Current account balance in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Current account balance was -14.1% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Current account balance in Sierra Leone, 1977–2024
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for current account balance in Sierra Leone is -14.1%, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 79.6% on the previous year and down 129.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, current account balance in Sierra Leone peaked at 28.7% in 1986 and was at its lowest, -39.4%, in 2011.
Sierra Leone ranks 180th of 200 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Current account balance in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | -7.1% | — |
| 1978 | -11.6% | +63.0% |
| 1979 | -16.1% | +38.6% |
| 1980 | -15.0% | -7.1% |
| 1981 | -11.8% | -21.1% |
| 1982 | -13.1% | +11.0% |
| 1983 | -1.8% | -86.5% |
| 1984 | -2.1% | +19.7% |
| 1985 | 0.3% | -115.5% |
| 1986 | 28.7% | +8672.6% |
| 1987 | -4.6% | -116.0% |
| 1988 | -0.3% | -94.1% |
| 1989 | -6.4% | +2278.6% |
| 1990 | -10.7% | +66.8% |
| 1991 | 2.0% | -118.4% |
| 1992 | -0.8% | -141.0% |
| 1993 | -7.5% | +832.3% |
| 1994 | -9.8% | +30.1% |
| 1995 | -13.6% | +38.7% |
| 1996 | -16.0% | +17.9% |
| 1997 | -6.5% | -59.6% |
| 1998 | -4.9% | -23.4% |
| 1999 | -14.8% | +200.1% |
| 2000 | -17.7% | +19.0% |
| 2001 | -5.8% | -67.0% |
| 2002 | -3.8% | -34.9% |
| 2003 | -3.9% | +2.1% |
| 2004 | -4.4% | +14.5% |
| 2005 | -4.1% | -6.9% |
| 2006 | -2.9% | -29.4% |
| 2007 | -4.4% | +51.4% |
| 2008 | -5.4% | +23.0% |
| 2009 | -8.3% | +52.5% |
| 2010 | -13.7% | +66.0% |
| 2011 | -39.4% | +186.7% |
| 2012 | -19.7% | -49.9% |
| 2013 | -9.8% | -50.1% |
| 2014 | -6.2% | -37.4% |
| 2015 | -14.8% | +140.3% |
| 2016 | -4.8% | -67.3% |
| 2017 | -11.8% | +144.7% |
| 2018 | -9.3% | -21.7% |
| 2019 | -7.8% | -15.9% |
| 2020 | -5.8% | -25.0% |
| 2021 | -7.3% | +25.0% |
| 2022 | -6.3% | -13.0% |
| 2023 | -7.9% | +23.9% |
| 2024 | -14.1% | +79.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | -11.6% | -16.1% | -7.1% | 3 |
| 1980s | -2.6% | -15.0% | 28.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | -8.3% | -16.0% | 2.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | -6.1% | -17.7% | -2.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | -13.7% | -39.4% | -4.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | -8.3% | -14.1% | -5.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 177 Namibia -13.4% compare
- 178 Saint Kitts and Nevis -13.7% compare
- 179 Burundi -13.7% compare
- 181 Eritrea -14.8% compare
- 182 Afghanistan -15.7% compare
- 183 Palestine, State of -15.8% compare
More economy & growth data for Sierra Leone
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 2.55 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 4.53 Percent per annum (2029)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 11.7 % change on previous year (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.568 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per capita 480.73 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- External balance on goods and services (current US$), annual growth -30.21 % change on previous year (2025)
- External balance on goods and services (current LCU), annual growth -30.62 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), annual 8.81 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), per 6.69 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), per 5,664 current LCU per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is current account balance in Sierra Leone?
- Current account balance in Sierra Leone was -14.1% in 2024, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest current account balance recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 28.7% in 1986.
- What is the lowest current account balance recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was -39.4% in 2011.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for current account balance?
- Sierra Leone ranks 180th out of 200 countries with data for 2024.
- Is current account balance rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 129.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Current account balance (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Balance of current transactions (transactions in goods and services, earned income and transfer income) between residents and non-residents. The term current account balance is used in the external accounts and is expressed from the perspective of resident units. The term current external balance is used in the national accounts and is expressed from the perspective of the non-resident units, and therefore with the opposite sign. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.