World Factbook

Sierra Leone

Republic of Sierra Leone

Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)

Budget

revenues

$740 million (2019 est.)

expenditures

$867 million (2019 est.)

Exports

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports 2021

$928.689 million (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$1.202 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$1.382 billion (2023 est.)

Imports

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports 2021

$1.91 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$2.074 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$2.264 billion (2023 est.)

Industries

diamond mining; iron ore, rutile and bauxite mining; small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles, footwear)

Labor force

2.863 million (2024 est.)

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Public debt

Public debt 2016

54.9% of GDP (2016 est.)

Remittances

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

2.6% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

4.1% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

4.6% of GDP (2023 est.)

Exchange rates

Currency

leones (SLL) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2019

9.01 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

9.83 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

10.439 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

14.048 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

21.305 (2023 est.)

Debt - external

note

note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

Debt - external 2023

$1.451 billion (2023 est.)

Economic overview

low-income West African economy; primarily subsistent agriculture; key iron and diamond mining activities suspended; slow recovery from 1990s civil war; systemic corruption; high-risk debt; high youth unemployment; natural resource rich

Unemployment rate

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2022

3.2% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

3.2% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

3.2% (2024 est.)

Exports - partners

China 67%, India 6%, Belgium 5%, Netherlands 4%, Ireland 3% (2023)

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

Imports - partners

China 32%, India 15%, UAE 5%, USA 5%, Turkey 5% (2023)

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2022

$2,900 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$3,000 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$3,100 (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2022

5.3% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

5.7% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024

4% (2024 est.)

Agricultural products

cassava, rice, oil palm fruit, vegetables, sweet potatoes, milk, citrus fruits, fruits, groundnuts, sugarcane (2023)

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Exports - commodities

iron ore, titanium ore, diamonds, aluminum ore, cocoa beans (2023)

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - commodities

rice, plastic products, packaged medicine, cement, cars (2023)

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Current account balance

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Current account balance 2021

-$522.815 million (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

-$452.094 million (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

-$606.358 million (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$7.548 billion (2024 est.)

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

GDP - composition, by end use

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

household consumption

87.6% (2024 est.)

government consumption

5.5% (2024 est.)

investment in inventories

0% (2024 est.)

investment in fixed capital

29.5% (2024 est.)

exports of goods and services

20.9% (2024 est.)

imports of goods and services

-43.5% (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line

56.8% (2018 est.)

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

27.2% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

47.6% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

28.6% (2024 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

4.7% (2024 est.)

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$24.312 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$25.7 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$26.728 billion (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

male

4.8% (2024 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

3.6% (2024 est.)

female

2.5% (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$945.908 million (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$624.496 million (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$495.699 million (2023 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

industry

27.3% (2024 est.)

services

44.8% (2024 est.)

agriculture

25.4% (2024 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

note

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

lowest 10%

3.4% (2018 est.)

highest 10%

29.4% (2018 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

note

note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2018

35.7 (2018 est.)