Photo: Retlaw Snellac derivative work: JamesA · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 04 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Sudan: Education & Knowledge
How far does a country's schooling carry its children?
Sudan is placed joint 190th of 198 countries on education & knowledge in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 4 key statistics. Readings behind it: Out-of-School Rate, Primary 43.84 (2024); Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary 37.96 (2024).
Share
Education & Knowledge
joint190th
of 198 countries placed
Placed from 3 of 4 key statistics
- 43.84Out-of-School Rate, Primary, 2024Out-of-school rate, primary age (%)
- 37.96Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary, 2024Children one year before primary entry age in organised learning (%)
- 33.58Upper Secondary Completion Rate, 2025Upper secondary completion rate (%)
- —Government Spending on Education, 2023No reading for this country
01The evidence
The 4 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Sudan on education & knowledge — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used — or, for a survey-based key, each country’s latest reading; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
Key 1 of 4
Out-of-School Rate, Primary
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)
Latest reading per country, 2014–2024 · Sudan’s is from 2019 · CC BY-SA 4.0
43.84
Out-of-school rate, primary age (%)
Lower is better
Sudan: 43.84. Across the 192 countries at their latest reading, values run from 0.004 (United Arab Emirates) to 65.6 (Equatorial Guinea); the world median is 3.691.
- World median
- 3.691
- Best in Northern Africa
- 0.471 Morocco
- Land neighbours
- Egypt 3.514 · Eritrea 40.38 · Ethiopia 22.46 · South Sudan 64.73 · Chad 24.8
Key 2 of 4
Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)
Latest reading per country, 2014–2024 · Sudan’s is from 2019 · CC BY-SA 4.0
37.96
Children one year before primary entry age in organised learning (%)
Higher is better
Sudan: 37.96. Across the 187 countries at their latest reading, values run from 3.411 (Yemen) to 100 (United Arab Emirates); the world median is 85.9.
- World median
- 85.9
- Best in Northern Africa
- 87.54 Morocco
- Land neighbours
- Egypt 37.85 · Eritrea 37.79 · Ethiopia 62.59 · South Sudan 9.452 · Chad 18.34
Key 3 of 4
Upper Secondary Completion Rate
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY-SA 4.0
33.58
Upper secondary completion rate (%)
Higher is better
Sudan: 33.58. Across the 164 countries in this edition, values run from 2.13 (South Sudan) to 99.27 (South Korea); the world median is 64.87.
- World median
- 64.87
- Best in Northern Africa
- 88.21 Egypt
- Land neighbours
- Central African Republic 5.55 · Egypt 88.21 · Ethiopia 15.45 · South Sudan 2.13 · Chad 6.59
Key 4 of 4
Government Spending on Education
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)
2023 edition · data for 2023 · CC BY-SA 4.0
No reading
Government expenditure on education (% of GDP)
Higher is better
UIS publishes no 2023 figure for Sudan, so the standing rests on the other keys.
Across the 123 countries in this edition, values run from 0 (Somalia) to 16.39 (Kiribati); the world median is 3.709.
- World median
- 3.709
- Best in Northern Africa
- 6.734 Tunisia
- Land neighbours
- Central African Republic 1.83 · Ethiopia 2.927 · Chad 3.201
02Over time
Which way Sudan is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Out-of-School Rate, Primary
Out-of-school rate, primary age (%) · lower is better
SudanWorld median
Sudan fell from 45.06 in 2011 to 43.84 in 2019; the world median went from 3.626 to 2.758.
Every year’s figures
Year Sudan World median 2024 — 3.691 2023 — 3.393 2022 — 3.002 2021 — 3.330 2020 — 2.678 2019 43.8 2.758 2018 38.8 2.439 2017 43.5 2.907 2016 45.5 2.954 2015 47.3 3.052 2014 47.7 3.904 2013 47.9 3.413 2012 48.6 3.408 2011 45.1 3.626 2010 — 3.491 2009 — 3.577 2008 — 3.878 2007 — 4.029 2006 — 4.338 2005 — 4.571 2004 — 3.791 2003 — 4.412 2002 — 4.144 2001 — 4.051 2000 — 8.642 Upper Secondary Completion Rate
Upper secondary completion rate (%) · higher is better
SudanWorld median
Sudan rose from 17.71 in 2000 to 33.58 in 2025; the world median went from 38 to 64.87.
