Skip to content
FX

West Africa · SL · SLE

Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone is a $7.5B economy (2025), growing 4.6% in real terms, with consumer inflation at 7.5%. 21 of 22 tracked series are published for this country.

USD/SLE

24.65

Sierra Leonean leone

WB pipeline

$90M

3 projects to the Board

Data

Economy

GDP · 2025

$7.5B

+7.1% vs 2024

2010: $4.3B2011: $4.9B2012: $6.1B2013: $7.5B2014: $7.7B2015: $6.8B2016: $6.1B2017: $5.7B2018: $6.4B2019: $6.5B2020: $6.7B2021: $7.2B2022: $7.1B2023: $6.4B2024: $7B2025: $7.5B
#40 of 52

GDP growth · 2025

4.6%

+0.3 pts vs 2024

2010: 6.4%2011: 8.1%2012: 10.6%2013: 14.7%2014: -7.8%2015: -4.4%2016: 6.4%2017: 3.2%2018: 2.9%2019: 5.5%2020: -1.3%2021: 5.9%2022: 5.3%2023: 5.7%2024: 4.3%2025: 4.6%
#25 of 52

GDP per capita · 2025

$846.3

+4.9% vs 2024

2010: $6852011: $761.12012: $937.52013: $1.1K2014: $1.1K2015: $964.62016: $844.42017: $779.22018: $845.92019: $843.72020: $845.32021: $885.42022: $860.42023: $758.32024: $806.72025: $846.3
#44 of 52

Inflation · 2025

7.5%

−21.1 pts vs 2024

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: 16.0%2019: 14.8%2020: 13.4%2021: 11.9%2022: 27.2%2023: 47.6%2024: 28.6%2025: 7.5%
#16 of 50

Unemployment · 2025

3.2%

+0.0 pts vs 2024

2010: 4.3%2011: 4.4%2012: 4.4%2013: 4.4%2014: 4.7%2015: 4.5%2016: 4.2%2017: 3.7%2018: 3.2%2019: 3.2%2020: 3.5%2021: 3.6%2022: 3.1%2023: 3.1%2024: 3.1%2025: 3.2%
#38 of 53

Population · 2025

8.8M

+2.1% vs 2024

2010: 6.2M2011: 6.4M2012: 6.6M2013: 6.7M2014: 6.9M2015: 7M2016: 7.2M2017: 7.4M2018: 7.6M2019: 7.7M2020: 7.9M2021: 8.1M2022: 8.3M2023: 8.5M2024: 8.6M2025: 8.8M
#33 of 54

Agriculture share · 2025

29.5%

+0.4 pts vs 2024

2010: 30.5%2011: 31.6%2012: 30.7%2013: 30.1%2014: 31.9%2015: 34.3%2016: 32.6%2017: 33.3%2018: 35.0%2019: 34.5%2020: 35.1%2021: 33.6%2022: 33.8%2023: 29.1%2024: 29.2%2025: 29.5%
#11 of 51

Data

Debt, rates and money

Government debt

Not published by source

External debt · 2024

31.1%

−6.7 pts vs 2023

2010: 22.1%2011: 22.6%2012: 22.4%2013: 19.8%2014: 19.6%2015: 23.3%2016: 27.1%2017: 31.8%2018: 29.0%2019: 29.9%2020: 32.9%2021: 35.6%2022: 34.0%2023: 37.8%2024: 31.1%
#37 of 48

Debt service · 2024

9.5%

−1.7 pts vs 2023

2010: 2.7%2011: 3.4%2012: 1.7%2013: 1.5%2014: 2.3%2015: 6.6%2016: 5.1%2017: 6.9%2018: 8.3%2019: 10.1%2020: 17.2%2021: 11.4%2022: 10.0%2023: 11.2%2024: 9.5%
#30 of 48

Import cover · 2024

1.8 mo

−0.9 mo vs 2023

2010: 4.1 mo2011: 1.9 mo2012: 2.1 mo2013: 2.4 mo2014: 2.2 mo2015: 3.0 mo2016: 3.9 mo2017: 3.9 mo2018: 3.9 mo2019: 3.7 mo2020: 6.1 mo2021: 5.7 mo2022: 3.5 mo2023: 2.6 mo2024: 1.8 mo
#28 of 35

Lending rate · 2025

21.4%

+0.9 pts vs 2024

2010: 21.3%2011: 21.0%2012: 21.0%2013: 20.6%2014: 19.4%2015: 18.7%2016: 16.2%2017: 15.7%2018: 16.0%2019: 18.0%2020: 17.9%2021: 18.9%2022: 19.3%2023: 19.6%2024: 20.6%2025: 21.4%
#6 of 24

Private credit · 2025

5.5%

+1.5 pts vs 2024

2010: 4.7%2011: 4.6%2012: 3.4%2013: 3.1%2014: 3.2%2015: 3.3%2016: 3.5%2017: 3.3%2018: 3.6%2019: 3.9%2020: 3.6%2021: 4.2%2022: 3.5%2023: 3.2%2024: 4.0%2025: 5.5%
#45 of 47

FX (annual avg) · 2023

21.3

+51.7% vs 2022

2010: 4.02011: 4.32012: 4.32013: 4.32014: 4.52015: 5.12016: 6.32017: 7.42018: 7.92019: 9.02020: 9.82021: 10.42022: 14.02023: 21.3
#41 of 52

Data

Capital flows

FDI inflows · 2024

$121.8M

−16.5% vs 2023

2010: $238.4M2011: $950.5M2012: $722.4M2013: $429.7M2014: $375.1M2015: $252.4M2016: $138.5M2017: $413.7M2018: $185.6M2019: $121.8M2020: $51M2021: $214M2022: $145M2023: $145.9M2024: $121.8M
#41 of 54

