Living in Cities in Sudan: 1800 to Today (and Tomorrow)

When we measure the share of the population living in urban areas, we are charting where millions of people sleep, work, build homes, and raise families. Behind these statistics lies the daily reality of human lives shaped by geography, shifting markets, and the steady gravitational pull of urban centers. Every percentage point represents countless individual decisions to migrate, settle, and adapt to the evolving landscapes of towns and cities. For those living there, these numbers define whether childhood unfolds in an agricultural village or a bustling metropolis.

The historical arc spans three centuries of gradual transformation. In the 1800s estimate, living in cities stood at 4 percent, climbing slowly through the 1810s estimate at 4.2 percent, the 1820s estimate at 4.4 percent, and the 1830s estimate at 4.6 percent. Growth continued through the 1840s estimate at 4.8 percent, the 1850s estimate at 5 percent, the 1860s estimate at 5.2 percent, the 1870s estimate at 5.4 percent, the 1880s estimate at 5.6 percent, and the 1890s estimate at 5.8 percent. By 1900 it reached 6 percent.

The climb quickened through the 1910s estimate at 7 percent, the 1920s estimate at 8 percent, the 1930s estimate at 9 percent, the 1940s estimate at 10 percent, and the 1950s at 11 percent. It rose further through the 1960s at 15 percent, the 1970s at 19 percent, the 1980s at 23 percent, the 1990s at 27 percent, the 2000s at 31 percent, and the 2010s at 36 percent. In the 2020s, living in cities in Sudan stands at 41 %, ranking #143 of 157 countries. Projections suggest a rise to 57 percent by the 2100s projection.

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