Labor force participation rate in Sudan

Sudan: Labor force participation rate was 37.5% in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
37.5%
Change on year
down 2.2%
World rank
180th
of 186 countries
All-time high
51.8%
in 1996
All-time low
37.5%
in 2022
Years of data
33
1990–2022

Labor force participation rate in Sudan, 1990–2022

02040601990200620221990: 50.1 %1991: 50.3 %1992: 50.5 %1993: 50.8 %1994: 51.1 %1995: 51.4 %1996: 51.8 %1997: 51.6 %1998: 51.4 %1999: 51.1 %2000: 50.8 %2001: 50.6 %2002: 50.3 %2003: 50 %2004: 49.7 %2005: 49.4 %2006: 49.1 %2007: 48.8 %2008: 48.5 %2009: 48.7 %2010: 48.7 %2011: 48.8 %2012: 47.8 %2013: 46.8 %2014: 45.7 %2015: 44.6 %2016: 43.5 %2017: 42.4 %2018: 41.4 %2019: 40.4 %2020: 39.1 %2021: 38.4 %2022: 37.5 %

Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Sudan recorded 37.5% for labor force participation rate in 2022. That is the lowest value across all 33 years on record.

That represents a change of down 2.2% on the previous year and down 21.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labor force participation rate in Sudan peaked at 51.8% in 1996 and was at its lowest, 37.5%, in 2022.

That places Sudan 180th out of 186 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 51.0% 50.1% 51.8% 10
2000s 49.6% 48.5% 50.8% 10
2010s 45.0% 40.4% 48.8% 10
2020s 38.3% 37.5% 39.1% 3

Countries ranked near Sudan

  1. 177 Jordan 40.1% compare
  2. 178 Nepal 39.2% compare
  3. 179 Tajikistan 38.3% compare
  4. 181 Afghanistan 37.5% compare
  5. 182 Syria 36.9% compare
  6. 183 Somalia 33.8% compare

See the full ranking of 186 places →

More work & labour data for Sudan

All data for Sudan →

Frequently asked questions

What is labor force participation rate in Sudan?
Labor force participation rate in Sudan was 37.5% in 2022, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest labor force participation rate recorded in Sudan?
The highest recorded value was 51.8% in 1996.
What is the lowest labor force participation rate recorded in Sudan?
The lowest recorded value was 37.5% in 2022.
How does Sudan rank for labor force participation rate?
Sudan ranks 180th out of 186 countries with data for 2022.
Is labor force participation rate rising or falling in Sudan?
Over the last ten years it is down 21.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Sudan data come from?
The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Labor force participation rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Labor force participation rate
Unit
%
Source
ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
186 places, 6,682 data points, 1990–2025
Last refreshed

Share of the working-age population (ages 15 and over) who are economically active (employed or unemployed).