Sierra Leone
Capital: FreetownRegion: Sub-Saharan Africa Income: Low income
GDP
$9.30B
2026
Population
8.6M
2024
GDP per Capita
$1K
2026
Life Expectancy
61.8 years
2023
Economy
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (Current USD, Billions) | $9.30B | 2026 |
| Real GDP Growth (%) | 4.9% | 2026 |
| GDP per Capita (USD) | $1K | 2026 |
| GDP, PPP (Billions Intl $) | $34.83B | 2026 |
| GDP per Capita, PPP (Intl $) | $4K | 2026 |
| Share of World GDP, PPP (%) | 0.02% | 2026 |
| GNI (Current USD) | $6.91B | 2024 |
| GNI per Capita (USD) | $820 | 2024 |
| GNI per Capita, PPP (USD) | $3K | 2024 |
| Industry Value Added (% of GDP) | 25.6% | 2024 |
| Services Value Added (% of GDP) | 42.6% | 2024 |
| Agriculture Value Added (% of GDP) | 29.2% | 2024 |
| Government Consumption (% of GDP) | 5.6% | 2024 |
| Household Consumption (% of GDP) | 79.9% | 2024 |
| Gross Capital Formation (% of GDP) | 20.5% | 2024 |
| Gross Savings (% of GNI) | 10.6% | 2023 |
| GDP Deflator (%) | 10.5% | 2024 |
| GDP per Person Employed (USD) | $10K | 2024 |
| Manufacturing Value Added (% of GDP) | 7.0% | 2024 |
| Adjusted Net National Income per Capita (USD) | $426 | 2021 |
| Adjusted Net Savings (% of GNI) | -9.7% | 2020 |
| External Balance on Goods & Services (% of GDP) | -6.0% | 2024 |
| Coal Rents (% of GDP) | 0.00% | 2021 |
| Mineral Rents (% of GDP) | 0.21% | 2021 |
| Oil Rents (% of GDP) | 0.00% | 2021 |
| Total Natural Resources Rents (% of GDP) | 9.0% | 2021 |
| Forest Rents (% of GDP) | 8.82% | 2021 |
| Industry Value Added (Current USD) | $1.78B | 2024 |
Fiscal & Monetary
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Inflation, Consumer Prices (%) | 10.5% | 2026 |
| Govt Gross Debt (% of GDP) | 38.6% | 2026 |
| Fiscal Balance (% of GDP) | -2.1% | 2026 |
| Current Account Balance (% of GDP) | -2.0% | 2026 |
| Total Investment (% of GDP) | 17.8% | 2026 |
| Gross National Savings (% of GDP) | 15.9% | 2026 |
| Inflation, CPI (%, World Bank) | 28.6% | 2024 |
| Lending Interest Rate (%) | 20.4% | 2024 |
| Deposit Interest Rate (%) | 6.7% | 2024 |
| Total Reserves incl. Gold (USD) | $495.7M | 2023 |
| Total Reserves (months of imports) | 2.6 | 2023 |
| Official Exchange Rate (per USD) | 21.30 | 2023 |
| Broad Money (% of GDP) | 19.8% | 2023 |
Trade
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Trade (% of GDP) | 40.5% | 2024 |
| Imports of Goods & Services (% of GDP) | 23.3% | 2024 |
| Exports of Goods & Services (USD) | $1.20B | 2024 |
| Imports of Goods & Services (USD) | $1.62B | 2024 |
| Merchandise Exports (USD) | $1.53B | 2024 |
| Merchandise Imports (USD) | $2.05B | 2024 |
| FDI Inflows (% of GDP) | 1.7% | 2024 |
| FDI Net Inflows (USD) | $121.8M | 2024 |
| Personal Remittances Received (USD) | $320.8M | 2024 |
| Personal Remittances Received (% of GDP) | 4.6% | 2024 |
| Current Account Balance (% of GDP) | -9.5% | 2023 |
| Current Account Balance (USD) | $-606.4M | 2023 |
External Debt
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| External Debt (% of GNI) | 31.1% | 2024 |
| External Debt Stocks (USD) | $2.33B | 2024 |
| Total Debt Service (% of GNI) | 2.2% | 2024 |
| Present Value of External Debt (USD) | $1.05B | 2024 |
| Use of IMF Credit (USD) | $841.8M | 2024 |
| Net ODA Received (% of GNI) | 7.8% | 2023 |
Finance
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic Credit to Private Sector (% of GDP) | 4.0% | 2024 |
| Account Ownership at Financial Institution (%) | 38.6% | 2024 |
| Account Ownership, Female (%) | 35.9% | 2024 |
| Account Ownership, Male (%) | 41.5% | 2024 |
| Firms Using Banks to Finance Investment (%) | 10.7% | 2023 |
Business Environment
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Time to Get Electricity (days) | 16 | 2023 |
