Sierra Leone
GDP growth in Sierra Leone
GDP growth in Sierra Leone: -0.6% a year in 1980 and 4.8% a year in 2025, by IMF estimates.
- Latest, 2025
- 4.8% a year
- Since 1980
- +5.3 percentage points
- Rank, 2025
- 40 of 143
- counting from the highest
- Projected, 2031
- 4.6% a year
- IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026)
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts it at 4.6% a year in 2031.
- The highest was 26.4% a year in 2002, the lowest -24.8% a year in 1996.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | Sierra Leone |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 4.8 |
| 2024 | 4.6 |
| 2023 | 5.7 |
| 2022 | 5.3 |
| 2021 | 5.9 |
| 2020 | -1.3 |
| 2019 | 5.5 |
| 2018 | 3.4 |
| 2017 | 3.9 |
| 2016 | 4.7 |
| 2015 | -3.1 |
| 2014 | -0.6 |
| 2013 | 9.4 |
| 2012 | 6.7 |
| 2011 | 7.1 |
| 2010 | 10.1 |
| 2009 | 1.3 |
| 2008 | 3.8 |
| 2007 | 3.7 |
| 2006 | 4.6 |
| 2005 | 6.7 |
| 2004 | 7.8 |
| 2003 | 10.3 |
| 2002 | 26.4 |
| 2001 | 18.2 |
| 2000 | 3.8 |
| 1999 | -8.1 |
| 1998 | -0.8 |
| 1997 | -17.6 |
| 1996 | -24.8 |
| 1995 | -10 |
| 1994 | 3.5 |
| 1993 | 0.1 |
| 1992 | -9.6 |
| 1991 | -8 |
| 1990 | 1.6 |
| 1989 | 5 |
| 1988 | 2.1 |
| 1987 | 2.4 |
| 1986 | 0.1 |
| 1985 | -6.7 |
| 1984 | 1.7 |
| 1983 | -1.6 |
| 1982 | 1.8 |
| 1981 | 1.9 |
| 1980 | -0.6 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Sierra Leone |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 4 |
| 2027 | 4.4 |
| 2028 | 4.6 |
| 2029 | 4.6 |
| 2030 | 4.6 |
| 2031 | 4.6 |
Good to know
- How much the economy grew or shrank in a year, after inflation.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 143 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Sierra Leone in numbers
Every measure for Sierra Leone on one page
Health
People
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending0.37% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollars$29.5M in 2025
- Military spending per person$4 in 2025
- Military share of state spending2.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnel9,000 people in 2020
- National power0.04% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workers0.35% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms imports2 million TIV in 2016