Sudan population pyramid 2026
53,282,719 people in 2026 (projected). Sudan’s pyramid is a broad, steep triangle with a fertility rate still above four, yet women outnumber men in every age band from 30 to 69.
- 2026 population
- 53.3Mrank 29 of 237
- Median age
- 18.8 yearsoldest rank 211
- Fertility rate
- 4.13births per woman · above replacement
- Structure
- Youthful3.5% age 65+
Sudan population pyramid
2026 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex
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The UN series provides historical estimates through 2023. Figures from 2024 onward—including 2026—are medium-scenario projections, not counts or predictions guaranteed to occur.
Sudan age distribution in 2026
Children under 15 account for 39.8% of the population, while 3.5% are aged 65 or older. The remaining 56.7% are in the conventional working-age range of 15–64. On these shares, the site classifies Sudan’s age structure as youthful; the guide to expansive population pyramids explains what that shape implies.
The total age dependency ratio is 76.3: about 76 people under 15 or 65+ for every 100 people aged 15–64 (70.2 children and 6.1 older people). This is an age-balance indicator, not a literal count of economic dependants per worker.
What shapes Sudan’s population pyramid
A base that is still widening
Sudan’s pyramid has kept the same basic shape since 1950: the median age was about 16 then and is still under 19 in 2026. The UN series covers the present-day territory, without South Sudan, which became independent in 2011. The total fertility rate was close to seven around 1970 and has fallen only gradually, to about 4.3 in 2023. Meanwhile infant mortality dropped from about 125 to 36 per 1,000 live births, so far more children survive than in the past. The result is an expansive pyramid in which each five-year band of children is larger than the one born before it, and in 2026 the country records roughly five births for every death.
That combination gives Sudan’s age structure strong population momentum. Even as fertility declines, the large cohorts now under 15 will themselves become parents, which is why the medium scenario still has the population growing in 2100, when it reaches about 137 million. Sudan’s profile in 2026 most closely resembles those of Madagascar, Guinea and Ethiopia.
More women than men in the working ages
The sides of the pyramid are not symmetrical. In 2026 women outnumber men in every band from 30–34 to 65–69, and at ages 50–54 there are only about 82 men per 100 women. Sudan has long been a country of net emigration: the UN estimates net outflows of about 2.4 million between 1950 and 1999 and about 3.5 million between 2000 and 2023. Labour migration of men to the Gulf states and decades of armed conflict are often cited as reasons for the missing adult men, though the chart alone cannot separate their effects from differences in mortality.
Higher up the pyramid the pattern flips. Men outnumber women at ages 70–84, the cohorts born roughly 1942–1956, and the same generation already showed a male surplus at ages 45–59 in 2000. The data show this persistent imbalance clearly, but its cause cannot be established from the age structure alone and may partly reflect how ages were reported in censuses.
Projections under strain
The war that broke out in April 2023 displaced millions of people inside and beyond Sudan, and the WPP 2024 figures for the following years carry unusually wide uncertainty. Under the medium scenario the population reaches about 85 million by 2050, with children under 15 still about 32% of the total; the Sudan 2050 pyramid remains a wide-based triangle, only slightly less steep than today’s.
What to notice across the years
Distinctive cohorts and turning points
No five-year band under age 80 is more than 10% larger or smaller than both of its neighbours, so Sudan’s 2026 pyramid has a comparatively smooth profile without sharp bulges or notches.
In the UN medium scenario births outnumber deaths in every year through 2100. Children under 15 outnumber people aged 65 and older in every pyramid year through 2100.
Births, deaths, and migration
A pyramid changes in only three ways: births add to the base, deaths remove people at every age, and migration adds or removes people mainly in young adulthood. In 2026, Sudan is projected to record 1,694,024 births (about one birth every 19 seconds) and 330,515 deaths, a natural increase of 1,363,509. Net migration adds +252,038 people, ranking #28 in the net migration rate ranking.
Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates 33,165,347 births, 7,082,861 deaths, and cumulative net migration of −3,503,935. Over that period the balance of births and deaths moved the total more than migration did. See how migration shapes a pyramid and birth rate versus fertility rate. The medium scenario assumes net migration of −1,929,621 between 2026 and 2050.
