Skip to content

Sierra Leone's economy ranking: GDP & GDP per capita, debt

Updated on by Georank team

Sierra Leone ranked 157/197 by economy size with a GDP of $7.55B and 183/197 by GDP per capita at $873. Sierra Leone has $3.25B in government debt, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 44.3%.

In 2025, Sierra Leone made up 0.007% of the world's economy, compared to 0.02% in 1960.

The chart below shows GDP in nominal terms, GDP adjusted for inflation (in constant dollars), and a bar chart of year-over-year inflation-adjusted growth.

GDP, current $
GDP, constant 2015 $
GDP growth
Year GDP GDP growth
Current $ Constant $
1960 $322,151,961 $2,005,356,249 -
1961 $327,978,758 $2,041,634,017 1.81%
1962 $342,872,549 $2,134,343,945 4.54%
1963 $348,700,980 $2,170,621,713 1.7%
1964 $372,011,438 $2,315,732,958 6.68%
1965 $359,523,810 $2,482,006,192 -3.36%
1966 $375,630,252 $2,524,200,297 4.48%
1967 $348,895,028 $2,525,116,116 -7.12%
1968 $329,991,597 $2,576,121,538 -5.42%
1969 $408,853,541 $2,795,747,409 23.9%
1970 $434,584,634 $3,036,754,626 6.29%
1971 $419,495,788 $3,142,006,005 -3.47%
1972 $465,254,682 $3,170,291,432 10.9%
1973 $575,471,814 $3,241,832,807 23.7%
1974 $648,940,351 $3,355,291,389 12.8%
1975 $679,352,876 $3,411,298,469 4.69%
1976 $594,810,422 $3,395,975,723 -12.4%
1977 $692,079,407 $3,397,560,822 16.4%
1978 $960,765,043 $3,479,317,421 38.8%
1979 $1,109,343,425 $3,636,278,670 15.5%
1980 $1,100,476,190 $3,812,401,965 -0.8%
1981 $1,114,926,661 $3,922,253,604 1.31%
1982 $1,294,995,964 $4,109,806,182 16.2%
1983 $995,278,515 $4,023,385,112 -23.1%
1984 $1,087,450,199 $4,188,063,643 9.26%
1985 $856,890,459 $3,965,621,323 -21.2%
1986 $490,181,457 $4,014,638,262 -42.8%
1987 $660,106,336 $4,304,947,544 34.7%
1988 $1,055,083,933 $4,000,157,258 59.8%
1989 $932,974,420 $4,029,358,406 -11.6%
1990 $649,644,098 $4,164,341,831 -30.4%
1991 $779,981,987 $4,262,285,544 20.1%
1992 $679,940,814 $3,451,901,040 -12.8%
1993 $768,867,883 $3,499,349,144 13.1%
1994 $911,853,802 $3,431,203,335 18.6%
1995 $870,740,292 $3,156,715,563 -4.51%
1996 $941,709,423 $3,212,078,681 8.15%
1997 $850,232,760 $3,023,302,223 -9.71%
1998 $672,368,187 $3,077,268,550 -20.9%
1999 $669,386,624 $3,016,360,584 -0.44%
2000 $635,866,404 $3,217,030,904 -5.01%
2001 $1,681,473,894 $3,012,895,636 164.4%
2002 $1,933,863,911 $3,812,040,143 15%
2003 $2,142,618,046 $4,173,559,980 10.8%
2004 $2,237,350,687 $4,443,958,502 4.42%
2005 $2,545,275,313 $4,637,426,231 13.8%
2006 $3,263,697,467 $4,836,052,320 28.2%
2007 $3,632,957,611 $5,017,392,581 11.3%
2008 $4,157,895,298 $5,202,336,667 14.4%
2009 $3,953,403,098 $5,281,974,206 -4.92%
2010 $4,262,805,967 $5,617,678,842 7.83%
2011 $4,861,632,885 $6,072,747,635 14%
2012 $6,141,666,509 $6,715,143,020 26.3%
2013 $7,502,762,863 $7,699,806,186 22.2%
2014 $7,686,138,791 $7,098,065,168 2.44%
2015 $6,788,352,975 $6,788,352,975 -11.7%
2016 $6,084,297,211 $7,225,348,889 -10.4%
2017 $5,749,846,528 $7,457,128,029 -5.5%
2018 $6,390,514,689 $7,672,926,607 11.1%
2019 $6,526,183,564 $8,095,145,458 2.12%
2020 $6,693,888,876 $7,993,685,031 2.57%
2021 $7,173,379,137 $8,465,060,863 7.16%
2022 $7,124,465,160 $8,914,856,495 -0.68%
2023 $6,411,787,856 $9,423,896,753 -10%
2024 $7,547,843,281 $9,800,852,626 17.7%

