Sudan

Sudan: sluggish, near-stagnant growth, 1980–2024

Sudan lost most of its oil revenue when South Sudan seceded in 2011, triggering years of inflation and currency crises, and the war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces that began in April 2023 caused one of the sharpest economic collapses and largest displacement crises in the world. Between 1980 and 2024, Sudan's GDP per capita grew from $418 to $985 (current US$), a compound annual growth rate of 2.0% — sluggish, near-stagnant growth. Annual GDP growth averaged 1.7% with a year-to-year standard deviation of 7.7 points, reflecting considerable volatility and periodic crises. Structurally, agriculture's share of the economy moved from 29.9% to 22.2% of GDP (a classic decline as the economy industrialized/modernized), while services rose from 44.8% to 54.7% of GDP, underscoring a shift toward a services-driven economy. On human development, life expectancy rose from 54.1 to 66.5 years, while tertiary school enrollment moved from 6.6% to 15.9%, while the urban population share grew from 19.8% to 34.9%.

What this growth cost: Growth was not without cost: per-capita CO2 emissions rose from 0.23 to 0.43 tonnes CO2e per person; income inequality (Gini index) narrowed from 35.4 to 34.2; the poverty headcount ratio fell from 13.1% to 10.1%.