Annual values 1950–2100; dashed lines after 2023 are the UN medium projection. The trend table below lists the values by decade.
Life expectancy and mortality
- Life expectancy, women
- 70.2 years46.6 in 1950
- Life expectancy, men
- 63.8 years45.1 in 1950
- Further years at 65
- 14.4 yearsboth sexes
- Infant mortality
- 36.0per 1,000 births · 125 in 1950
- Under-five mortality
- 51.0per 1,000 births
- Mother’s mean age at birth
- 29.8 yearssex ratio at birth 104.1
Women in Sudan are projected to live 6.4 years longer than men, which is why the female side of the pyramid widens relative to the other at older ages (see the life expectancy gap ranking). Infant mortality has fallen from 125 to 36.0 deaths per 1,000 live births since 1950, ranking #27 of 237 in the infant mortality ranking (highest first). A mean age at childbearing of 29.8 years sets the spacing between generations, and so how far apart echo cohorts sit in the pyramid.
Median age, fertility rate, and global ranks for Sudan
The median age of 18.8 years splits the population into two equal halves. A total fertility rate of 4.13 births per woman is above the replacement level of roughly 2.1, and life expectancy at birth is 66.9 years.
These ranks compare all 237 countries and areas in this dataset using the same 2026 UN medium projection. Ranks use the stored source precision, so displayed rounding can make adjacent values look identical; small differences should not be overinterpreted.
| Indicator | 2026 value | Global rank | Ranking direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 53,282,719 | #29 | Largest first |
| Median age | 18.8 years | #211 | Oldest first |
| Fertility rate | 4.13 | #17 | Highest first |
| Annual growth | +3.0% | #7 | Fastest first |
| Life expectancy | 66.9 years | #200 | Highest first |
| Population aged 65+ | 3.5% | #196 | Highest share first |
Largest age groups in Sudan
The five largest cohorts identify where the 2026 population is concentrated. They can reflect past birth patterns, survival, and migration; the chart alone does not establish which cause dominates.
| Rank | Age group | Population | Share of total | Male / female |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0–4 | 7,862,486 | 14.8% | 4M / 3.9M |
| 2 | 5–9 | 7,124,873 | 13.4% | 3.6M / 3.5M |
| 3 | 10–14 | 6,228,993 | 11.7% | 3.1M / 3.1M |
| 4 | 15–19 | 5,656,778 | 10.6% | 2.9M / 2.8M |
| 5 | 20–24 | 4,963,299 | 9.3% | 2.5M / 2.5M |
Sex ratio and the balance by age
In the 2026 projection, Sudan has 26,402,730 males and 26,879,989 females. That is 98.2 males per 100 females, ranking #120 when the dataset is ordered from the highest male-to-female ratio to the lowest.
Males account for 49.6% of the population and females for 50.4%. There are 477,259 more females than males overall. Among people aged 65 and older, the ratio is 100.7 males per 100 females.
The overall balance can conceal large differences by age; how sex ratios change with age explains the usual pattern. The ratio reflects the male/female categories in the UN source and is not a measure of gender identity. Compare all profiles in the sex-ratio ranking.
At birth, 104.1 boys are projected to be born for every 100 girls in 2026, close to the biological norm of about 105 (compare the sex ratio at birth ranking). The ratio at birth sets the balance at the base of the pyramid; how it changes with age then depends on survival and migration.
How Sudan has changed since 1950
The population has increased from 6,189,910 in 1950 to 53,282,719 in 2026, a change of 761%. Over the same span, median age moved from 16.1 to 18.8 years.
The under-15 share changed from 45.3% to 39.8%, while the share aged 65 and older changed from 3.0% to 3.5%. These shifts show why total population growth and age-structure change need to be read separately. See the Sudan population pyramid in 1950 for the full starting shape.
How the population could change by 2050
Under the UN medium scenario, Sudan’s population is projected to grow by about 60%, reaching 85,206,383 in 2050. The median age changes from 18.8 to 24.0 years.
