Sudan's employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) was 34.7% in 2022, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is down 5.02 percentage points from 39.72% in 2012.
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 34.7% | 2022 |
| Five years earlier | 36.9% | 2017 |
| Ten years earlier | 39.72% | 2012 |
| Highest | 43.69% | 1996 |
| Lowest | 34.1% | 2021 |
| Average since 2013 | 36.56% | 2013–2022 |
| First recorded | 42.43% | 1991 |
What the numbers say
In 2022, Sudan's employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) rose 0.6 percentage points on 2021 (from 34.1% to 34.7%).
Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1992 to 2021), the average change was −0.28 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.5 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.7 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 1.44 percentage points in 2009 and the biggest yearly fall was 1.22 percentage points in 2020. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2013 to 2022 the straight-line trend is downward, about 0.59 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 96% of the movement over 10 observed years.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
A straight-line projection, tested first
Extending that straight line gives about 32.18% for 2025. We show this only because the same method, fitted on earlier years, predicted 2020 to 2022 better than "no change" would have: its average miss was 0.58%, against 1.24% for assuming no change. Treat it as a continuation of the recent pattern, not a forecast of events: it cannot see a recession, a policy change or a revision to the data.
See how a linear trend forecast works and the guide on forecasting without fooling yourself.
How it compares
See how every economy compares in the full ranking.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Sudan | 34.7% | 2022 |
| World | 58.06% | 2025 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 66.33% | 2025 |
| Low income | 61.21% | 2025 |
Closest to Sudan in the 2022 ranking
- West Bank and Gaza — 2nd of 2: 34%
What this measures
Employment to population ratio is the proportion of a country's population that is employed.
Limitations: Data on employment by status are drawn from labor force surveys and household surveys, supplemented by official estimates and censuses for a small group of countries. The labor force survey is the most comprehensive source for internationally comparable employment, but there are still some limitations for comparing data across countries and over time even within a country. Comparability of employment ratios across countries is affected by variations in definitions of employment and population. The biggest difference results from the age range used to define labor force activity. The population base for employment ratios can also vary.
Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.
All 32 values
| Year | Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 34.7 |
| 2021 | 34.1 |
| 2020 | 34.43 |
| 2019 | 35.65 |
| 2018 | 36.25 |
| 2017 | 36.9 |
| 2016 | 37.57 |
| 2015 | 38.19 |
| 2014 | 38.67 |
| 2013 | 39.19 |
| 2012 |
Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) in nearby economies
- Angola — 64.24% (2025)
- Benin — 75.14% (2025)
- Botswana — 51.96% (2025)
- Burkina Faso — 67.57% (2025)
- Burundi — 77.53% (2025)
- Cabo Verde — 50.22% (2025)
- Cameroon — 62.82% (2025)
- Central African Republic — 68.8% (2025)
- Chad
More social protection & labor data for Sudan
- Net migration — 291,469 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin — 2.82 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum — 809,816 (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 7.68% (2022)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 45.13% (2022)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 26.53% (2022)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate) — 14.59% (2022)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Sudan's employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate)?
- 34.7% in 2022, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1991?
- It is down 7.73 percentage points from 42.43% in 1991. The highest value was 43.69% in 1996 and the lowest 34.1% in 2021.
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SL.EMP.TOTL.SP.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), uri: https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/bulk/, publisher: ILOSTAT, type: external database, date accessed: January 17, 2026 Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.
Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.
Legal entity
Devansh Yadav
Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh
Governing law: Courts at Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh
Phone: +91 8433475698
Legal: legal@analyzeit.in