Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Sudan: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna grade (MCC, ranked #171 of 195).
Sudan is a presidential republic in north-eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea. The country's capital is Khartoum; it covers 1,861,484 sq km. Independence: 1 January 1956 (from Egypt and the UK). Terrain: generally flat, featureless plain; desert dominates the north. Climate: hot and dry; arid desert; rainy season varies by region (April to November). Population: 50.5 million (2024 estimate). Population growth: +2.54% per year. Median age: 19.5 years. Life expectancy: 67.8 years (2024 est.). Languages: Arabic (official), English (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, Fur Religions: Sunni Muslim, small Christian minority Urban population: 36.3% of total population (2023)…
| Capital | Khartoum |
|---|---|
| Population | 50,467,278 (2024 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $94.42 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $1,900 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | -13.5% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 138.8% |
| Unemployment | 11.45% |
| Public debt | 99.5% of GDP (2016 est.) |
| Exports | $5.908 billion (2022 est.) |
| Imports | $11.575 billion (2022 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 67.8 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 19.5 |
| Urbanization | 36.3% of total population (2023) |
| Government | presidential republic |
| Independence | 1 January 1956 (from Egypt and the UK) |
| Languages | Arabic (official), English (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, Fur |
MCC · 38/100 — The Magna grade is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — five dimensions, 100+ indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
A neutral quarter in the truest sense: nothing happened that altered the country's course or standing.
The score records absence of momentum honestly — the deeper currents continue, unmoved by the calendar.
Oil, Iron ore, Copper, Chromium, Zinc, Tungsten, Mica, Silver, Gold, Hydropower.
Abdel Fattah al-Burhan — Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council. Sovereign Council Chair and Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces General Abd-al-Fattah al-BURHAN Abd-al-Rahman (since 11 November 2021)
Sudan maintains 72 embassies and 7 consulates abroad, hosts 43 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York, AU Addis Ababa. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 72 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 7 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 43 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, AU Addis Ababa |
Source: Consular Affairs Center, Diplomatic and Consular Networks Database and Rankings, March 2026 (Zenodo, CC BY 4.0). https://zenodo.org/records/18917562
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 853 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 45 + 8 heliports (registration prefix ST) |
| Major seaports | Al Khair Oil Terminal, Beshayer Oil Terminal, Port Sudan, Sawakin Harbor |
| Railways | 7251 km |
| Pipelines | 156 km gas, 4,070 km oil, 1,613 km refined products (2013) |
Khartoum International Airport (KRT) — Khartoum; Port Sudan New International Airport (PZU) — Port Sudan; Dongola Airport (DOG) — Dongola; El Fasher Airport (ELF) — El Fasher; El-Obeid Airport (EBD) — El-Obeid; Kassala Airport (KSL) — Kassala; Nyala Airport (UYL) — Nyala.
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28); theodora.com CIA mirror (CIA World Factbook Transportation section), scraped 2026-10-02
| Political system | presidential republic |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
MCC · 38 Ranked #171 of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Sudan.