The 65+ share is projected to rise by 1.8 percentage points to 5.3%. At the same time, the under-15 share is projected at 31.6%. The Sudan population pyramid for 2050 shows the projected shape in detail. How UN projections work explains the assumptions behind these figures.
The population is still rising at the end of the UN medium projection in 2100, when it reaches 136,890,755. The page therefore does not assign a peak year beyond the available horizon.
Population trend: 1950–2100
Mid-year population for every year. Estimates through 2023; dashed line shows the UN medium projection.
| Year | Population | Median age | Fertility | Life exp. | Births | Deaths | Net migration | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 6,189,910 | 16.1 | 6.66 | 45.8 | 296,853 | 117,687 | +3,343 | +3.0% |
| 1960 | 8,364,489 | 15.6 | 6.66 | 49.6 | 398,709 | 136,475 | +2,194 | +3.2% |
| 1970 | 11,695,771 | 15.1 | 6.99 | 52.3 | 570,669 | 169,663 | +4,479 | +3.5% |
| 1980 | 17,058,905 | 15.4 | 6.59 | 54.1 | 771,169 | 218,231 | +208,602 | +4.5% |
| 1990 | 22,021,481 | 15.8 | 6.07 | 55.5 | 964,199 | 264,240 | −254,825 | +2.0% |
| 2000 | 27,816,745 | 15.8 | 5.60 | 58.9 | 1,135,928 | 277,386 | −165,030 | +2.5% |
| 2010 | 35,414,400 | 16.3 | 5.14 | 63.0 | 1,345,298 | 276,894 | −339,466 | +2.1% |
| 2020 | 46,789,231 | 17.8 | 4.54 | 65.1 | 1,613,314 | 317,497 | −65,933 | +2.6% |
| 2023 | 50,042,791 | 18.3 | 4.32 | 66.3 | 1,682,049 | 320,491 | −1,349,998 | +0.0% |
| 2024* | 50,448,962 | 18.4 | 4.26 | 66.5 | 1,664,612 | 319,576 | −544,257 | +1.6% |
| 2026* | 53,282,719 | 18.8 | 4.13 | 66.9 | 1,694,024 | 330,515 | +252,038 | +3.0% |
| 2030* | 58,571,616 | 19.4 | 3.88 | 67.6 | 1,756,395 | 357,122 | −98,345 | +2.2% |
| 2040* | 71,730,599 | 21.4 | 3.36 | 69.3 | 1,842,003 | 429,612 | −94,085 | +1.8% |
| 2050* | 85,206,383 | 24.0 | 3.00 | 70.9 | 1,972,190 | 519,821 | −76,893 | +1.6% |
| 2060* | 98,627,439 | 26.5 | 2.74 | 72.3 | 2,038,364 | 636,558 | −110,388 | +1.3% |
| 2070* | 110,783,065 | 28.9 | 2.53 | 73.8 | 2,031,757 | 788,775 | −118,687 | +1.0% |
| 2080* | 121,318,083 | 31.1 | 2.38 | 75.2 | 2,038,787 | 950,913 | −128,783 | +0.8% |
| 2090* | 130,241,610 | 33.3 | 2.25 | 76.7 | 1,997,542 | 1,095,681 | −127,044 | +0.6% |
| 2100* | 136,890,755 | 35.5 | 2.15 | 78.1 | 1,915,834 | 1,234,070 | −106,344 | +0.4% |
* 2024 onward is the UN medium projection. Fertility is births per woman; life expectancy is years at birth; births, deaths, and net migration are counts for that calendar year.
Download every year, 1950–2100 (CSV)
2026 population by age and sex
The table provides the counts behind the chart. Age groups are five-year bands, with everyone aged 100 or older combined.
