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.
| 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.
| 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.
| 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.
| 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
Relevant pages:
Sierra Leone topic pages:
Economy comparisons
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.