Economic Statistics of Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone Rank
Gross domestic product
$7.55B
2024
157/197
GDP growth
17.7%
2023-2024
11/196
GDP per capita
$873
2024
183/197
GDP per capita, PPP
$3,516
2024
171/197
Government debt
$3.25B
2024
153/185
Debt-to-GDP ratio
44.3%
2025
118/185
Government debt per person
$376
2024
174/185
Average annual personal income after taxes
$3,438
2025
136/197
Income share by richest 10%
29.4%
2018
70/169
Income share by poorest 10%
3.4%
2018
42/169
Government expenditure, % of GDP
17.7%
2025
174/195
Consumer prices inflation
9.4%
2024-2025
31/195
Central bank interest rate
24.8%
2024
8/105
Unemployment rate
3.19%
2018
148/196
Population
8961932
102/197

Sierra Leone's GDP per capita

Sierra Leone has a GDP per capita of $873, ranking 183/197, a GDP per capita based on purchasing power parity (PPP) of $3,516, ranking 171/197, and a median annual after tax income of $3,438, ranking 136/197.

GDP per capita
GDP per capita, PPP
Year Current $
GDP per capita GDP per capita, PPP
1960 $142 -
1961 $142.3 -
1962 $146.4 -
1963 $146.4 -
1964 $153.4 -
1965 $145.6 -
1966 $149.4 -
1967 $136.2 -
1968 $126.4 -
1969 $153.6 -
1970 $160.2 -
1971 $151.8 -
1972 $165.3 -
1973 $200.7 -
1974 $222.2 -
1975 $228.4 -
1976 $196.4 -
1977 $224.3 -
1978 $305 -
1979 $346 -
1980 $336 -
1981 $334 -
1982 $380 -
1983 $285.9 -
1984 $306 -
1985 $235.5 -
1986 $131.5 -
1987 $172.4 -
1988 $268.2 -
1989 $231.3 -
1990 $154.8 $1,382
1991 $183.7 $1,445
1992 $163.2 $1,220
1993 $185 $1,269
1994 $218.5 $1,266
1995 $208.4 $1,187
1996 $224.3 $1,225
1997 $199.9 $1,157
1998 $156.5 $1,180
1999 $155 $1,167
2000 $143.7 $1,242
2001 $358 $1,121
2002 $389 $1,360
2003 $414 $1,458
2004 $418 $1,541
2005 $463 $1,615
2006 $580 $1,698
2007 $632 $1,770
2008 $705 $1,824
2009 $653 $1,814
2010 $685 $1,900
2011 $761 $2,043
2012 $938 $2,317
2013 $1,117 $2,701
2014 $1,118 $2,762
2015 $965 $2,560
2016 $844 $2,635
2017 $779 $2,501
2018 $846 $2,640
2019 $844 $2,705
2020 $846 $2,721
2021 $886 $2,852
2022 $861 $3,147
2023 $758 $3,371
2024 $873 $3,516

Sierra Leone's government spending, deficit, and chart

This chart shows Sierra Leone's government spending, budget balance, and debt over time, each expressed as a share of GDP.

Over the past 26 years, Sierra Leone recorded a fiscal deficit in 25 years — average annual deficit equal to -2.56% of GDP. In 2024, government spending reached $1.33B (17.7% of GDP), with a deficit of -4.2%.

The national debt reached $3.25B, ranking 153rd out of 185 countries by total size, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 44.3%, ranking 118th.

Government spending
Government debt
Deficit/surplus
Year % of GDP
Government spending Government debt Government deficit/surplus
2000 10.3% - -1.94%
2001 12% 113.5% -3.22%
2002 12.6% 99.8% -3.03%
2003 11.7% 99.8% -2.78%
2004 11.1% 93.2% -1.46%
2005 10.9% 78.9% -1.17%
2006 9.97% 61.9% -0.93%
2007 8.1% 26.4% 12.6%
2008 10.3% 46.1% -2.22%
2009 11.3% 31.1% -1.51%
2010 12.5% 28.9% -3.09%
2011 13.2% 25.8% -2.78%
2012 13.5% 24.1% -3.41%
2013 11.4% 22.3% -1.74%
2014 13.5% 26.8% -2.77%
2015 13.1% 28.8% -2.86%
2016 14.9% 38.9% -5.41%
2017 15% 44.2% -5.61%
2018 13.7% 44.2% -3.57%
2019 13.3% 45.3% -1.95%
2020 15.6% 46.4% -3.5%
2021 20.3% 47.1% -4.35%
2022 19.5% 54% -5.93%
2023 17.7% 49.9% -4.99%
2024 17.6% 43% -4.62%
2025 17.7% 44.3% -4.2%

Inflation rate by year

Over the past 20 years, Sierra Leone has had an average annual inflation rate of 13.9%. In 2025, inflation was 9.4%. The bar chart below shows consumer price inflation by year.

