Sudan is witnessing a sharp rise in consumer goods prices amid an unprecedented decline of the Sudanese pound against the dollar. This has created complex economic pressures on citizens who already suffer from a lack of jobs and meager public sector wages due to the ongoing conflict between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 15, 2023. The absence of a political solution and the paralysis of formal market mechanisms have worsened the situation. The war has led to dire living conditions both in army-controlled areas — including the northern and eastern regions, Khartoum, Gezira, White Nile, North Kordofan, large parts of South and West Kordofan, Blue Nile, and North Darfur — and in RSF-controlled states, which cover South, West, East, and Central Darfur, as well as parts of West, South, and North Kordofan.
The daily rise in prices, especially of food items, has fueled widespread anger among citizens, many of whom can now barely secure a single meal a day.
According to a recent study by the Sudanese Teachers’ Committee, the monthly cost of living for a family of five amounts to 1,652,000 Sudanese pounds (about USD 485). Meanwhile, the base salary for a grade-17 public service worker is 12,000 pounds (about USD 3.5) per month. This means that workers across the country fall under the threshold of extreme poverty — a condition defined by the inability to meet the most basic necessities of life.
Despair and Strangulation
In Omdurman’s Al-Thawra district, citizen Mohammed Ibrahim said:
“In reality, the economic collapse has placed citizens in a deep humanitarian crisis due to skyrocketing consumer prices and the lack of work opportunities. Most of the jobs people turned to after the war began are marginal and bring little income, forcing families to rely on limited, cheap goods. Prices of essential items such as sugar, lentils, rice, and cooking oil keep rising, while meat has become unaffordable for most households.”
He added that residents of Khartoum had hoped the city’s liberation from RSF control would improve living conditions, but instead, the situation worsened to unimaginable levels. “This conflict has destroyed hopes, created deep economic imbalance, and left despair hanging over every family in the capital. Citizens are the real victims of economic deterioration. Traders pass every new government tax directly to consumers, further tightening the noose around people’s necks and leaving them weak, hopeless, and unable to bear life’s burdens.”
Huge Disparities
Salma Al-Nour, an employee in a government sector, said:
“State salaries no longer match even daily expenses, let alone covering a whole month. These enormous gaps have created a harsh reality, where it is nearly impossible to provide for even a small family of three, given the insane rise in food prices — not to mention other urgent needs like medicine, electricity, water, education, and cooking gas.”
She explained that since the war began, wage instability has been a major problem. No increases were approved; instead, the government cut salaries and eliminated benefits, deepening the crisis. “I sustain my household on a salary of 180,000 pounds (about USD 52), but by the time the new month’s salary arrives, I’m already drowning in debt. This is the case for most government employees.”
She expressed hope that once a new government forms and employees resume their duties, public servants will be prioritized with wage increases and allowances, instead of cuts like those imposed on the “meal allowance,” which helps cover daily food costs and once provided essential relief for household budgets.
Relentless Price Hikes
Mubarak Idris, a trader in Omdurman’s Sabreen market, explained:
“The sharp rise in consumer goods is mainly due to the accelerating climb of foreign currencies against the Sudanese pound, which has deteriorated severely in recent days. This triggered unbearable price hikes that hurt both citizens and traders, while the country faces dire economic conditions.”
He noted that prices of sugar, flour, and oil have surged by 40 percent, with steady increases also seen in lentils and rice, though some items like onions and peanuts have remained relatively stable. Most goods are sourced from Atbara in River Nile state, where transport costs further drive up retail prices.
Lack of Oversight
Hamed Ibrahim, a shop owner in Port Sudan, said:
“Sudan has long suffered from instability in the pound’s value because of the war, now in its third year without solutions to silence the guns. This has worsened living conditions everywhere. Citizens face soaring, unmonitored prices — especially for sugar — due to disruptions in shipments reaching Port Sudan and heavy taxes on goods, compounded by low production in the states.”
He stressed that traders are not to blame: “Rising prices aren’t in our interest either, as they cause market stagnation and kill demand. The real cause of this inflation is the exchange rate collapse.”
Structural Imbalances
Economist Ibrahim Onour stated:
“In my view, the collapse of the national currency reflects deep structural flaws in managing the economy. Earlier this year, we warned the government to adopt preventive measures to stop the pound from sliding, but unfortunately, the state has been reactive rather than addressing root causes with proactive policies.”
He emphasized that the problem is not only the shortage of foreign currency supply in the banking sector, including the central bank, but also the lack of understanding and transparency. “The Central Bank of Sudan, though responsible for managing exchange rates, has no clear explanation for why the pound collapsed from 2,200 per dollar to 3,500 within just two months. The bank lacks a vision for how to respond.”
Onour explained that the loss of confidence in the national currency has accelerated its decline by about 60 percent in two months — one of the most dangerous indicators of collapse. This has triggered what financial literature calls a “self-fulfilling speculative attack,” where people hoard foreign currency to protect their wealth from erosion. This speculative behavior has further stripped the central bank of its ability to control the situation.
“This massive depreciation has forced individuals and institutions to buy dollars from the parallel market to preserve value, while the pound loses about 22 pounds daily. The central bank has lost its grip on halting the freefall.”
He concluded that escaping the crisis requires a national production strategy centered on reviving agriculture and industry, and restoring trust in economic institutions as the key to balance and stability.
A Heavy Price
Economist Mohammed Kamal added:
“As long as the parallel currency market remains active in Port Sudan, Atbara, and Khartoum, the pound will continue paying a heavy price. The central bank simply has no dollar reserves.”
He noted that the dollar exchange rate in the parallel market has exceeded 3,200 pounds and is expected to rise further unless the government secures an external loan exceeding USD 2 billion — something conditional on ending the war.
“If the war stops, economic indicators could begin to improve by early 2026, with customs duties becoming more flexible as they align with exchange rates that determine tariff levels,” Kamal said.
He pointed out that the government has managed to recover 30 percent of revenues lost during the war, but the remaining 70 percent must be restored for the economy to return to pre-war levels.
