Sudan: Military expenditure (current LCU)

Key figures

Over five years it is up 708.13% from 16.95 billion in 2016 (51.88% a year on average, compounded). Since 1960 it is up 2.11 billion% from 6,500 in 1960 (31.84% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 6 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2021, Sudan's military expenditure (current LCU) rose 170.8% on 2020 (from 50.58 billion to 136.99 billion).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1983 to 2020), the average change was +53.1% and a typical year strayed about 59.7% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.0 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 239% in 1998 and the biggest yearly fall was 33.5% in 2001. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

Closest to Sudan in the 2021 ranking

• Afghanistan — 2nd of 2: 23.04 billion

What this measures

Military expenditure in local currency at current prices (by calendar year)

Limitations: SIPRI strives to compile reliable, consistent military expenditure data by assessing multiple sources, but accuracy depends on the quality and transparency of those sources. Challenges arise from two key issues: whether reported figures reflect actual spending and how closely they match SIPRI’s definition. While data is generally accurate in developed and many developing countries, weak governance, corruption, and secret transfers in others can lead to major discrepancies. SIPRI sometimes makes estimates, when sources conflict or lack coverage, introducing uncertainty, especially for countries like China or the UAE.

All 56 values

Military expenditure (current LCU) in nearby economies

• Angola — 1.34 trillion (2025)
• Benin — 126.13 billion (2025)
• Botswana — 8.34 billion (2025)
• Burkina Faso — 518.42 billion (2025)
• Burundi — 670.49 billion (2025)
• Cabo Verde — 1.96 billion (2025)
• Cameroon — 364.86 billion (2025)
• Central African Republic — 43.14 billion (2025)
• Chad — 377.27 billion (2025)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 3.32 trillion (2025)
• Congo, Rep.

More public sector data for Sudan

• Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 57 million (2025)
• Military expenditure (current USD) — 369.44 million (2021)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 0.93% (2021)
• Battle-related deaths (number of people) — 4,680 (2024)
• Armed forces personnel, total — 144,000 (2020)
• Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) — 1.34% (2020)
• Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) — 9.5% (2021)
• CPIA business regulatory environment rating (1=low to 6=high) — 2 (2025)
• CPIA debt policy rating (1=low to 6=high) — 1 (2025)
• CPIA economic management cluster average (1=low to 6=high)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Sudan's military expenditure (current LCU)?

136.99 billion in 2021, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1960?

It is up 2.11 billion% from 6,500 in 1960 (31.84% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 136.99 billion in 2021 and the lowest 6,500 in 1960.

Is the latest change in military expenditure (current LCU) unusual for Sudan?

In 2021, Sudan's military expenditure (current LCU) rose 170.8% on 2020 (from 50.58 billion to 136.99 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1983 to 2020), the average change was +53.1% and a typical year strayed about 59.7% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.0 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Where does this data come from?

The World Bank's World Development Indicators, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), uri: https://www.sipri.org/databases.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator MS.MIL.XPND.CN, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), uri: https://www.sipri.org/databases 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.

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