Country explorer: Sudan
EXPERIMENTAL
2024
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Overview
Sudan is a arid, low-income country in Africa with a medium-sized population. Its economy has been volatile in recent decades, and is based on agriculture, oil and mining.
Sudan was in civil war for decades, until a 2005 peace agreement which led to the eventual [succession of South Sudan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_South_Sudanese_independence_referendum) in 2011. The military dictatorship of Omar al-Bashir ended via coup in 2019, however the transition to democracy failed and in 2023 a [new civil war](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_in_Sudan_\(2023%E2%80%93present\)) broke out between rival military factions.
Economy
Sudan has faced considerable economic challenges, differentiating it from many of its African peers by experiencing some of the highest inflation rates in the region, peaking with hyperinflation in recent years, alongside persistent high unemployment rates, suggesting ongoing economic instability and hardship for its population.
Demographics
Sudan has experienced significant demographic transformations, reflected in a steadily growing population despite challenges of net migration loss, alongside incremental improvements in life expectancy and a gradual decline in fertility rates, which mirror broader trends observed across low-income countries.
Basic needs
Sudan has seen gradual improvements in essential services, with notably slow progress in access to clean cooking fuels and electricity compared to regional peers, underlining the nation's challenges amidst ongoing economic and political transitions.
Human development
Sudan has demonstrated incremental improvements in human development indicators, including a gradual increase in the Human Development Index (HDI), a decrease in child mortality rates, mixed progress in literacy rates, and a minor variation in the average learning-adjusted years of schooling, indicating slow but positive changes in health, education, and standard of living that reflect its similar trajectory to other low-income countries, albeit at a pace and scale distinctive due to its unique socio-political context.
Environment & energy
Sudan has experienced significant environmental changes, marked by a consistent decrease in per capita renewable internal freshwater resources and forest area, indicating stress on its natural resources amidst increasing CO₂ emissions—trends that are reflective of broader challenges faced by low-income countries in managing the balance between development and environmental sustainability.
Technology & innovation
Sudan has shown significant progress in technology and innovation, evidenced by substantial increases in internet usage and mobile phone subscriptions, although its Research & Development spending and scientific publication rates lag behind some of its African peers, reflecting a complex interplay of challenges and advancements in its pursuit of technological growth.
Culture & society
Sudan has experienced nuanced shifts in its cultural and societal landscape, evidenced by a slight increase in its foreign-born population, fluctuating self-reported life satisfaction amidst economic and political instability, a slow but steady progress in reducing gender inequality, and a relatively high but gradually decreasing age dependency ratio, highlighting common challenges and growth traits shared with its low-income and African peers.
Governance
In the past two decades, Sudan has undergone significant governance transformations, including noteworthy improvements in the rule of law and political and civil liberties, despite grappling with challenges of corruption and press freedom, marking a unique trajectory of progress amidst its peers.