Every year’s figures
Year Sudan World median 2025 33.6 64.9 2024 32.8 65.0 2023 32.1 64.2 2022 31.4 63.6 2021 30.9 62.9 2020 30.3 62.2 2019 29.5 61.5 2018 28.8 60.9 2017 28.3 60.5 2016 27.8 60.1 2015 27.5 58.9 2014 27.2 57.0 2013 26.7 54.7 2012 26.2 52.4 2011 25.5 50.9 2010 24.7 49.5 2009 23.8 48.5 2008 22.8 47.4 2007 21.9 46.2 2006 21.0 45.0 2005 20.1 43.8 2004 19.5 42.9 2003 18.9 41.6 2002 18.5 40.3 2001 18.1 39.0 2000 17.7 38.0 Government Spending on Education
Government expenditure on education (% of GDP) · higher is better
SudanWorld median
Sudan rose from 1.012 in 2000 to 2.022 in 2009; the world median went from 3.886 to 4.664.
Every year’s figures
Year Sudan World median 2023 — 3.7092 2022 — 4.0570 2021 — 4.2611 2020 — 4.4056 2019 — 4.1407 2018 — 4.2159 2017 — 4.1401 2016 — 4.2342 2015 — 4.2386 2014 — 4.2005 2013 — 4.3493 2012 — 4.0348 2011 — 3.9987 2010 — 4.1396 2009 2.02 4.6638 2008 1.85 4.4226 2007 — 4.1717 2006 1.55 4.0593 2005 1.18 4.0557 2004 1.31 3.9745 2003 — 4.1595 2002 1.16 4.0173 2001 — 4.1002 2000 1.01 3.8861
03In context
Sudan beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 198 countries on education & knowledge, never a place within the region.
Sudan and the countries it borders
Standing among all 198; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | Out-of-School Rate, PrimaryOut-of-school rate, primary age (%) | Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before PrimaryChildren one year before primary entry age in organised learning (%) | Upper Secondary Completion RateUpper secondary completion rate (%) | Government Spending on EducationGovernment expenditure on education (% of GDP) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Egypt | 121st | 3.514 | 37.85 | 88.21 | — |
 Ethiopia | 178th | 22.46 | 62.59 | 15.45 | 2.927 |
 Chad | 189th | 24.8 | 18.34 | 6.59 | 3.201 |
| Sudan | =190th | 43.84 | 37.96 | 33.58 | — |
 Eritrea | 194th | 40.38 | 37.79 | — | — |
 Central African Republic | 195th | — | — | 5.55 | 1.83 |
 South Sudancompare | 198th | 64.73 | 9.452 | 2.13 | — |
 Libya | not placed | — | — | — | — |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Northern Africa
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 198.
Placed either side on education & knowledge
The countries immediately above and below Sudan in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Sudan is ahead of the world, and behind
13 more statistics filed under education & knowledge, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Behind the world median11
Statistics on which Sudan does worse than the middle country measured.
Harmonized Test ScoresWorld Bank Group · 2020 · world median 414.32379.63414.32No real change since 2017
Sudan: 379.63 · world median 414.32 · Harmonized test score (TIMSS-equivalent points; 300 = minimum, 625 = advanced attainment). World Bank Group, 2020 edition, data for 2020.
Published values in that edition run from 304.92 to 575.27; higher is better.
Position 128th of 172 · derived.
Wealth Parity Index, Lower Secondary CompletionUIS · 2024 · world median 0.5290.1790.529No earlier reading
Sudan: 0.179 · world median 0.529 · Adjusted wealth parity index, lower secondary completion (poorest vs richest fifth; 1 = parity). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.032 to 1.022; higher is better.
Primary Completion RateUIS · 2025 · world median 97.4375.6497.43▼ Worsened since 2015
Sudan: 75.64 · world median 97.43 · Primary completion rate (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 7.94 to 100; higher is better.
Position 133rd of 165 · derived.
Academic Freedom IndexV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 0.6190.2060.619▲ Improved since 2015
Sudan: 0.206 · world median 0.619 · Academic freedom index (0–1). V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.019 to 0.978; higher is better.
Position 142nd of 176 · derived.
Intergenerational Persistence in EducationWorld Bank Group · 2017 · world median 0.4460.5330.446No earlier reading
Sudan: 0.533 · world median 0.446 · Correlation between own and parents' years of schooling, born 1980–89 (0–1). World Bank Group, 2017 edition, data for 2017.
