Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Eritrea fits inside Sudan 15 times.
Eritrea: 121,766 km² (2023) · Sudan: 1,878,000 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Eritrea’s coastline is 2.6 times as long as Sudan’s.
Eritrea: 2,234 km (2026 edition) · Sudan: 853 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Sudan’s highest peak towers 24 m above Eritrea’s.
Eritrea: 3,018 m (2026 edition) · Sudan: 3,042 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Sudan has 14 times as many people as Eritrea.
Eritrea: 3.61 million (2025) · Sudan: 51.7 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Eritrea is 8% more densely populated than Sudan.
Eritrea: 30 per km² (2025) · Sudan: 28 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Sudan are 1.5 cm taller than in Eritrea.
Eritrea: 170.6 cm (2019) · Sudan: 172.1 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Sudan are 2.8 cm taller than in Eritrea.
Eritrea: 157.6 cm (2019) · Sudan: 160.4 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Eritrea is 0.38 years older than in Sudan.
Eritrea: 18.7 years (2023) · Sudan: 18.3 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Sudan have 0.6 more children on average than in Eritrea.
Eritrea: 3.68 children per woman (2024) · Sudan: 4.26 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
4.3% of people in Eritrea are 65 or older, versus 3.4% in Sudan.
Eritrea: 4.3% (2025) · Sudan: 3.4% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Eritrea and Sudan are practically level.
Eritrea: 0 (2025) · Sudan: 0 (2025)
How many official languages?
Eritrea has 3 official languages, Sudan 2.
Eritrea: 3 (2026) · Sudan: 2 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Eritrea: no data · Sudan: $60.2 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Eritrea: no data · Sudan: Int$2,192 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Eritrea: no data · Sudan: 34.2 (2014)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 7.5% in Sudan, versus 6.0% in Eritrea.
Eritrea: 6% (2025) · Sudan: 7.5% (2022)
How much goes to the military?
Eritrea: no data · Sudan: 0.9% (2021)
How expensive is it?
Eritrea: no data · Sudan: 53% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Eritrea spends 34% more on health per person than Sudan.
Eritrea: $28 (2023) · Sudan: $21 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Eritrea live 2.4 years longer than in Sudan.
Eritrea: 68.9 years (2024) · Sudan: 66.5 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Sudan is 74% more likely to die before turning one than in Eritrea.
Eritrea: 24.7 per 1,000 (2024) · Sudan: 42.9 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Sudan has 2.8 times as many doctors per person as Eritrea.
Eritrea: 0.1 per 1,000 (2022) · Sudan: 0.3 per 1,000 (2017)
How common is obesity?
16% of adults in Sudan are obese, versus 3.7% in Eritrea.
Eritrea: 3.7% (2024) · Sudan: 16.1% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
Eritrea: no data · Sudan: 4.14 (2017)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Sudan drink 1% more alcohol than in Eritrea.
Eritrea: 1.4 litres (2023) · Sudan: 1.4 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Eritrea: no data · Sudan: 18.4 kg (2022)
How much food is there per day?
Eritrea: no data · Sudan: 2,513 kcal (2022)
How long do people work?
Eritrea: no data · Sudan: 2,658 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Eritrea went to school 1.1 years longer than in Sudan.
Eritrea: 5.1 years (2023) · Sudan: 4 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Eritrea: no data · Sudan: 0.02 (2018)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
19% of people in Sudan are online, versus 14% in Eritrea.
Eritrea: 14% (2020) · Sudan: 19% (2017)
Who has electricity at home?
66% of people in Sudan have electricity, versus 55% in Eritrea.
Eritrea: 55.3% (2024) · Sudan: 66% (2024)
How many live in cities?
Sudan and Eritrea are practically level.
Eritrea: 35% (2025) · Sudan: 35% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Sudan has 70 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Eritrea 59.
Eritrea: 59 (2022) · Sudan: 70 (2022)
How much railway is there?
Sudan’s railway network is 9 times as long as Eritrea’s.
Eritrea: 306 km (2018) · Sudan: 2,747 km (2020)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Sudan fly 41% more passengers per resident than those from Eritrea.
Eritrea: 0.01 (2020) · Sudan: 0.02 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 9.6% of Sudan, but only 8.6% of Eritrea.
Eritrea: 8.6% (2023) · Sudan: 9.6% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Sudan emits 68% more CO₂ than someone in Eritrea.
Eritrea: 0.2 t (2024) · Sudan: 0.4 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
80% of Sudan’s electricity is renewable, versus 11% in Eritrea.
Eritrea: 11.1% (2024) · Sudan: 79.7% (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in Sudan carries 15% more fine dust than in Eritrea.
Eritrea: 25 µg/m³ (2024) · Sudan: 28.8 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Sudan are 11% deadlier than in Eritrea.
Eritrea: 17.7 per 100k (2021) · Sudan: 19.6 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Sudan is on average 0.3 °C warmer than Eritrea.
Eritrea: 27.4°C (2016–2025 avg) · Sudan: 27.7°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Eritrea gets 80% more rain than Sudan.
Eritrea: 307 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Sudan: 171 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Eritrea bigger than Sudan?
Sudan is larger. Eritrea fits inside Sudan 15 times.
Which has more people, Eritrea or Sudan?
Sudan has 14 times as many people as Eritrea (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Eritrea or Sudan?
People in Eritrea live 2.4 years longer than in Sudan. Life expectancy at birth is 68.9 years in Eritrea and 66.5 in Sudan.
Are people taller in Eritrea or Sudan?
Men in Sudan are 1.5 cm taller than in Eritrea (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