Year Inflation
1980 12.9%
1981 23.4%
1982 26.9%
1983 68.5%
1984 66.6%
1985 76.6%
1986 80.9%
1987 178.7%
1988 34.3%
1989 60.8%
1990 110.9%
1991 102.7%
1992 65.5%
1993 22.2%
1994 24.2%
1995 26%
1996 23.1%
1997 14.6%
1998 36%
1999 34.1%
2000 -0.9%
2001 2.6%
2002 0.1%
2003 4%
2004 12.9%
2005 13.7%
2006 10.5%
2007 17%
2008 8.2%
2009 7.5%
2010 7.2%
2011 6.8%
2012 6.6%
2013 5.5%
2014 4.6%
2015 6.7%
2016 10.9%
2017 18.2%
2018 16%
2019 14.8%
2020 13.4%
2021 11.9%
2022 27.2%
2023 47.7%
2024 28.4%
2025 9.4%

Balance of trade

Sierra Leone Rank
Current account balance
-$606M
2023
106/189
Current account balance, % of GDP
-9.46%
2023
157/189
Goods imports
$1.92B
2023
152/188
Goods exports
$1.34B
2023
143/188
Service imports
$348M
2023
166/188
Service exports
$42.5M
2023
180/188
Imports of goods and services, % of GDP
43.5%
2024
90/180
Exports of goods and services, % of GDP
20.9%
2024
147/193

Sierra Leone's top 10 trading partners

Sierra Leone's biggest trading partner accounting for 20.1%% of all exports and imports is China, with a trade balance between the two of -$161M — Sierra Leone exports $37.4M worth of goods and services to China and imports $198M.

Below is the list of the top 10 trade partners of Sierra Leone.

Rank Country Trade value Share of total trade Export to Import from Top export to Top import from
1 China $236M 20.1% $37.4M $198M Wood & paper products Machinery & equipment
2 UAE $83.7M 7.15% $980K $82.7M Machinery & equipment Raw agricultural goods
3 Belgium $78.4M 6.7% $3.77M $74.6M Processed food, beverages & tobacco Machinery & equipment
4 India $74.5M 6.36% $3.3M $71.2M Metals Raw agricultural goods
5 Netherlands $56.2M 4.81% $27.8M $28.5M Processed food, beverages & tobacco Raw agricultural goods
6 United States $54.2M 4.63% $953K $53.2M Processed food, beverages & tobacco Machinery & equipment
7 Turkey $51.1M 4.36% $0 $51.1M Animal & marine products Raw materials & minerals
8 South Africa $47.5M 4.06% $1.7M $45.8M Machinery & equipment Machinery & equipment
9 Guinea $38.9M 3.32% $9.22M $29.7M Raw agricultural goods Chemicals & pharma
10 Pakistan $36.5M 3.12% $0 $36.5M Animal & marine products Raw agricultural goods

Sierra Leone's top 10 exports

Sierra Leone Rank
Processed food, beverages & tobacco $43.4M 144/192
Animal & marine products $42.2M 127/192
Raw materials & minerals $38.2M 158/193
Machinery & equipment $37.9M 144/193
Business & finance services $35.1M 145/188
Transport & tourism services $31.1M 175/188
Wood & paper products $20.3M 127/192
Government & miscellaneous services $10.9M 134/180
Raw agricultural goods $7.95M 161/193
IT & IP services $7.2M 158/183

Sierra Leone's top 10 imports

Sierra Leone Rank
Business & finance services $612M 107/188
Machinery & equipment $288M 167/193
Raw agricultural goods $192M 144/193
Transport & tourism services $190M 164/188
Processed food, beverages & tobacco $106M 170/193
Chemicals & pharma $102M 167/193
Metals $90.5M 165/193
Raw materials & minerals $83.4M 175/193
Textiles & consumer goods $65.2M 169/193
Animal & marine products $33.5M 168/193

Economic freedom indices

Sierra Leone Rank
Economic freedom 48 173/197
Property rights 33.8 135/182
Government integrity 36 135/182
Judicial effectiveness 41.5 135/182
Tax burden 87.8 47/181
Government spending 89 27/180
Fiscal health 53.8 118/181
Business freedom 37 162/182
Labor freedom 23.7 180/182
Monetary freedom 50.2 168/180
Trade freedom 63.6 137/181
Investment freedom 40 138/181
Financial freedom 20 169/181

Sierra Leone's economic freedom by year

Sierra Leone is ranked 159/180 for economic freedom with a score of 48, compared to 151/163 and a score of 44.8 in 2005.

