Iran vs Sudan
Iran vs Sudan: Government debt
Government debt: 31.2% of GDP in Iran in 2024 and 191.3% of GDP in Sudan in 2021, by IMF estimates. In 2021 the value was higher in Sudan, by 151.4 percentage points, or 4.79 times that in Iran.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Sudan has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1996.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Iran at 43.4% of GDP and Sudan at 192.2% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Iran | Sudan |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 31.2 | 282.3 |
| 2023 | 29.6 | 286.9 |
| 2022 | 34.5 | 189 |
| 2021 | 39.9 | 191.3 |
| 2020 | 47.1 | 278.8 |
| 2019 | 44.6 | 216.5 |
| 2018 | 41.6 | 209.8 |
| 2017 | 43.2 | 149.5 |
| 2016 | 46 | 109.9 |
| 2015 | 32.1 | 93.2 |
| 2014 | 10.9 | 84.4 |
| 2013 | 10.2 | 105.8 |
| 2012 | 11.8 | 117.7 |
| 2011 | 10.6 | 78.1 |
| 2010 | 12.8 | 74.6 |
| 2009 | 11.5 | 71 |
| 2008 | 10.6 | 55.8 |
| 2007 | 13.5 | 53.7 |
| 2006 | 15.2 | 63.7 |
| 2005 | 18.3 | 75.5 |
| 2004 | 21.1 | 97.8 |
| 2003 | 22 | 117.4 |
| 2002 | 23.4 | 121.7 |
| 2001 | 21 | 125.6 |
| 2000 | 18.2 | 143.2 |
| 1999 | 22.2 | 160.5 |
| 1998 | 29.6 | 179.7 |
| 1997 | 30.9 | 167.7 |
| 1996 | 29.3 | 220.9 |
| 1995 | – | 239 |
| 1994 | – | 386.5 |
| 1993 | – | 285.9 |
| 1992 | – | 495.2 |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2025–2031
| Year | Iran | Sudan |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 35.6 | 204.4 |
| 2026 | 39.1 | 334.4 |
| 2027 | 40.2 | 274.1 |
| 2028 | 40.8 | 235.5 |
| 2029 | 41.7 | 225.2 |
| 2030 | 42.7 | 212 |
| 2031 | 43.4 | 192.2 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the government owes, as a share of the economy’s yearly output.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Iran vs Sudan
Health
- Life expectancyIran: 77.7 years in 2023Sudan: 66.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityIran: 1.1 per 100 live births in 2024Sudan: 6.2 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityIran: 9.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023Sudan: 36.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionIran: 5.12% in 2017Sudan: 3.78% in 2017
- Suicide rateIran: 5.4 per 100,000 people in 2017Sudan: 5 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationIran: 90.6 million people in 2023Sudan: 50 million people in 2023
- Population growthIran: 1.12% a year in 2023Sudan: 0.02% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateIran: 1.7 births per woman in 2023Sudan: 4.32 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationIran: 77.4% in 2025Sudan: 34.9% in 2025
- Median ageIran: 32.9 years in 2023Sudan: 18.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overIran: 7.9% in 2023Sudan: 3.2% in 2023
- Net migration rateIran: 2.9 per 1,000 people in 2023Sudan: -27 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingIran: 2.09% of GDP in 2025Sudan: 0.93% of GDP in 2021
- Military spending in US dollarsIran: $7.45B in 2025Sudan: $2.77B in 2021
- Military spending per personIran: $80 in 2025Sudan: $8 in 2021
- Military share of state spendingIran: 11.2% of government spending in 2025Sudan: 9.5% of government spending in 2021
- Armed forces personnelIran: 650,000 people in 2020Sudan: 144,000 people in 2020
- National powerIran: 1.64% of world capability in 2022Sudan: 0.37% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersIran: 2.35% of the labour force in 2020Sudan: 1.34% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsIran: 42 million TIV in 2024Sudan: 57 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsIran: 80 million TIV in 2025Sudan: 11 million TIV in 2013