Published values in that edition run from 0.123 to 0.66; lower is better.
Position 30th of 153 · derived, 1st = worst.
Lower Secondary Completion RateUIS · 2025 · world median 89.2140.889.21▼ Worsened since 2015
Sudan: 40.8 · world median 89.21 · Lower secondary completion rate (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 13.73 to 100; higher is better.
Position 143rd of 164 · derived.
Adult Literacy RateUIS · 2024 · world median 93.9953.5293.99No earlier reading
Sudan: 53.52 · world median 93.99 · Adults 15+ who can read and write (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 26.83 to 100; higher is better.
Position 158th of 172 · derived.
Mean Years of SchoolingUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 9.9333.9629.933No real change since 2013
Sudan: 3.962 · world median 9.933 · Mean years of schooling (adults 25+). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 1.412 to 14.3; higher is better.
Position 179th of 193 · derived.
Expected Years of SchoolingUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 13.348.6213.34▲ Improved since 2013
Sudan: 8.62 · world median 13.34 · Expected years of schooling. UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 5.635 to 21.69; higher is better.
Position 182nd of 195 · derived.
Learning-Adjusted Years of SchoolWorld Bank Group · 2020 · world median 7.9414.3017.941▼ Worsened since 2017
Sudan: 4.301 · world median 7.941 · Learning-adjusted years of school (0–14). World Bank Group, 2020 edition, data for 2020.
Published values in that edition run from 2.207 to 12.81; higher is better.
Position 161st of 172 · derived.
Youth Literacy RateUIS · 2024 · world median 98.2265.8198.22No earlier reading
Sudan: 65.81 · world median 98.22 · 15–24 year-olds who can read and write (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 36.7 to 100; higher is better.
No better end2
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Scholarly ArticlesOurResearch · 2025 · world median 2,2403,2522,240Moved since 2022
Sudan: 3,252 · world median 2,240 · Articles with at least one author at an institution in the country (full counting). OpenAlex (OurResearch), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 1 to 1,094,890.
Female Share of ResearchersUIS · 2024 · world median 38.174038.17No earlier reading
Sudan: 40 · world median 38.17 · Researchers who are women (% of headcount; 50 = parity). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 76.54.
No current reading for Sudan
Bachelor's or Higher Attainment (last 2022), Female Share of STEM Graduates (last 2015), Gender Parity Index, Tertiary Enrolment (last 2015), Government Funding per Primary Student, Government Spending on Education (last 2009), Inbound Mobility Rate, Tertiary, Learning Poverty, Minimum Proficiency in Mathematics, End of Lower Secondary, Minimum Proficiency in Mathematics, End of Primary, Minimum Proficiency in Reading, End of Lower Secondary, Minimum Proficiency in Reading, End of Primary, Nobel Prize Laureates by Country of Birth, Out-of-School Rate, Lower Secondary Age (last 2019), Out-of-School Rate, Primary (last 2019), Outbound Mobility Ratio, Tertiary (last 2015), Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary (last 2019), PISA Mathematics Performance, PISA Reading Performance, PISA Science Performance, Pre-Primary Net Enrolment Rate (last 2019), Primary Schools with Electricity (last 2016), Primary Schools with Internet for Teaching, Pupils per Qualified Teacher, Primary (last 2019), Qualified Teachers in Primary Education (last 2019), Research and Development Spending (last 2005), Researchers per Million Inhabitants, School Life Expectancy (last 2015), Secondary School Enrolment (last 2019), Share of Graduates from ICT Programmes (last 2015), Tertiary Enrolment Ratio (last 2015), Trust in Scientists and Upper Secondary Attainment (last 2022). Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Education & Knowledge among Sudan’s 15 topics
Education & Knowledge is Sudan’s 9th best-placed topic of 15. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Energy24th of 1652/3 keys
- Poverty & Inequality94th of 1592/3 keys
- Environment & Sustainabilityjoint 126th of 1864/4 keys
- Development & Human Capital176th of 1963/3 keys
- Digital & Technologyjoint 178th of 1983/4 keys
- Peace & Securityjoint 160th of 1774/4 keys
- Health & Wellbeing185th of 2003/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties184th of 1984/4 keys
- Education & Knowledgejoint 190th of 1983/4 keys
- Mobility & Trade170th of 1773/4 keys
- Governance & Institutions187th of 1944/4 keys
- Risk & Resilience188th of 1933/4 keys
- Economy & Innovation173rd of 1762/4 keys
- Food & Agriculture182nd of 1842/4 keys
- Gender & Equality182nd of 1833/4 keys
No standing on Work & Labour: too few of those topics’ key statistics are published for this country.
