Government and power in Sudan
Who leads Sudan, how the World Bank's governance indicators score it, how many women sit in parliament and government, what the state spends and taxes, and the official bodies that hold power to account. System of government: Federal republic in law (18 states); in practice divided by war, with a military-led government and a rival RSF-led authority.
Who leads Sudan?
- Head of state: First Lt. General Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan Abdelrahman Al-Burhan (President of the Transitional Sovereign Council of the Republic of the Sudan)
- Head of government: Kamil El-Tayeb Idris (Transitional Prime Minister of the Republic of the Sudan)
- Foreign minister: Mohieldin Salim Ahmed Ibrahim (Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Sudan)
Source: Heads of State, Heads of Government, Ministers for Foreign Affairs: Public List (United Nations Protocol and Liaison Service), list dated 15 October 2026. All world leaders.
Governance scores
The World Bank's Worldwide Governance Indicators combine surveys of households and firms with assessments by public, private and non-governmental bodies. Each score runs from 0 to 100; higher means the sources rate governance better. They measure perceptions, and each has a margin of error.
- Voice and accountability
- Measures how far citizens can choose their government, and freedom of expression, association and the media.
- Political stability and absence of violence
- Measures the likelihood of political instability or politically motivated violence, including terrorism.
- Government effectiveness
- Measures the quality of public services and the civil service, and how independent they are from political pressure.
- Regulatory quality
- Measures the government's ability to make and carry out policies that let the private sector develop.
- Rule of law
- Measures confidence in and respect for the rules of society, including contract enforcement, property rights, the police and the courts.
- Control of corruption
- Measures how far public power is used for private gain, including petty and grand corruption and "capture" of the state by elites.
How does Sudan score on voice and accountability?
Voice and accountability: 21.2 out of 100 in 2025, 188th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 41.2). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 24.6.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does Sudan score on political stability?
Political stability and absence of violence: 29.3 out of 100 in 2025, 187th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 56.4). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 29.6.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does Sudan score on government effectiveness?
Government effectiveness: 12.4 out of 100 in 2025, 190th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 36.2). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 24.6.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does Sudan score on regulatory quality?
Regulatory quality: 25.5 out of 100 in 2025, 187th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 42.9). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 29.7.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does Sudan score on the rule of law?
Rule of law: 28 out of 100 in 2025, 189th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 44.6). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 34.4.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does Sudan score on control of corruption?
Control of corruption: 16.3 out of 100 in 2025, 188th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 32.2). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 17.9.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many women are in Sudan's parliament?
Women held 30.5% of seats in the national parliament (single or lower chamber) in 2018, 48th highest of 191 countries with data. Source: Inter-Parliamentary Union, via the World Bank.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many of Sudan's ministers are women?
Women held 9.5% of ministerial posts in 2025, 163rd highest of 190.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow much does the government of Sudan spend?
Central government spending (expense) was 9.7% of GDP in 2016.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow much tax does the government of Sudan collect?
Central government tax revenue was 7.4% of GDP in 2016, 134th highest of 143.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow much does Sudan spend on the military?
Military spending was 0.9% of GDP in 2021, 119th highest of 154 (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, via the World Bank).
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow big are the armed forces of Sudan?
Armed forces personnel numbered 144,000 in 2020.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow good are Sudan's official statistics?
The World Bank's Statistical Performance Indicator, which scores how well a country's official statistics system works, was 42.1 out of 100 in 2024, 175th highest of 187.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many people in Sudan use the internet?
18.6% of people used the internet in 2017.
Source: World Bank · saved copyOfficial bodies that hold power in Sudan
Government
- Government of Sudan portalGovernment announcements and links to ministries and state services.
Laws and the official gazette
- Ministry of JusticeTexts of Sudanese laws and legal notices.
Government below the national level
- States (18): Governors appointed (under the 2019 Constitutional Charter, by the transitional authorities; since the war by the army-led Sovereignty Council in areas it controls, while the RSF-led authority names its own)
- Localities (mahaliyya): Commissioners appointed by state governments
- Administrative units and villages: Appointed officials working with native administration leaders
How local power works in Sudan
Places in Sudan
Sources
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Voice and accountability (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 70f2804fd1e2…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Political stability and absence of violence (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1317de0c85e1…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Government effectiveness (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a775e808dc65…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Regulatory quality (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 83b57e36ff8c…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Rule of law (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0bccc3c054e8…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Control of corruption (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3b15a5340cdd…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Seats held by women in national parliament (SG.GEN.PARL.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1ae1dc13981a…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Women in ministerial positions (SG.GEN.MNST.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a4e448a5b8bd…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Central government spending (GC.XPN.TOTL.GD.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 808094019f50…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Tax revenue (GC.TAX.TOTL.GD.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 08c94b750f31…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Military spending (MS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a7f6913a783b…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Armed forces personnel (MS.MIL.TOTL.P1), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 fa4663c743ba…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Statistical Performance Indicator (overall score) (IQ.SPI.OVRL), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 08ac7cde9129…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: People using the internet (IT.NET.USER.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0d78dc658329…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.