Private Sector
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Firms Expected to Pay Bribes (%) | 24.1% | 2023 |
| Firms with Female Top Manager (%) | 19.1% | 2023 |
| Firms with Female Participation in Ownership (%) | 13.0% | 2023 |
| Average Firm Age (years) | 18 years | 2023 |
| Firms Using Computers (%) | 56.9% | 2023 |
People
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 8.6M | 2024 |
| Population Growth (%) | 2.1% | 2024 |
| Population Density (per km²) | 117 | 2023 |
| Surface Area (sq km) | 72,300 | 2023 |
| Land Area (sq km) | 72,180 | 2023 |
| Urban Population (%) | 45.4% | 2024 |
| Urban Population (total) | 3.9M | 2024 |
| Rural Population (%) | 54.6% | 2024 |
| Life Expectancy at Birth | 61.8 years | 2023 |
| Life Expectancy, Male | 60.1 years | 2023 |
| Life Expectancy, Female | 63.5 years | 2023 |
| Fertility Rate (births per woman) | 3.8 | 2023 |
| Birth Rate (per 1,000) | 30.6 | 2023 |
| Death Rate (per 1,000) | 8.3 | 2023 |
| Net Migration | -11,309 | 2025 |
| Population Ages 0–14 (%) | 38.1% | 2024 |
| Population Ages 15–64 (%) | 58.7% | 2024 |
| Population Ages 65+ (%) | 3.2% | 2024 |
| Age Dependency Ratio (%) | 70.4% | 2024 |
| Mortality Rate, Adult Male (per 1,000) | 241.8 | 2023 |
| Mortality Rate, Adult Female (per 1,000) | 196.9 | 2023 |
Labor
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Total Labor Force | 2.9M | 2025 |
| Labor Force Participation (%) | 53.4% | 2025 |
| Female Labor Force Participation (%) | 51.6% | 2025 |
| Male Labor Force Participation (%) | 55.2% | 2025 |
| Unemployment (%) | 3.1% | 2025 |
| Female Unemployment (%) | 2.1% | 2025 |
| Male Unemployment (%) | 4.1% | 2025 |
| Youth Unemployment (%) | 3.7% | 2025 |
| Employment in Agriculture (%) | 44.5% | 2025 |
| Employment in Industry (%) | 11.5% | 2025 |
| Employment in Services (%) | 44.0% | 2025 |
| Vulnerable Employment (%) | 86.0% | 2025 |
| Wage & Salaried Workers (% of total) | 11.2% | 2025 |
| Employers (% of total employment) | 2.8% | 2025 |
| Labor Force, Female (% of total) | 48.8% | 2025 |
Education
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Education Spending (% of GDP) | 2.6% | 2023 |
| Education Spending (% of govt expenditure) | 20.5% | 2025 |
| Primary School Enrollment (%) | 162.1% | 2024 |
| Secondary School Enrollment (%) | 86.9% | 2023 |
| Primary Completion Rate (%) | 99.2% | 2024 |
| Lower Secondary Completion Rate (%) | 93.7% | 2024 |
| Primary School Teachers | 46,575 | 2024 |
| Secondary School Teachers | 38,043 | 2024 |
| Pupil-Teacher Ratio, Primary | 28 | 2018 |
| Pupil-Teacher Ratio, Secondary | 22 | 2016 |
| Expenditure per Student, Primary (% of GDP/cap) | 31.0% | 2018 |
Health
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Health Spending (% of GDP) | 4.7% | 2023 |
| Health Spending per Capita (USD) | $36 | 2023 |
| Government Health Spending (% of GDP) | 0.8% | 2023 |
| Out-of-Pocket Health Spending (% of total) | 54.5% | 2023 |
| Physicians (per 1,000 people) | 0.1 | 2022 |
| Nurses & Midwives (per 1,000) | 1.2 | 2022 |
| Infant Mortality (per 1,000 live births) | 94.3 | 2023 |
| Under-5 Mortality, Female (per 1,000) | 88.4 | 2023 |
| Under-5 Mortality, Male (per 1,000) | 100.0 | 2023 |
| Cause of Death, Communicable (%) | 56.7% | 2019 |
| Cause of Death, Non-Communicable (%) | 34.1% | 2019 |
| Cause of Death, Injury (%) | 9.2% | 2019 |
| Measles Immunization (% of children) | 90.0% | 2024 |
| DPT Immunization (% of children) | 91.0% | 2024 |
| HIV Incidence (per 1,000) | 0.28 | 2024 |
| Tuberculosis Incidence (per 100,000) | 372 | 2024 |
| Stunting, Children Under 5 (%) | 26.3% | 2021 |
| Overweight, Children Under 5 (%) | 2.8% | 2021 |
| Smoking Prevalence, Males (%) | 19.8% | 2022 |
| Smoking Prevalence, Females (%) | 5.9% | 2022 |