Economic freedom
Judicial effectiveness
Tax burden
Government spending
Fiscal health
Year Index
Economic freedom Judicial effectiveness Tax burden Government spending Fiscal health
1995 49.8 - 51.7 91.5 -
1996 52.3 - 51.3 91.5 -
1997 45 - 51.3 88.9 -
1998 47.7 - 51.9 93.2 -
1999 47.2 - 52.1 90.7 -
2000 44.2 - 53.8 90.3 -
2001 - - - - -
2002 - - - - -
2003 42.2 - 70.6 75.3 -
2004 43.6 - 69.9 72.8 -
2005 44.8 - 73.5 75.5 -
2006 45.2 - 75.1 68.9 -
2007 47 - 73 81.5 -
2008 48.3 - 81 81.8 -
2009 47.8 - 80.9 86.3 -
2010 47.9 - 80.9 80.5 -
2011 49.6 - 80.8 86.8 -
2012 49.1 - 80.9 84.3 -
2013 48.3 - 80.7 75.9 -
2014 50.5 - 80.7 85.7 -
2015 51.7 - 80.8 87.5 -
2016 52.3 - 81.2 92.6 -
2017 52.6 27 81.3 90.2 76.2
2018 51.8 29.6 79.9 89.8 65.9
2019 47.5 34.5 87.3 84.4 13.2
2020 48 39.4 87.5 83.5 9.8
2021 51.7 45.7 86.7 85.9 39.7
2022 52 41.9 86.7 84.9 54
2023 50.2 34.4 87.2 81.1 40.8
2024 44.6 42 87.4 76.6 1.7
2025 48 41.5 87.8 89 53.8

More economic indicators

Sierra Leone Rank
Services, % of GDP
44.8%
2024
161/191
Industry, % of GDP
27.3%
2024
73/194
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, % of GDP
25.4%
2024
18/193
GNI, Atlas method
$7.26B
2024
154/194
GNI per capita, PPP
$3,490
2024
167/191
Total reserves including gold
$433M
2024
160/177
Net foreign direct investment
-$241M
2023
86/188
Net inflows of foreign direct investment
$274M
2024
129/193
Net outflows of foreign direct investment
-$33.3K
2010
160/187
Servicing debt to the IMF, % of GNI
2.44%
2023
85/119
Poverty at national poverty lines
56.8%
2018
11/176
Gross capital formation, % of GDP
29.5%
2024
39/176

