Unemployment Rate: Sudan

Analysis# Sudan Unemployment Rate Sudan's unemployment rate reached 58% in 2026, reflecting a severe labor market crisis. The current figure sits just below the all-time peak of 60.8% recorded in 2024, a dramatic deterioration from the 12% low in 2011. Since 1981, Sudan's unemployment has increased by 160.1%, signaling a sustained structural economic decline across four decades. The most striking shift occurred between 2022 and 2024, when unemployment nearly doubled from 32.1% to 60.8%—a sharp acceleration driven by economic collapse and civil instability. Prior to 2020, rates had remained relatively stable below 30%, but the subsequent four-year period saw unemployment surge by more than 30 percentage points. The recent projection showing a slight decline to 58% in 2026 suggests tentative stabilization, though the rate remains near historic highs and indicates a labor market facing persistent structural challenges.