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 3,989,020 | 3,873,466 | 7,862,486 | 14.8% |
| 5–9 | 3,608,356 | 3,516,517 | 7,124,873 | 13.4% |
| 10–14 | 3,147,446 | 3,081,547 | 6,228,993 | 11.7% |
| 15–19 | 2,852,547 | 2,804,231 | 5,656,778 | 10.6% |
| 20–24 | 2,491,401 | 2,471,898 | 4,963,299 | 9.3% |
| 25–29 | 2,217,933 | 2,217,849 | 4,435,782 | 8.3% |
| 30–34 | 1,873,745 | 1,919,299 | 3,793,044 | 7.1% |
| 35–39 | 1,445,189 | 1,551,762 | 2,996,951 | 5.6% |
| 40–44 | 1,133,814 | 1,286,041 | 2,419,855 | 4.5% |
| 45–49 | 882,398 | 1,061,356 | 1,943,754 | 3.6% |
| 50–54 | 717,081 | 876,583 | 1,593,664 | 3.0% |
| 55–59 | 615,009 | 726,035 | 1,341,044 | 2.5% |
| 60–64 | 501,490 | 572,158 | 1,073,648 | 2.0% |
| 65–69 | 395,825 | 423,628 | 819,453 | 1.5% |
| 70–74 | 279,105 | 268,092 | 547,197 | 1.0% |
| 75–79 | 154,179 | 132,916 | 287,095 | 0.5% |
| 80–84 | 69,683 | 61,111 | 130,794 | 0.2% |
| 85–89 | 23,017 | 25,596 | 48,613 | 0.1% |
| 90–94 | 4,899 | 8,273 | 13,172 | 0.0% |
| 95–99 | 561 | 1,509 | 2,070 | 0.0% |
| 100+ | 32 | 119 | 151 | 0.0% |
Countries with the most similar age structure
These profiles have the 2026 age distributions closest to Sudan’s, measured by the total difference in the share of the population in each five-year band. Similar shapes can arise from very different histories, so the match is a starting point for comparison, not an explanation.
- Madagascar99% overlap · median age 19.4
- Guinea99% overlap · median age 18.5
- Benin98% overlap · median age 18.2
- Ethiopia98% overlap · median age 19.3
- Cameroon98% overlap · median age 18.2
- Gambia98% overlap · median age 18.8
To calculate school-age, working-age, or older groups with other boundaries, use the age-group calculator for Sudan.
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APA
World Population Pyramid. (2026, October 19). Sudan Population Pyramid 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/sudan/
MLA
“Sudan Population Pyramid 2026.” World Population Pyramid, 19 Oct. 2026, worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/sudan/.
Chicago
World Population Pyramid. “Sudan Population Pyramid 2026.” Last modified October 19, 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/sudan/.
Underlying data: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024.
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Sudan in 2026?
Under the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium scenario, Sudan's population in 2026 is projected at 53,282,719.
What is the median age in Sudan?
The projected median age in Sudan in 2026 is 18.8 years: half the population is younger and half is older.
What is the fertility rate in Sudan?
The projected total fertility rate in 2026 is 4.13 births per woman, above the replacement level of about 2.1 in low-mortality populations.
Is Sudan's population projected to grow?
Between 2026 and 2050, the UN medium scenario indicates the population will grow by about 60%, from 53.3M to 85.2M.
What share of Sudan is aged 65 or older?
In 2026, 3.5% of the projected population is aged 65 or older. By 2050, the medium scenario places the share at 5.3%.
How many babies are born in Sudan each year?
The UN medium scenario projects 1,694,024 births and 330,515 deaths in 2026, about one birth every 19 seconds. Births exceed deaths by 1,363,509.
What is life expectancy in Sudan for men and women?
Life expectancy at birth in 2026 is projected at 70.2 years for women and 63.8 years for men, a gap of 6.4 years in favour of women.
Does Sudan have more immigrants or emigrants?
Sudan is projected to gain about 252,038 more people through migration than it loses in 2026. Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates cumulative net migration of −3,503,935.
What is the sex ratio in Sudan?
The projected 2026 population sex ratio is 98.2 males per 100 females. This all-age ratio is different from the sex ratio at birth and can vary substantially by age.
Sources and notes
- United Nations, DESA, Population Division: World Population Prospects 2024, medium scenario.
- Population values are mid-year figures. Source values published in thousands are converted to people; displayed figures may imply more precision than is appropriate for planning.
- Historical values through 2023 are estimates. Values from 2024 onward are projections.
- Calculations follow the site methodology.