Economy Type
**Gold, Agriculture & Conflict-Disrupted Red Sea Economy
(Gold and Agriculture-based Conflict-Collapse Red Sea Economy)**
Sudan is classified as a Gold, Agriculture & Conflict-Disrupted Red Sea Economy .
This is because, although it possesses an economic base of gold, sesame, gum arabic, livestock, grain, and Red Sea ports, production facilities, urban economy, finance, transportation, and food systems have been extensively damaged by armed conflict that began in April 2023.
The World Bank estimated that the Sudanese economy rebounded by about 3.1% in 2025 due to low base effects and some production recovery. The IMF forecasts a real GDP growth rate of 0.7% and a consumer price inflation rate of 75.1% in 2026. This means that despite statistically positive growth, the economy is far from normalization.
Country Definition
Although Sudan possesses gold, agriculture, livestock, arabic gum, and a Red Sea port, it is a major reconstruction target country in Northeast Africa that must restore its territory, economy, and supply chains fragmented by civil war, and reconnect its national finances and food systems.
Why It Matters
Sudan is a large country in Northeast Africa that borders Egypt, Libya, Chad, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Eritrea, and connects to the Red Sea.
Port Sudan is a key hub for Red Sea logistics and foreign trade, and plays a strategic role in the movement of crude oil, fuel, food, and aid supplies between Sudan and South Sudan. Agriculture and livestock farming form the livelihoods of the majority of the population, and gold is a core source of foreign currency.
However, since 2023, the war has destroyed production, market, and administrative systems in the capital region and major areas such as Darfur and Kordofan. The World Bank assesses that the conflict has caused severe losses across society and the economy, and that the prospects for recovery are uncertain unless peace is restored.
Warnings have been raised that by 2026, approximately 19.5 million people will face severe food insecurity, and more than 825,000 children could be at risk of life-threatening severe malnutrition.
Korea Perspective
For South Korea, Sudan is currently a target for humanitarian aid and future reconstruction cooperation rather than a general export or investment market.
In the short term, food, medicine, water purification, solar power, mobile medical services, and disaster logistics are important. Distributed equipment capable of operating even in power outages or isolated areas is prioritized.
In the mid-to-long term, if peace is established, there is potential for cooperation in the fields of agricultural machinery, irrigation, grain storage, livestock quarantine, gold refining and tracking, solar power and ESS, ports, roads, railways, and e-administration.
Key Keywords
- Gold Economy
- Agriculture & Livestock
- Gum Arabic
- Red Sea Logistics
- Port Sudan
- Civil Conflict
- Food Security
- Humanitarian Supply Chain
- Reconstruction
- Korea–Sudan Cooperation
Sudan is a country connecting Northeast Africa, the Sahel, and the Red Sea. While Khartoum is the official capital, Port Sudan has served as the de facto center for government administration and external relations since the war.
The political system is closer to an abnormal transitional regime with divided state institutions, as the transition between the military and civilian forces has not yet been completed. The currency is the Sudanese pound, and the official languages are Arabic and English.
The population projected by the IMF for 2026 is approximately 51.73 million. However, due to large-scale domestic displacement and the movement of refugees abroad, it is difficult to determine the actual regional population and the size of the consumer market.
Sudan is a member of the African Union, the Arab League, the Intergovernmental Organization for Development (OGAD), COMESA, and the WTO. However, the war has significantly weakened the government's capacity for policy implementation, revenue management, trade statistics, and customs clearance.
Key Features
- Strategic location connecting the Red Sea and the Sahel
- A resource economy centered on gold, agriculture, and livestock
- Foreign trade centered on Port Sudan
- Extensive farmland and the Nile River system
- Territorial and administrative segmentation due to war
- Large-scale domestic displacement and refugees
- High inflation and currency depreciation
- Collapse of food, health, and education systems
- Expansion of the informal economy and smuggling
The Sudanese economy has been centered on agriculture, livestock farming, gold mining, wholesale and retail trade, transportation, construction, and public services.
Since South Sudan's independence, oil revenues have decreased significantly, increasing the importance of gold, agricultural products, taxes, and overseas remittances. However, the 2023 war simultaneously damaged Khartoum's financial, manufacturing, and commercial functions, as well as the agricultural and logistics systems of many regions.