Compare countries by 7 more topics

GDP per capita map

GDP per capita

Economy comparisons

Economy vs Sierra Leone
Afghanistan Compare
Albania Compare
Algeria Compare
Andorra Compare
Angola Compare
Antigua Compare
Argentina Compare
Armenia Compare
Australia Compare
Austria Compare
Azerbaijan Compare
Bahamas Compare
Bahrain Compare
Bangladesh Compare
Barbados Compare
Belarus Compare
Belgium Compare
Belize Compare
Benin Compare
Bhutan Compare
Bolivia Compare
Bosnia Compare
Botswana Compare
Brazil Compare
Brunei Compare
Bulgaria Compare
Burkina Faso Compare
Burundi Compare
Cambodia Compare
Cameroon Compare
Canada Compare
Cape Verde Compare
Cayman Islands Compare
CAR Compare
Chad Compare
Chile Compare
China Compare
Colombia Compare
Comoros Compare
Congo Compare
Costa Rica Compare
Croatia Compare
Cuba Compare
Curacao Compare
Cyprus Compare
Czech Republic Compare
DR Congo Compare
Denmark Compare
Djibouti Compare
Dominica Compare
Dominican Republic Compare
East Timor Compare
Ecuador Compare
Egypt Compare
El Salvador Compare
Equatorial Guinea Compare
Eritrea Compare
Estonia Compare
Eswatini Compare
Ethiopia Compare
Fiji Compare
Finland Compare
France Compare
Gabon Compare
Gambia Compare
Georgia Compare
Germany Compare
Ghana Compare
Greece Compare
Grenada Compare
Guatemala Compare
Guinea Compare
Guinea-Bissau Compare
Guyana Compare
Haiti Compare
Honduras Compare
Hungary Compare
Iceland Compare
India Compare
Indonesia Compare
Iran Compare
Iraq Compare
Ireland Compare
Israel Compare
Italy Compare
Ivory Coast Compare
Jamaica Compare
Japan Compare
Jordan Compare
Kazakhstan Compare
Kenya Compare
Kiribati Compare
Kuwait Compare
Kyrgyzstan Compare
Laos Compare
Latvia Compare
Lebanon Compare
Lesotho Compare
Liberia Compare
Libya Compare
Liechtenstein Compare
Lithuania Compare
Luxembourg Compare
Madagascar Compare
Malawi Compare
Malaysia Compare
Maldives Compare
Mali Compare
Malta Compare
Marshall Islands Compare
Mauritania Compare
Mauritius Compare
Mexico Compare
Moldova Compare
Monaco Compare
Mongolia Compare
Montenegro Compare
Morocco Compare
Mozambique Compare
Myanmar Compare
Namibia Compare
Nauru Compare
Nepal Compare
Netherlands Compare
New Zealand Compare
Nicaragua Compare
Niger Compare
Nigeria Compare
North Korea Compare
North Macedonia Compare
Norway Compare
Oman Compare
Pakistan Compare
Palau Compare
Palestine Compare
Panama Compare
Papua New Guinea Compare
Paraguay Compare
Peru Compare
Philippines Compare
Poland Compare
Portugal Compare
Qatar Compare
Romania Compare
Russia Compare
Rwanda Compare
Saint Kitts Compare
Saint Lucia Compare
Saint Vincent Compare
Samoa Compare
San Marino Compare
Sao Tome Compare
Saudi Arabia Compare
Senegal Compare
Serbia Compare
Seychelles Compare
Singapore Compare
Slovakia Compare
Slovenia Compare
Solomon Islands Compare
Somalia Compare
South Africa Compare
South Korea Compare
South Sudan Compare
Spain Compare
Sri Lanka Compare
Sudan Compare
Suriname Compare
Sweden Compare
Switzerland Compare
Syria Compare
Taiwan Compare
Tajikistan Compare
Tanzania Compare
Thailand Compare
Togo Compare
Tonga Compare
Trinidad Compare
Tunisia Compare
Turkey Compare
Turkmenistan Compare
Tuvalu Compare
Uganda Compare
Ukraine Compare
UAE Compare
United Kingdom Compare
United States Compare
Uruguay Compare
Uzbekistan Compare
Vanuatu Compare
Vatican Compare
Venezuela Compare
Vietnam Compare
Yemen Compare
Zambia Compare
Zimbabwe Compare

The current account balance is the sum of net trade in goods and services, net earnings from cross-border investments, and net transfer payments. It reflects a country's economic transactions with the rest of the world and is a fundamental component of the balance of payments. A surplus indicates that a country exports more than it imports, while a deficit shows the opposite.

Gross National Income (GNI) measures a country's total income. It encompasses income earned by residents, businesses, and foreign sources, defined as employee compensation and investment profits. GNI adds product taxes not included elsewhere and subtracts subsidies. It accounts for income from residents working abroad but excludes earnings from foreigners within the country.

A negative value for Net Foreign Direct Investment indicates a country is a net receiver of investments, as foreign inflows exceed outflows after Balance of Payments adjustments. A positive value indicates a net provider, with outflows exceeding inflows. Inflows are credits (increasing foreign claims on domestic assets), while outflows are debits (increasing domestic assets abroad).

Foreign direct investment (FDI, net inflows) shows how much capital foreign investors bring into a country after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of overseas companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in the reporting country. A positive number means more capital entered the country than was withdrawn, while a negative number means foreign investors pulled out more than they invested.

Foreign direct investment (FDI, net outflows) shows how much capital residents of a country invest abroad after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of domestic companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in other countries. A positive number means more capital was invested abroad than withdrawn, while a negative number means residents pulled back more than they invested.

Principal and interest payments to the IMF in currency, goods, or services on long-term debt expressed as a share of GNI.

Formerly gross domestic investment, gross capital formation measures the share of a country’s economic output invested in fixed assets, including buildings, machinery, and infrastructure. It indicates how much of the economy is devoted to building productive capacity.