06The top of the list
Who leads on education & knowledge
The three countries placed highest of 198, and the leaders Sudan can most readily be measured against.
1
United Arab EmiratesWestern Asia
1st of 198 · 2 of 4 keys
Photo: Unknown author · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2
GreeceSouthern Europe
2nd of 198 · 3 of 4 keys
Photo: User:Ggia derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
3
PolandEastern Europe
3rd of 198 · 3 of 4 keys
Photo: Ralf Lotys (Sicherlich) · CC BY 3.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest placed on all 4 keys
Moldova7th4/4 keysHighest in Africa
Tunisia=48th3/4 keysThis page
Sudan=190th3/4 keys
Positions out of 198 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Questions
Sudan on education & knowledge: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does Sudan rank on education & knowledge?
Sudan is placed joint 190th of 198 countries on Education & Knowledge in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 4 key statistics (Out-of-School Rate, Primary, Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary and Upper Secondary Completion Rate). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest Out-of-School Rate, Primary figure for Sudan?
43.84 in 2024 (out-of-school rate, primary age (%)), according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). The world median in the same edition was 3.691.
What is the latest Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary figure for Sudan?
37.96 in 2024 (children one year before primary entry age in organised learning (%)), according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). The world median in the same edition was 85.9.
How does Sudan compare with Ethiopia on education & knowledge?
Ethiopia is placed 178th of 198, and Sudan joint 190th. Out-of-School Rate, Primary: Ethiopia 22.46, Sudan 43.84; Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary: Ethiopia 62.59, Sudan 37.96; Upper Secondary Completion Rate: Ethiopia 15.45, Sudan 33.58.
How have Sudan’s education & knowledge figures changed?
Out-of-School Rate, Primary fell from 45.06 in 2011 to 43.84 in 2019; Upper Secondary Completion Rate rose from 17.71 in 2000 to 33.58 in 2025; Government Spending on Education rose from 1.012 in 2000 to 2.022 in 2009.
Which education & knowledge statistics are missing for Sudan?
No current reading is published for Sudan on Bachelor's or Higher Attainment, Female Share of STEM Graduates, Gender Parity Index, Tertiary Enrolment, Government Funding per Primary Student, Government Spending on Education, Inbound Mobility Rate, Tertiary, Learning Poverty, Minimum Proficiency in Mathematics, End of Lower Secondary, Minimum Proficiency in Mathematics, End of Primary, Minimum Proficiency in Reading, End of Lower Secondary, Minimum Proficiency in Reading, End of Primary, Nobel Prize Laureates by Country of Birth, Out-of-School Rate, Lower Secondary Age, Out-of-School Rate, Primary, Outbound Mobility Ratio, Tertiary, Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary, PISA Mathematics Performance, PISA Reading Performance, PISA Science Performance, Pre-Primary Net Enrolment Rate, Primary Schools with Electricity, Primary Schools with Internet for Teaching, Pupils per Qualified Teacher, Primary, Qualified Teachers in Primary Education, Research and Development Spending, Researchers per Million Inhabitants, School Life Expectancy, Secondary School Enrolment, Share of Graduates from ICT Programmes, Tertiary Enrolment Ratio, Trust in Scientists and Upper Secondary Attainment. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
08Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
How much children actually learn is only partly covered. International test scores exist for a limited group of countries, and they are published here as context rather than used as a key, because a key must describe most of the world. Universities, research, and youth and adult literacy also appear as context.
How the Education & Knowledge standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 4 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 4 keys to be placed.
The education & knowledge method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- Out-of-School Rate, Primary — UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), CC BY-SA 4.0
- Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary — UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), CC BY-SA 4.0
- Upper Secondary Completion Rate — UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), CC BY-SA 4.0
- Government Spending on Education — UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), CC BY-SA 4.0
The other 13 statistics on this page come from 5 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
Sudan’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Sudan (banner) — Retlaw Snellac derivative work: JamesA, CC BY 2.0
- United Arab Emirates — Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Greece — User:Ggia derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Poland — Ralf Lotys (Sicherlich), CC BY 3.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Sudan: Education & Knowledge — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/sudan/education