The World Bank estimated that real GDP rebounded by 3.1% in 2025 following severe economic contractions in 2023 and 2024. However, this is based on low comparison standards and the resumption of production in some regions, and does not signify a recovery to pre-war levels of production and income.
The IMF projects a growth rate of 0.7%, an inflation rate of 75.1%, nominal GDP of approximately $44.7 billion, and GDP per capita of approximately $864 in 2026. As these estimates are based on the assumption that the war will continue, uncertainty remains very high.
Market characteristics
- Markets segmented by region
- Cash, gold, and foreign currency-centered trading
- Hyper-high inflation and exchange rate instability
- Demand for survival goods prioritized over consumption
- High proportion of government and international organization procurement
- Weakening of official financial and credit functions
- Transportation and security costs surge
- Product shortages and regional price disparities
- Decline in the reliability of statistics and corporate information
MarketHub Point
Market analysis of Sudan requires an approach that distinguishes regional control and logistical accessibility—such as Port Sudan, the North, the East, the Central, and Darfur—rather than viewing the entire country as a single market.
농업은 수단의 가장 중요한 생계·수출산업이다. 주요 작물은 수수, 기장, 밀, 참깨, 땅콩, 면화, 사탕수수와 채소이며, 나일강 유역에는 관개농업 기반이 존재한다.
수단은 아라비아검의 세계적인 생산국으로 식품·의약품·화장품·산업용 첨가제 공급망에서 중요한 위치를 차지한다. 참깨, 땅콩과 축산물도 걸프·아시아시장으로 수출돼 왔다.
축산업에서는 소, 양, 염소와 낙타가 중요하다. 사우디아라비아·이집트·걸프국가로 생축과 육류를 수출할 수 있지만, 검역·사료·물·도축·냉장시설이 부족하고 전쟁으로 이동경로가 불안정하다.
금은 핵심 외화수입원이지만 소규모·비공식 채굴과 밀수가 많다. 전쟁 이후 무장세력의 자금조달, 거래 투명성, 환경오염과 국제 제재 위험이 더욱 커졌다.
FAO는 2025년 농업생산을 지원하기 위해 약 8,393톤의 인증종자를 배포해 약 82만7,000개 농가를 지원했다고 밝혔다. 이는 수단 농업의 잠재력과 동시에 자급체계가 외부지원에 의존하는 현실을 보여준다.
핵심 산업
- 금 채굴·거래
- 곡물·참깨·땅콩
- 아라비아검
- 축산·생축 수출
- 면화·섬유 원료
- 식품가공
- 원유·정유·파이프라인
- 항만·운송
- 건설·재건
- 태양광·분산전력
핵심 산업기반
- 광대한 농경 가능 토지
- 나일강·지하수 자원
- 대규모 가축자원
- 금과 일부 광물자원
- 아라비아검 생산기반
- 홍해 해안과 포트수단
- 이집트·걸프시장 접근성
- 높은 재건수요
MarketHub Point
수단의 산업회복은 금 수출 확대보다 농업·축산·식량가공·전력·물류를 정상화해 국민생계와 외화수입을 동시에 회복하는 데서 시작해야 한다.
수단의 주요 수출품은 금, 참깨, 아라비아검, 생축, 육류, 땅콩, 면화와 일부 원유제품이다.
주요 수입품은 밀, 식품, 연료, 의약품, 기계, 자동차, 전기장비와 건축자재이다.
주요 교역 상대는 아랍에미리트, 중국, 사우디아라비아, 이집트, 인도, 튀르키예와 인접 아프리카 국가이다. 금은 UAE 등으로, 생축과 농축산물은 걸프·이집트시장으로 향하는 비중이 높다.
대외무역의 핵심은 포트수단이다. 그러나 내륙 도로·철도·창고·연료망이 파괴되거나 통제권이 나뉘면서 항만에 물자가 도착하더라도 최종 목적지까지 운송하기 어렵다.
FAO 자료에 따르면 2025년 4월 수수와 기장 가격은 전쟁 직전인 2023년 3월보다 4배 이상 높았다. 생산감소뿐 아니라 무역중단, 높은 투입비와 운송차질이 식량가격을 끌어올렸다.
