Sudan’s inflation rises to 45.84% in April, driven by currency depreciation

May 18, Khartoum — Sudan’s Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) announced on Monday that the country’s annual inflation rate climbed to 45.84% in April 2026, up roughly five percentage points from March, driven largely by the depreciation of the Sudanese pound against foreign currencies.

CBS said in a statement that the figure reflects the change in the general price level compared to the same month in 2025. Urban inflation surged to 49.70% from 41.33% in March, while rural inflation rose to 43.62% from 39.53% over the same period.

Economists attribute the uptick to the weakening local currency, which has pushed up the cost of goods and services across the country.

The April rise marks a reversal after a prolonged decline from a peak of 422% recorded in July 2021.

The CBS noted that it compiled the April data from field price surveys conducted across 16 states, adding that deteriorating security conditions in North Darfur since October 2025 prevented direct data collection there, forcing the bureau to rely on price estimates for the state.

Inflation declined in five of Sudan’s 18 states during April. North Darfur recorded the sharpest drop at 16.17%, followed by Central Darfur at 4.89%. By contrast, 11 states saw inflation rise, with White Nile posting the highest increase at 29.62%, followed by Gedaref at 20.04%.

The bureau measures inflation using a basket of 663 commodities representing the consumption patterns of different economic, social, and geographic groups across urban and rural areas, distributed across 12 categories. Food and beverages top the basket, followed by tobacco, clothing and footwear, housing, utilities, health, transport, communications, and education, among others.

Sudanese households spend 52.89% of their income on food and beverages, 14.17% on housing, water, electricity, gas, and fuel, and 8.34% on transport.

The price increases compound the hardship facing most Sudanese, who have lost their livelihoods and income sources due to the ongoing war, which has devastated infrastructure, commercial activity, and agriculture across much of the country.