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Key Facts: Eritrea vs Sudan Wages

Eritrea Minimum Wage
Nfk600/mo ($40 USD)
Sudan Minimum Wage
ج.س.30,000/mo ($49.59 USD)
Eritrea Avg. Gross Monthly Salary
Nfk6,000 /mo ($400 USD)
Sudan Avg. Gross Monthly Salary
ج.س.85,000 /mo ($140.50 USD)
Data Sources
ILO ILOSTAT / World Bank / OHCHR Eritrea reports (2026-02-25), ILO ILOSTAT / World Bank / Sudan Labour Code (2026-02-25)

Eritrea flag Eritrea Sudan flag Sudan

Updated 2026-02-25

Eritrea flag Eritrea

Minimum Wage

Nfk600 /mo

$40 USD

Avg. Gross Salary

Nfk6,000 /mo

Sudan flag Sudan

Minimum Wage

ج.س.30,000 /mo

$49.59 USD

Avg. Gross Salary

ج.س.85,000 /mo

Min wage: -19% Eritrea vs Sudan Avg. salary: +185% Eritrea vs Sudan

Both low-income economies, Eritrea and Sudan set comparable minimum wage floors in USD terms. Average gross salaries diverge further: $400/mo in Eritrea versus $140/mo in Sudan, a 2.8:1 ratio.

From Eritrea's perspective: adjusting for purchasing power, Eritrea's minimum wage buys more than Sudan's. The PPP-adjusted hourly rate in Eritrea is $121 international dollars, compared to $41 in Sudan. Eritrea's unemployment rate is 6.0% compared to Sudan's 7.5%.

Detailed Comparison

Detailed wage comparison between Eritrea and Sudan
Metric Eritrea Sudan
Minimum wage /mo Nfk600 $40 ج.س.30,000 $49.59
Avg. gross salary /mo Nfk6,000 /mo $400 ج.س.85,000 /mo $140.50
Avg. net salary /mo Nfk5,400 /mo $360 N/A/mo

Percentage differences are based on USD equivalent values. Positive means Eritrea is higher.

Work Week

Eritrea

44 hrs/wk standard

Labour Law sets 44 hours/week for civilian workers (8 hours/day, 5.5 days). However, the national service program operates under military regulations outside normal labour law. No reliable enforcement or monitoring data is available.

Sudan

40 hrs/wk standard

Max 48 hrs/wk

Overtime : 1.5x pay

Labour Act of 2017 sets standard hours at 8 per day / 40 per week. Maximum with overtime is 48 hours/week. Friday is the weekly rest day (Islamic calendar). These provisions apply to formal employment only and enforcement has been severely disrupted by the 2023 conflict.

• WAGE TRAJECTORY (USD/mo)

Eritrea Sudan Source: wage.is · USD equivalent/mo

What This Means for Workers

A minimum wage worker in Eritrea earns 24% less per hour in USD terms than one in Sudan. However, after adjusting for cost of living, Eritrea's minimum wage provides more purchasing power. Standard work weeks differ: Eritrea mandates 44 hours while Sudan mandates 40 hours. A minimum wage worker's weekly earnings in Eritrea are $1,760 vs $1,983 in Sudan.

See this comparison from Sudan's perspective: Sudan vs Eritrea

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is the minimum wage higher in Eritrea or Sudan?

In Eritrea, the minimum wage is Nfk600/mo ($40 USD). In Sudan, it is ج.س.30,000/mo ($49.59 USD). Sudan has the higher rate by 24% in USD terms. That nominal gap does not account for local prices; see the purchasing power comparison below for a cost-of-living-adjusted view. Workers in Eritrea may retain a larger share of their earnings if prices there are lower.

How much more does the average worker earn in Eritrea compared to Sudan?

The average gross salary in Eritrea is Nfk6,000/mo ($400 USD), compared to ج.س.85,000/mo ($140.50 USD) in Sudan. In USD terms, workers in Eritrea earn approximately 185% more. Average salaries reflect the full labor market, not just the minimum wage floor. The gap between Eritrea and Sudan is shaped by differences in industry composition, labor productivity, and the overall cost of living in each country. Workers in Eritrea earn more in nominal terms, though how far that income stretches depends on local prices in Sudan.

Which country has better purchasing power for minimum wage workers, Eritrea or Sudan?

After adjusting for local prices using purchasing power parity (PPP), minimum wage workers in Eritrea can afford more than those in Sudan. The PPP-adjusted rate is $121 in Eritrea and $41 in Sudan. PPP converts wages into equivalent US dollar buying power, accounting for what a unit of currency actually buys locally. The 195% purchasing power gap means that even if the nominal wage in Sudan appears competitive, minimum wage workers there face greater constraints on day-to-day spending.

How do work hours compare between Eritrea and Sudan?

Eritrea has a longer standard work week at 44 hours, compared to 40 hours in Sudan. Workers in Eritrea work 44 hours per week by law. Longer mandatory hours can offset a nominally higher wage; a worker in Sudan working fewer hours may have comparable or better effective hourly earnings depending on the wage levels of each country. Total annual compensation depends on both the wage rate and the number of hours required.