Unemployment rate in Sudan
Sudan: Unemployment rate was 7.5% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Unemployment rate in Sudan, 1991–2022
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2022, unemployment rate in Sudan stood at 7.5%. That is the lowest value across all 32 years on record.
That represents a change of down 32.1% on the previous year and down 55.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Sudan peaked at 17.4% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 7.5%, in 2022.
That places Sudan 58th out of 186 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 32 years of available data.
Unemployment rate in Sudan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 15.6% | — |
| 1992 | 15.7% | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 15.5% | -1.0% |
| 1994 | 15.6% | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 15.6% | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 15.6% | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 15.3% | -1.8% |
| 1998 | 15.4% | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 15.4% | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 15.6% | +1.3% |
| 2001 | 15.6% | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 15.5% | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 15.5% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 15.5% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 15.5% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 15.5% | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 15.5% | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 15.6% | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 13.0% | -16.5% |
| 2010 | 15.2% | +16.7% |
| 2011 | 17.4% | +15.0% |
| 2012 | 17.0% | -2.7% |
| 2013 | 16.3% | -4.1% |
| 2014 | 15.4% | -5.3% |
| 2015 | 14.4% | -6.6% |
| 2016 | 13.7% | -5.1% |
| 2017 | 13.0% | -4.8% |
| 2018 | 12.3% | -5.0% |
| 2019 | 11.7% | -5.3% |
| 2020 | 12.0% | +2.5% |
| 2021 | 11.1% | -7.6% |
| 2022 | 7.5% | -32.1% |
Sudan compared with similar countries
- Sudan's 7.5% is above the median for low income countries, which is 4.4%, 1.7× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Sudan's 7.5% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.4%, 1.4× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment rate in Sudan changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -32.1% | 11.1% | 7.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 15.5% | 15.3% | 15.7% | 9 |
| 2000s | 15.3% | 13.0% | 15.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.6% | 11.7% | 17.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.2% | 7.5% | 12.0% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Sudan
More work & labour data for Sudan
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.4226 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.4196 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.4255 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate 0.2772 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.95 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 42,261 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 38,124 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 69,735 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 67,156 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 136,891 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rate in Sudan?
- Unemployment rate in Sudan was 7.5% in 2022, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in Sudan?
- The highest recorded value was 17.4% in 2011.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Sudan?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.5% in 2022.
- How does Sudan rank for unemployment rate?
- Sudan ranks 58th out of 186 countries with data for 2022.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Sudan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 55.6%. 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 Unemployment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon.