The Impacts of Zakat and Knowledge on Poverty Alleviation in Sudan: An Empirical Investigation (1990-2009)

Poverty, ignorance, and sickness constitute the main threats to development in the Less Develoed Countries (LDCs). In spite of the efforts exerted to reduce poverty and inequality, poverty is still widespread in Sudan. According to the National Baseline Household Survey (NBHS, 2009), 46.5% of the population of Northern Sudan is found to fall below the poverty line, with 26.5% of the urban population and 57.6% of the rural population. Out of the population of Southern Sudan, 50.6% is found to fall below the poverty line, with 24.4% of the urban population and 55.4% of the rural population. This study aimed at examining from an empirical point of view, the roles of zakat and knowledge in reducing poverty in Sudan during the period (1990-2009), using data collected from the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) and Abdelmawla (2010). The importance of the study stems from the fact that poverty reduction is one of the main objectives of development policies in the LDCs. In particular, poverty