| Suicide Mortality Rate (per 100,000) | 6.1 | 2021 |
| Alcohol Consumption (liters per capita) | 0.3 | 2020 |
Energy & Environment
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Renewable Electricity Output (%) | 75.3% | 2021 |
| Renewable Energy Consumption (%) | 71.6% | 2022 |
| Access to Clean Fuels for Cooking (%) | 0.9% | 2023 |
| PM2.5 Air Pollution (µg/m³) | 43.2 | 2020 |
| Forest Area (%) | 34.3% | 2023 |
| Forest Area (sq km) | 24,757 | 2023 |
| Terrestrial Protected Areas (%) | 5.1% | 2024 |
| Marine Protected Areas (%) | 1.7% | 2024 |
| Access to Basic Drinking Water (%) | 68.1% | 2024 |
| Access to Basic Sanitation (%) | 24.9% | 2024 |
Agriculture
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural Land (%) | 54.7% | 2023 |
| Cereal Yield (kg per hectare) | 1,470 | 2023 |
| Food Production Index (2014–2016=100) | 104.7 | 2022 |
| Crop Production Index (2014–2016=100) | 105.8 | 2022 |
| Livestock Production Index (2014–2016=100) | 101.8 | 2022 |
| Land Under Cereal Production (hectares) | 1.0M | 2023 |
| Fertilizer Consumption (kg per hectare) | 2.7 | 2023 |
| Annual Freshwater Withdrawals (% of internal) | 0.1% | 2022 |
Technology
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Internet Users (%) | 20.6% | 2023 |
| Fixed Broadband Subscriptions (per 100) | 0.0 | 2021 |
| Secure Internet Servers (per million) | 11.3 | 2024 |
| Patent Applications, Non-Residents | 4 | 2020 |
| Scientific Journal Articles | 87 | 2022 |
| ICT Service Exports (% of service exports) | 0.4% | 2023 |
| Industrial Design Applications, Resident | 4 | 2021 |
Infrastructure
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Container Port Traffic (TEU) | 78,413 | 2019 |
| Logistics Performance Index (1–5) | 2.08 | 2018 |
| Electricity from Oil (%) | 24.7% | 2021 |
| Electricity from Nuclear (%) | 0.0% | 2021 |
Gender
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Women in Parliament (%) | 29.5% | 2024 |
| Female Wage & Salaried Workers (%) | 5.2% | 2025 |
| Girls Out-of-School Rate (%) | 175.7% | 2018 |
| Adolescent Fertility Rate (per 1,000) | 93.6 | 2023 |
| Women Who Believe Husband Can Beat Wife (%) | 48.6% | 2019 |
Governance
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Control of Corruption | -0.57 | 2023 |
| Government Effectiveness | -1.16 | 2023 |
| Regulatory Quality | -1.06 | 2023 |
| Voice & Accountability | -0.30 | 2023 |
| Control of Corruption (percentile rank) | 31.1% | 2023 |
| Government Effectiveness (percentile rank) | 12.3% | 2023 |
| Rule of Law (percentile rank) | 22.2% | 2023 |
| Political Stability (percentile rank) | 37.4% | 2023 |
Military
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Military Spending (% of GDP) | 0.5% | 2024 |
| Armed Forces (% of labor force) | 0.4% | 2020 |
| Intentional Homicides (per 100,000) | 2.2 | 2020 |
Social Protection
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Human Capital Index (0–1) | 0.36 | 2020 |
| Human Capital Index, Female | 0.37 | 2020 |
| Human Capital Index, Male | 0.36 | 2020 |
| Learning-Adjusted Years of School | 4.9 years | 2020 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| International Tourism, Arrivals | 71,000 | 2019 |
| International Tourism, Departures | 122,000 | 2019 |
| Tourism Receipts (USD) | $39.0M | 2018 |
| Tourism Expenditures (USD) | $83.0M | 2019 |
| Tourism Receipts (% of total exports) | 5.5% | 2018 |
Urban Development
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Population in Largest City | 1.4M | 2025 |
| Population in Agglomerations >1M (% of total) | 15.7% | 2025 |
| Population in Slums (% of urban) | 49.3% | 2022 |
| Rural Population Growth (%) | 1.1% | 2024 |
| Access to Safely Managed Sanitation (%) | 16.8% | 2024 |