Remittances · 2024

$320.8M

+9.5% vs 2023

2010: $44.2M2011: $58.8M2012: $64.5M2013: $69.7M2014: $62.4M2015: $48.2M2016: $58.2M2017: $63.6M2018: $73.2M2019: $177.5M2020: $177M2021: $183.8M2022: $291.2M2023: $293M2024: $320.8M
#31 of 45

Data

Trade

Exports · 2025

20.9%

+3.6 pts vs 2024

2010: 9.9%2011: 9.6%2012: 20.6%2013: 18.9%2014: 20.2%2015: 10.5%2016: 14.1%2017: 13.9%2018: 11.2%2019: 9.7%2020: 9.9%2021: 15.5%2022: 16.8%2023: 21.0%2024: 17.3%2025: 20.9%
#33 of 49

Current account · 2024

-14.1%

−6.3 pts vs 2023

2010: -13.7%2011: -39.4%2012: -19.7%2013: -9.8%2014: -6.2%2015: -14.8%2016: -4.8%2017: -11.8%2018: -9.3%2019: -7.8%2020: -5.8%2021: -7.3%2022: -6.3%2023: -7.9%2024: -14.1%
#44 of 46

Data

Technology

Internet use · 2024

25.1%

+1.4 pts vs 2023

2010: 0.6%2011: 0.9%2012: 2.5%2013: 4.0%2014: 6.1%2015: 6.3%2016: 7.7%2017: 9.3%2018: 14.4%2019: 15.7%2020: 17.1%2021: 18.7%2022: 21.5%2023: 23.7%2024: 25.1%
#40 of 51

Mobile subscriptions · 2022

108

+6.1% vs 2021

2010: 322011: 332012: 342013: 602014: 692015: 802016: 872017: 902018: 842019: 872020: 872021: 1022022: 108
#25 of 54

Data

Climate and energy

Electricity access · 2024

39.2%

+3.7 pts vs 2023

2010: 11.5%2011: 14.2%2012: 17.2%2013: 13.5%2014: 18.8%2015: 19.7%2016: 20.3%2017: 23.4%2018: 26.1%2019: 22.7%2020: 26.3%2021: 27.5%2022: 29.4%2023: 35.5%2024: 39.2%
#44 of 54

Renewable share · 2022

71.6%

+0.5 pts vs 2021

2010: 84.9%2011: 81.0%2012: 79.1%2013: 74.6%2014: 73.0%2015: 74.0%2016: 73.6%2017: 74.6%2018: 75.9%2019: 75.4%2020: 75.1%2021: 71.1%2022: 71.6%
#21 of 54

Source: World Bank Open Data · World Development Indicators & International Debt Statistics · rank among African countries with a recent print

The Wire

Sierra Leone headlines

All headlines →

Capital

World Bank lending to Sierra Leone

3 in the pipeline · 24 active · commitments as published by the Bank.

ProjectThemeStatusBoard dateCommitment
Sierra Leone Free Education ProjectP510442Health & educationPipelineJan 2027—
SALONE Public Resource Management for Jobs and Growth PforRP514789Social protectionPipelineJan 2027$40M
Sierra Leone Utility Performance, Access and Clean Energy Program Phase 1P518498Climate & energyPipelineDec 2026$50M
Sustainable Agricultural Value-chains Intensification for Growth (SAVIG)P513429Water & agricultureActiveJun 2026$40M
Sierra Leone Contingent Emergency Response ProjectP516624Climate & energyActiveMay 2026—
Sierra Leone Water Security and WASH Access Improvement ProjectP507588Water & agricultureActiveSept 2025$40M
Enhancing Sierra Leone Energy AccessP506745Climate & energyActiveJun 2025$12.6M
Sierra Leone - Quality Essential Health Services and Systems Support ProjectP510536Health & educationActiveJun 2025—
Sierra Leone First Macro Stability and Resilience DPO with a Catastrophe Deferred Drawdown OptionP503960Climate & energyActiveDec 2024$80M
Sierra Leone Rice Systems Capacity Strengthening ProjectP180895Climate & energyActiveOct 2024—
SPF: Innovative solutions for land dispute resolution in Sierra LeoneP500529Water & agricultureActiveJun 2024—
Sierra Leone Connectivity and Agricultural Market Infrastructure ProjectP178683Water & agricultureActiveMay 2024$74M
Second Additional Financing for Sierra Leone Free Education ProjectP178704Health & educationActiveSept 2023$20M
Sierra Leone Productive Social Safety Nets and Youth Employment Project Additional FinancingP180035Social protectionActiveJun 2023—
Sierra Leone Second Financial Inclusion ProjectP177947Finance & fiscalActiveJun 2023$40M
Enhancing Sierra Leone Energy Access Project Additional FinancingP178677Climate & energyActiveMay 2023$13M
Sierra Leone Digital Transformation ProjectP177077DigitalActiveJul 2022$50M
Sierra Leone Land Administration ProjectP177031Water & agricultureActiveJun 2022$41.1M
Productive Social Safety Nets and Youth EmploymentP176789Social protectionActiveMar 2022$40M
Sierra Leone COVID-19 Emergency Preparedness and Response Project Second Additional FinancingP177850Finance & fiscalActiveDec 2021$18.1M

Source: World Bank Projects & Operations

Compare

West Africa peers

Free, every weekday at 7:00

The Afronomics Morning

Get Sierra Leone and 53 other economies in one Monday email: the prints that moved, new DFI approvals, and what to watch.

Did you find what you were looking for?