Economy - overview Sudan has turned around a struggling economy with sound economic policies and infrastructure investments, but it still faces formidable economic problems. Starting in 1997 Sudan began implementing IMF macroeconomic reforms that have successfully stabilized inflation. In 1999 Sudan began exporting crude oil and in the last quarter of 1999 recorded its first trade surplus, along with monetary policy, has stabilized the exchange rate. Current oil production stands at 220,000 barrels per day, of which some 70% is exported and the rest refined mostly for domestic consumption. Increased oil production, revived light industry, and expanded export processing zones should maintain GDP growth at 5% in 2002. Agriculture production remains Sudan's most important sector, employing 80% of the work force and contributing 43% of GDP, but most farms remain rain-fed and susceptible to drought. Sudan is also constrained by its limited access to international credit; most of Sudan's $24.9 billion debt remains in arrears. The civil war, chronic instability, adverse weather, and weak world agricultural prices ensure that much of the population will remain at or below the poverty line for years.

GDP purchasing power parity - $49.3 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate 5.5% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $1,360 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 43%
industry: 17%
services: 40% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 10% (2001 est.)

Labor force 11 million (1996 est.)

Labor force - by occupation agriculture 80%, industry and commerce 7%, government 13% (1998 est.)

Unemployment rate 18.7% (2002 est.)

Budget
revenues: $1.6 billion
expenditures: $1.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)

Industries oil, cotton ginning, textiles, cement, edible oils, sugar, soap distilling, shoes, petroleum refining, pharmaceuticals, armaments, automobile/light truck assembly

Industrial production growth rate 8.5% (1999 est.)

Electricity - production 1.97 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel: 49.24%
hydro: 50.76%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption 1,832.1 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2000)

Agriculture - products cotton, groundnuts (peanuts), sorghum, millet, wheat, gum arabic, sugarcane, cassava (tapioca), mangos, papaya, bananas, sweet potatoes, sesame; sheep, livestock

Exports $2.1 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)

Exports - commodities oil and petroleum products, cotton, sesame, livestock, groundnuts, gum arabic, sugar

Exports - partners Japan 25%, China 19%, Saudi Arabia 14%, Germany 4%, (2000)

Imports $1.6 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)

Imports - commodities foodstuffs, manufactured goods, refinery and transport equipment, medicines and chemicals, textiles, wheat

Imports - partners China 12%, Saudi Arabia 10%, UK 10%, Germany 7% (2000)

Debt - external $24.9 billion (2000 est.)

Economic aid - recipient $187 million (1997)

Currency Sudanese dinar (SDD)

Currency code SDD

Exchange rates Sudanese dinars per US dollar - 261.44 (January 2002), 258.70 (2001), 257.12 (2000), 252.55 (1999), 200.80 (1998), 157.57 (1997)

Fiscal year calendar year

NOTE: The information regarding Sudan on this page is re-published from the 2002 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Sudan Economy 2002 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Sudan Economy 2002 should be addressed to the CIA.