Sudan: Facts & Stats

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Dec 24, 2025

News •

Ivory Coast starts Africa Cup title defense with a win as proud dad Zidane sees Algeria beat Sudan • Dec. 24, 2025, 5:13 PM ET (AP)

Sudan's prime minister takes his peace plan to the UN, but US urges humanitarian truce now • Dec. 22, 2025, 10:27 PM ET (AP)

UN's grim week: 6 peacekeepers and an interpreter killed, while 10 more staffers detained in Yemen • Dec. 19, 2025, 4:50 PM ET (AP)

Sudanese paramilitary group RSF killed more than 1,000 civilians in Zamzam camp in April, UN says • Dec. 18, 2025, 10:35 AM ET (AP)

UN chief says 6 peacekeepers killed in drone strike on a UN facility in Sudan • Dec. 13, 2025, 4:03 PM ET (AP)

Facts

Also Known As	Republic of the Sudan • As-Sūdān • Jumhūrīyat As-Sūdān
Head Of Government	Prime Minister: Kamil Idris³
Capital	Khartoum⁵
Population	(2025 est.) 48,945,000
Head Of State	President: Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan⁴
Form Of Government	transitional government³
Official Languages⁶	Arabic; English
Official Religion	See footnote 7.
Official Name	Jumhūriyyat al-Sūdān^{1, 2} (Republic of the Sudan)
Total Area (Sq Km)	1,840,687
Total Area (Sq Mi)	710,689
Monetary Unit	Sudanese pound (SDG)
Urban-Rural Population	Urban: (2024) 36.8% • Rural: (2024) 63.2%
Life Expectancy At Birth	Male: (2022) 64.9 years • Female: (2022) 69.5 years
Literacy: Percentage Of Population Age 15 And Over Literate	Male: (2018) 65% • Female: (2018) 56%
Gni Per Capita (U.S.$)	(2023) 880
¹Data prior to 2011 include the newly created South Sudan unless otherwise noted.²Alternately known as The Sudan.³Pres. Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir was overthrown in a military coup on April 11, 2019. The constitution was suspended, and the government was dissolved and replaced with a transitional government led by the High Council of the Armed Forces from April 12, headed by Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. On August 21 the High Council was replaced with a transitional Sovereignty Council, comprising military and civilian representatives with Burhan as president, that was expected to rule until democratic elections, scheduled for 2022, were held. On October 25, 2021, the military launched another coup. Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and other government officials were arrested, and the Sovereignty Council was dissolved. On November 11 Burhan formed a new Sovereignty Council, again with himself as president. A deal signed on November 21 between Burhan and Hamdok saw the latter reinstated as prime minister and resumed the transition process, but Hamdok resigned on January 2, 2022. Burhan appointed Osman Hussein as acting prime minister on January 19; Hussein was replaced by Dafallah Al-Haj Ali on April 30, 2025. On May 19, Burhan appointed Kamil Idris as prime minister.⁴As head of the military.⁵Council of States meets in Khartoum; National Assembly meets in Omdurman.⁶Official working language per 2005 interim constitution.⁷Islamic law and custom are applicable to Muslims only.