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General profile: Sierra Leone

GENERAL INFORMATION FOR 2023
Exchange rate
Population
Population
Exchange rates
GDP
GDP
8.461 Millions
..
3 298 Millions current US$
Land area¹
Land area
CPI growth (%)
CPI growth
GDP growth
GDP growth
(q) 72 180 km²
47.72 %
3.42 %
INTERNATIONAL MERCHANDISE TRADE
More data on UNCTADstat
+25.4 %
Merchandise exports growth rate in 2023
Total merchandise trade
(millions of US$)
2005
2010
2015
2023
Merchandise exports
158
341
512
1 328
Merchandise imports
345
770
1 530
1 922
Merchandise trade balance
-186
-429
-1 019
-594
Export structure by product group in 2023
(as % of total exports)
8 %8 %19 %19 %59 %59 %4 %4 %10 %10 %
Top 5 partners in 2023
(exports, millions of US$)
628139785546628139785546
INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN SERVICES
More data on UNCTADstat
Total trade in services²
(millions of US$)
2005
2010
2015
2023
Services exports
78
57
200
(e) 74
Services imports
91
252
883
(e) 299
Services trade balance
-13
-195
-682
(e) -225
Services exports by main category²
(as % of total services)
2005
2010
2015
2023
Transport
14.9
44.6
21.8
(e) 18.3
Travel
81.9
45.5
18.7
(e) 50.1
Other services
3.2
9.9
59.5
(e) 30.6
TRADE INDICES
More data on UNCTADstat
20418612480124107112127100263321183576346365050104111114103107110111107100120123124127127123128151152
ECONOMIC TRENDS
More data on UNCTADstat
+3.4 %
Gross domestic product growth rate in 2023
Economic indicators
(millions of US$ unless otherwise specified)
2005
2010
2015
2023
GDP, current
1 650
2 578
4 248
3 298
GDP per capita, current US$
300
414
604
390
Real GDP growth, y-on-y, %
4.51
5.35
-20.49
3.42
Current account balance, % of GDP
-6.36
-22.70
-23.61
(e) -4.68
Exchange rate (/US$)
2.890
3.978
5.081
..
GDP by expenditure in 2022
(as % of total GDP)
106.76.710.616.240.2106.76.710.616.240.2
FDI AND EXTERNAL FINANCIAL RESOURCES
More data on UNCTADstat
..
FDI outflows as % of GDP in 2023
Financial flows
(millions of US$ unless otherwise specified)
2005
2010
2015
2023
FDI inflows
83.18
238.44
252.44
262.97
FDI outflows
-7.55
..
..
..
Personal remittances, % of GDP
..
1.72
1.13
..
Financial flows trends
(millions of US$)
73.263.658.248.262.469.764.558.844.235.922.626318621217334225041413925237543072295023811158975983619101039FDI Inwards flowsFDI Inwards flowsFDI Inwards flowsMigrant's remittances receiptsMigrant's remittances receiptsMigrant's remittances receipts
TRADE IN GOODS AND SERVICES
More data on UNCTADstat
Trade balance indicators²
(as % and index)
2005
2010
2015
2023
Balance, % of GDP
-11.59
-27.65
-34.17
-
Balance, % of imports
-42.22
-62.95
-65.11
-
Normalized balance
-0.268
-0.459
-0.483
-
Trade openness²
(sum of imports and exports as % of GDP)
9271506058665871878298103604637383943
LIVING AREA
Population by living area in 2023
(% of population)
Urban 44%Urban 44%Rural 56%Rural 56%
OTHER INDICATORS
More data on UNCTADstat
0.115 %
Share of the total world merchant fleet in 2023
Maritime transport indicators
 
2005
2010
2015
2023
Merchant fleet, national flag (thousands of DWT)
30
792
1 560
2 617
Container port throughput (TEU)
..
..
..
..
Information economy indicators
(as % of)
2005
2010
2015
2023
Share of ICT goods, % of total exports
..
..
0.17
..
Share of ICT goods, % of total imports
..
..
4.10
..
Share of workforce involved in the ICT sector
..
..
..
..
Source: UN Trade and Development, UNCTADstat (https://unctadstat.unctad.org/datacentre)
Notes:
1
Land area refers to the total area of a country excluding area under inland water bodies. It differs from the country area, that includes area under inland water bodies, but excludes offshore territorial waters.
2
Statistics presented correspond to the 6th edition of the IMF Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual (BPM6, 2009).
e
Estimated.
q
Estimated. Data refers to 2020.
Symbols for missing values:
0
Zero means that the amount is nil or negligible
..
No value reported or collected
_
Not applicable
...
Not available, including no quotation
#
Non-relevant calculation
-
Not publishable
***
Negative accumulation of flows; Value included in regional and global totals
Abbreviations & acronyms:
DWT:
Dead weight tons
FDI:
Foreign direct investment
GDP:
Gross domestic product
ICT:
Information and communication technology
TEU:
Twenty foot equivalent unit
US$:
United States dollar
Disclaimer:
The designations employed and the presentation of the material on the UNCTAD Data Hub do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
Where the designations "economy" or "country or area" appear in texts or tables, they cover regions, countries, territories, cities or areas.

UNCTAD strives for the highest level of accuracy and is committed to promptly correcting any errors on its part. It does not guarantee or make any express or implied representations regarding the accuracy, reliability, correctness, fitness for use for a particular purpose, or otherwise, whatsoever, of any of the tables in the UNCTAD Data Hub.
Generation date: 11 October 2024