Sudan Economy - 2004

Economy - overview:
Sudan has turned around a struggling economy with sound economic policies and infrastructure investments, but it still faces formidable economic problems, starting from its low level of per capita output. From 1997 to date, Sudan has been implementing IMF macroeconomic reforms. In 1999, Sudan began exporting crude oil and in the last quarter of 1999 recorded its first trade surplus, which, along with monetary policy, has stabilized the exchange rate. Increased oil production, revived light industry, and expanded export processing zones helped sustain GDP growth at 6.1% in 2003. Agriculture production remains Sudan's most important sector, employing 80% of the work force and contributing 39% of GDP, but most farms remain rain-fed and susceptible to drought. Chronic instability - including the long-standing civil war between the Muslim north and the Christian/pagan south, adverse weather, and weak world agricultural prices - ensure that much of the population will remain at or below the poverty line for years.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $70.75 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
6.1% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,900 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 39%
industry: 18%
services: 43% (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA% (1990-91)

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
8.8% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
11 million (1996 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 80%, industry and commerce 7%, government 13% (1998 est.)

Unemployment rate:
18.7% (2002 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $1.4 billion
expenditures: $1.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $304 million (2001 est.)

Industries:
oil, cotton ginning, textiles, cement, edible oils, sugar, soap distilling, shoes, petroleum refining, pharmaceuticals, armaments, automobile/light truck assembly

Industrial production growth rate:
8.5% (1999 est.)

Electricity - production:
2.389 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 52.1%
hydro: 47.9%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
2.222 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
209,100 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
50,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA

Oil - imports:
NA

Oil - proved reserves:
631.5 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
99.11 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

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

Exports:
$2.45 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

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

Exports - partners:
China 53.3%, Japan 13.4%, South Africa 4.9%, Saudi Arabia 4.7% (2002)

Imports:
$2.383 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

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

Imports - partners:
China 20.1%, Saudi Arabia 7.5%, India 5.6%, UK 5.4%, Germany 5.4%, Indonesia 4.7%, Australia 4% (2002)

Debt - external:
$20.9 billion (yearend 2003 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$172 million (2001)

Currency:
Sudanese dinar (SDD)

Currency code:
SDD

Exchange rates:
Sudanese dinars per US dollar - 260.98 (2003), 263.31 (2002), 258.7 (2001), 257.12 (2000), 252.55 (1999)