Share of urban population who live in the largest city in Sudan

Sudan: Share of urban population who live in the largest city was 18.4% in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
18.4%
World rank
126th
of 179 countries
All-time high
20.3%
in 2000
All-time low
7.7%
in 1950
Years of data
15
1950–2020

Share of urban population who live in the largest city in Sudan, 1950–2020

051015201950198520201950: 7.7 %1955: 8.3 %1960: 9 %1965: 9.3 %1970: 9.6 %1975: 10.1 %1980: 12.8 %1985: 14.7 %1990: 18 %1995: 20.1 %2000: 20.3 %2005: 20.1 %2010: 19.6 %2015: 19.4 %2020: 18.4 %

Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of urban population who live in the largest city in Sudan is 18.4%, measured in 2020.

The figure is down 6.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of urban population who live in the largest city in Sudan peaked at 20.3% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 7.7%, in 1950.

That places Sudan 126th out of 179 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.

Share of urban population who live in the largest city in Sudan, year by year

Annual values for Share of urban population who live in the largest city in Sudan, 1950 to 2020.
Year % Change
1950 7.7%
1955 8.3% +8.6%
1960 9.0% +8.4%
1965 9.3% +3.6%
1970 9.6% +3.1%
1975 10.1% +4.5%
1980 12.8% +27.5%
1985 14.7% +14.3%
1990 18.0% +23.0%
1995 20.1% +11.7%
2000 20.3% +0.6%
2005 20.1% -0.9%
2010 19.6% -2.2%
2015 19.4% -1.1%
2020 18.4% -5.4%

Sudan compared with similar countries

  • Sudan's 18.4% is above the median for low income countries, which is 18.4%, 1.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
  • Sudan's 18.4% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 28.9%, 64% of the median. (46 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 8.0% 7.7% 8.3% 2
1960s 9.2% 9.0% 9.3% 2
1970s 9.8% 9.6% 10.1% 2
1980s 13.7% 12.8% 14.7% 2
1990s 19.1% 18.0% 20.1% 2
2000s 20.2% 20.1% 20.3% 2
2010s 19.5% 19.4% 19.6% 2
2020s 18.4% 18.4% 18.4% 1

Countries ranked near Sudan

  1. 123 Czechia 18.6% compare
  2. 124 Chad 18.6% compare
  3. 125 Oman 18.4% compare
  4. 127 Reunion 18.3% compare
  5. 128 Romania 18.2% compare
  6. 129 Canada 18.0% compare

See the full ranking of 179 places →

More population data for Sudan

All data for Sudan →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of urban population who live in the largest city in Sudan?
Share of urban population who live in the largest city in Sudan was 18.4% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of urban population who live in the largest city recorded in Sudan?
The highest recorded value was 20.3% in 2000.
What is the lowest share of urban population who live in the largest city recorded in Sudan?
The lowest recorded value was 7.7% in 1950.
How does Sudan rank for share of urban population who live in the largest city?
Sudan ranks 126th out of 179 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of urban population who live in the largest city rising or falling in Sudan?
Over the last ten years it is down 6.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Sudan data come from?
The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of urban population who live in the largest city. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of urban population who live in the largest city in Sudan. Statizoid, drawing on European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/population-in-the-largest-city/sudan/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of urban population who live in the largest city
Unit
%
Source
European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
179 places, 2,452 data points, 1950–2020
Last refreshed

Percentage of the urban population living in the country's largest city (by population). City boundaries are defined using a consistent global approach based on satellite imagery and population data.