 57,312,394,053 | 57.312 |
| 2012 | 47,566,600,027 | 47.567 |
| 2013 | 48,496,595,855 | 48.497 |
| 2014 | 50,757,206,253 | 50.757 |
| 2015 | 51,726,758,677 | 51.727 |
| 2016 | 53,520,457,581 | 53.520 |
| 2017 | 53,900,054,790 | 53.900 |
| 2018 | 52,455,031,755 | 52.455 |
| 2019 | 51,312,429,477 | 51.312 |
| 2020 | 49,449,890,489 | 49.450 |
| 2021 | 48,525,909,157 | 48.526 |
| 2022 | 48,061,119,948 | 48.061 |
| 2023 | 33,915,159,967 | 33.915 |
| 2024 | 29,179,132,449 | 29.179 |
| 2025 | 30,073,262,602 | 30.073 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.511Low human developmentRank 176 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
20100.479
20200.513
20230.511
66.3 yearsLife expectancy at birth
4.0 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
Governance is divided by the war that began in 2023. Military authorities and rival armed structures contest power; Sudan does not currently have a functioning nationwide elected parliament.
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived country profile · Government update
Knowledge check
Three questions about Sudan.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Which political change reduced Sudan’s oil resources?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived country profile · Government update
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.