주요 교역·협력국
- 아랍에미리트
- 중국
- 사우디아라비아
- 이집트
- 인도
- 튀르키예
- 남수단
- 에티오피아
- 차드
- 대한민국
공급망 특징
- 포트수단에 집중된 대외물류
- 금·농축산물 수출 중심
- 식량·연료·의약품 수입의존
- 도로·철도·창고 파괴
- 검문소·통행료·보안비용 증가
- 지역별 통제권과 통관 차이
- 연료부족과 운송차질
- 비공식 국경무역·밀수 확대
- 인도주의 물류의 높은 중요성
MarketHub Point
수단 공급망에서는 항만 도착이 거래의 완료가 아니며, 내륙 접근권·보안·연료·창고·현지 배포까지 하나의 통합 프로젝트로 설계해야 한다.
현재 수단에서 일반 상업투자는 매우 높은 위험을 가진다. 단기 기회는 인도지원, 생존 인프라와 공급망 복구에 집중된다.
식량 분야에서는 종자, 관개펌프, 소형 농기계, 곡물건조기, 이동식 제분기, 저장사일로와 식품검사 장비가 필요하다.
에너지 분야에서는 태양광·ESS, 미니그리드, 병원·정수시설·통신기지국용 독립전원과 이동형 발전설비가 적합하다.
보건·물 분야에서는 이동식 진료소, 의료기기, 의약품·백신 콜드체인, 정수장비, 지하수펌프와 위생설비 수요가 크다.
평화 이후에는 항만·도로·철도, 주택, 통신, 학교, 병원, 농업가공과 전자정부를 포함한 대규모 재건시장이 형성될 수 있다.
주요 기회
- 인도주의 물류
- 종자·농업기계·관개
- 곡물저장·식품가공
- 태양광·ESS·미니그리드
- 정수·위생·지하수
- 의료기기·이동형 병원
- 의약품 콜드체인
- 축산검역·도축
- 항만·도로·철도 복구
- 이동통신·위성통신
- 전자세관·공공재정
- 지뢰·재난·안전장비
주요 리스크
- 전쟁·테러·납치
- 국가·영토 통제의 분절
- 국제제재·수출통제
- 계약·재산권 집행 불가
- 초고물가·환율위험
- 은행·송금·결제 장애
- 항만·도로·연료 불안
- 물자 전용·부패 위험
- 금·자원 거래의 제재 위험
- 인도주의 접근 제한
- 식량·보건 위기
- 데이터·파트너 검증 곤란
수단의 경제전망은 일반적인 경기변수보다 전쟁의 종결 여부에 좌우된다.
IMF는 2026년 0.7% 성장을 전망하지만 동시에 75.1%의 매우 높은 물가상승률을 예상한다. 이는 일부 생산회복이 통화·재정·공급망 붕괴를 상쇄하기 어렵다는 뜻이다.
세계은행의 2025년 경제전망은 평화적 해결을 전제로 성장이 플러스로 돌아설 수 있다고 분석했으며, 전후 회복에는 거시경제 안정, 공공기관 복원, 금융·민간부문 회복과 인프라 재건이 필요하다고 평가했다.
2026년 식량상황은 여전히 심각하다. FAO는 수단이 세계 최대 규모의 기아·국내피란 위기 가운데 하나이며, 다르푸르와 코르도판의 일부 지역은 상황이 지속될 경우 기근 위험에 처할 수 있다고 경고한다.
중장기적으로 평화협정과 통합정부가 성립할 경우 농업·축산·금·항만·전력과 도시재건을 중심으로 빠른 복구수요가 발생할 수 있다. 다만 제도·재정·사법·금융을 동시에 재건하지 못하면 자원과 원조가 다시 갈등경제로 흘러갈 위험이 있다.
향후 주목할 변화
- 휴전·평화협상
- 수도·주요 도시 통제권
- 다르푸르·코르도판 상황
- 포트수단 운영
- 식량가격·기근 위험
- 피란민 귀환
- 환율·통화·중앙은행
- 금 생산·수출·제재
- 농업 파종·수확
- 국제원조 접근성
- 남수단 송유관
- 전후 재건금융
Market Position
Red Sea Agriculture, Gold & Post-Conflict Reconstruction Market
금·농업·축산·홍해항을 기반으로 식량·전력·물류·도시·공공체계를 다시 구축해야 하는 북동아프리카 대규모 재건시장
Key Opportunities
- 인도주의 식량·의료
- 농업기계·관개
- 곡물저장·식품가공
- 태양광·분산전력
- 정수·위생
- 의료기기·콜드체인
- 축산검역·육가공
- 항만·도로·철도
- 통신·공공데이터
- 재난·안전·복구장비
Recommended Strategy
Observe
전선·휴전·항만·제재·식량·환율·국제원조 접근성과 지역별 통제권을 지속적으로 점검한다.
