Sudan Economy 2001

Economy - overview: Sudan is buffeted by civil war, chronic instability, adverse weather, weak world agricultural prices, a drop in remittances from abroad, and counterproductive economic policies. The private sector's main areas of activity are agriculture (which employs 80% of the work force), trading, and light industry which is mostly processing of agricultural goods. Most of the 1990s were characterized by sluggish economic growth as the IMF suspended lending, declared Sudan a non-cooperative state, and threatened to expel Sudan from the IMF. Starting in 1997, Sudan began implementing IMF macroeconomic reforms which have successfully stabilized inflation at 10% or less. Sudan continues to have limited international credit resources as over 75% of Sudan's debt of $24.9 billion is in arrears and Khartoum's continued prosecution of the civil war works to isolate Sudan. In 1999, Sudan began exporting oil and in 1999-2000 had recorded its first trade surpluses. Current oil production stands at 185,000 barrels per day, of which about 70% is exported and the rest refined for domestic consumption. Despite its many infrastructure problems, Sudan's increased oil production, the return of regular rainfall, and recent investments in irrigation schemes should allow the country to achieve economic growth of 6% in 2001.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $35.7 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 7% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,000 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 39%
industry: 17%
services: 44% (1998 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10% (2000 est.)

Labor force: 11 million (1996 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 80%, industry and commerce 10%, government 6%, unemployed 4% (1996 est.)

Unemployment rate: 4% (1996 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $1.2 billion
expenditures: $1.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)

Industries: cotton ginning, textiles, cement, edible oils, sugar, soap distilling, shoes, petroleum refining, pharmaceuticals, armaments

Industrial production growth rate: 5% (1996 est.)

Electricity - production: 1.76 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 42.05%
hydro: 57.95%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: 1.637 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1999)

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

Exports: $1.7 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

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

Exports - partners: Saudi Arabia 16%, Italy 10%, Germany 5%, France 3%, Thailand 3% (1999)

Imports: $1.2 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, medicines and chemicals, textiles

Imports - partners: China 14.7%, Libya 14.7%, Saudi Arabia 8.9%, UK 8.7%, France 6.7% (1999)

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 - 257.44 (January 2001), 257.12 (2000), 252.55 (1999), 200.80 (1998), 157.57 (1997), 125.08 (1996)

Fiscal year: calendar year

NOTE: The information regarding Sudan on this page is re-published from the 2001 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Sudan Economy 2001 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Sudan Economy 2001 should be addressed to the CIA.