↓
Prepare
We cooperate with international organizations, official development finance institutions, and humanitarian agencies, and prepare a business structure that includes prevention of diversion of materials, sanctions compliance, security, traceability, and on-site maintenance.
↓
Participate
Currently, participation is limited to international organization procurement and humanitarian assistance in the fields of food, health, water, and electricity, and will be gradually expanded to agriculture, logistics, energy, and urban reconstruction after peace is established.
Final Assessment
Although Sudan possesses high potential in gold, agriculture, livestock, and the Red Sea port, it is currently a large-scale vulnerable reconstruction state where ending the war and restoring food, currency, administration, and supply chains take precedence over all economic activities.
Scope of investigation
This document was prepared by cross-referencing the latest economic and humanitarian data related to Sudan with international financial institutions and the Food and Agriculture Organization.
International organizations and regional organizations
- International Monetary Fund
- World Bank
- World Trade Organization
- Food and Agriculture Organization
- World Food Programme
- African Development Bank
- African Union
- Intergovernmental Authority on Development
- United Nations Development Program
Key verification data
- IMF Sudan Country Data 2026
- IMF World Economic Outlook, April 2026
- World Bank Sudan Economic Update, May 2025
- World Bank Sudan Macro Poverty Outlook 2026
- FAO Sudan Food Security Assessment 2025–2026
- FAO Sudan Emergency and Resilience Reports
- WTO Trade Profiles
- International data related to Sudan's agriculture, livestock, gold, ports, and humanitarian supply chains
Writing Verification
This document was written based on the following criteria.
- Apply WCI-001 Golden Template Table of Contents Order
- Maintain from 0. Country Summary to 8. References & Writing Verification
- Reflecting the 2025 economic rebound estimate and the 2026 IMF forecast
- Prioritize the use of IMF, World Bank, and FAO data
- Reflecting characteristics of gold, agriculture, livestock, gum of Arabia, and Red Sea ports
- Separate review of war, food, price, currency, and logistics risks
- Application of the Republic of Korea's Humanitarian, Agriculture, Electricity, Health, and Reconstruction Cooperation Perspectives
- In fact, distinguishing between forecasts and MarketHub's judgment
- Describe humanitarian aid and reconstruction conditions over commercial opportunities in accordance with the reality of vulnerable countries.
- Maintaining an appropriate amount considering the overall balance of WCI
Sudan is a large resource- and agricultural country in Northeast Africa, possessing gold, agriculture, livestock, gum arabic, and a Red Sea port.
However, the war that began in 2023 caused extensive damage to the metropolitan area, agricultural zones, financial, manufacturing, transportation networks, and public services.
The World Bank estimates that the economy rebounded by about 3.1% in 2025, but this is due to low base effects and the resumption of production in some regions. The IMF forecasts a growth rate of 0.7% and an inflation rate of 75.1% in 2026.
Sudan's most serious problem is food and survival systems rather than GDP. It is projected that approximately 19.5 million people will face severe food insecurity by 2026, and some regions remain at risk of famine.
Economic recovery is possible only if a ceasefire and an integrated national system, the return of refugees, the resumption of agricultural production, the restoration of logistics between Port Sudan and the inland, and the normalization of currency and banking systems are established beforehand.
The Republic of Korea can currently cooperate with international organizations in the fields of food, water purification, medical services, solar power, agricultural seeds and equipment, and humanitarian logistics.
After the establishment of peace, agricultural machinery, grain storage, livestock quarantine, gold refining and tracking, solar power and ESS, ports, roads, railways, and e-government could become major areas of reconstruction cooperation.
Final evaluation
Sudan possesses potential for gold, agriculture, livestock, and Red Sea logistics, but it is a key reconstruction nation in Northeast Africa that must end the war and reconnect food, currency, administration, and infrastructure.