External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$), per capita in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$), per capita was 269.58 DOD, current US$ per person in 2024. ▲ Rising
External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$), per capita in Sierra Leone, 1970–2024
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in DOD, current US$ per person.
Analysis
Sierra Leone recorded 269.58 DOD, current US$ per person for external debt stocks, total (dod, current us$), per capita in 2024.
That represents a change of down 5.1% on the previous year and up 29.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external debt stocks, total (dod, current us$), per capita in Sierra Leone peaked at 374.41 DOD, current US$ per person in 1993 and was at its lowest, 22.64 DOD, current US$ per person, in 1970.
Sierra Leone ranks 104th of 122 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$), per capita in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | DOD, current US$ per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 22.64 DOD, current US$ per person | — |
| 1971 | 40.19 DOD, current US$ per person | +77.5% |
| 1972 | 42.42 DOD, current US$ per person | +5.5% |
| 1973 | 49.45 DOD, current US$ per person | +16.6% |
| 1974 | 66.06 DOD, current US$ per person | +33.6% |
| 1975 | 68.9 DOD, current US$ per person | +4.3% |
| 1976 | 77.05 DOD, current US$ per person | +11.8% |
| 1977 | 93.89 DOD, current US$ per person | +21.8% |
| 1978 | 110.3 DOD, current US$ per person | +17.5% |
| 1979 | 131.03 DOD, current US$ per person | +18.8% |
| 1980 | 148.18 DOD, current US$ per person | +13.1% |
| 1981 | 180.77 DOD, current US$ per person | +22.0% |
| 1982 | 190.25 DOD, current US$ per person | +5.2% |
| 1983 | 186.33 DOD, current US$ per person | -2.1% |
| 1984 | 174.34 DOD, current US$ per person | -6.4% |
| 1985 | 195.75 DOD, current US$ per person | +12.3% |
| 1986 | 234.06 DOD, current US$ per person | +19.6% |
| 1987 | 270.54 DOD, current US$ per person | +15.6% |
| 1988 | 263.44 DOD, current US$ per person | -2.6% |
| 1989 | 270.2 DOD, current US$ per person | +2.6% |
| 1990 | 285.11 DOD, current US$ per person | +5.5% |
| 1991 | 299.37 DOD, current US$ per person | +5.0% |
| 1992 | 333.66 DOD, current US$ per person | +11.5% |
| 1993 | 374.41 DOD, current US$ per person | +12.2% |
| 1994 | 373.34 DOD, current US$ per person | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 299.01 DOD, current US$ per person | -19.9% |
| 1996 | 295.73 DOD, current US$ per person | -1.1% |
| 1997 | 282.12 DOD, current US$ per person | -4.6% |
| 1998 | 305.91 DOD, current US$ per person | +8.4% |
| 1999 | 305.52 DOD, current US$ per person | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 282.2 DOD, current US$ per person | -7.6% |
| 2001 | 267.81 DOD, current US$ per person | -5.1% |
| 2002 | 283.3 DOD, current US$ per person | +5.8% |
| 2003 | 304.34 DOD, current US$ per person | +7.4% |
| 2004 | 314.31 DOD, current US$ per person | +3.3% |
| 2005 | 328.01 DOD, current US$ per person | +4.4% |
| 2006 | 271.78 DOD, current US$ per person | -17.1% |
| 2007 | 95.85 DOD, current US$ per person | -64.7% |
| 2008 | 107.52 DOD, current US$ per person | +12.2% |
| 2009 | 141.5 DOD, current US$ per person | +31.6% |
| 2010 | 149.63 DOD, current US$ per person | +5.8% |
| 2011 | 164.46 DOD, current US$ per person | +9.9% |
| 2012 | 203.82 DOD, current US$ per person | +23.9% |
| 2013 | 208.48 DOD, current US$ per person | +2.3% |
| 2014 | 208.43 DOD, current US$ per person | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 221.39 DOD, current US$ per person | +6.2% |
| 2016 | 225.46 DOD, current US$ per person | +1.8% |
| 2017 | 243.15 DOD, current US$ per person | +7.8% |
| 2018 | 242.67 DOD, current US$ per person | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 249.67 DOD, current US$ per person | +2.9% |
| 2020 | 277.48 DOD, current US$ per person | +11.1% |
| 2021 | 312.79 DOD, current US$ per person | +12.7% |
| 2022 | 290.14 DOD, current US$ per person | -7.2% |
| 2023 | 284.04 DOD, current US$ per person | -2.1% |
| 2024 | 269.58 DOD, current US$ per person | -5.1% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 269.58 DOD, current US$ per person is above the median for low income countries, which is 208.15 DOD, current US$ per person, 1.3× the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 269.58 DOD, current US$ per person is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 568.34 DOD, current US$ per person, 47% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$), per capita in Sierra Leone changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | +77.5% | 22.64 DOD, current US$ per person | 40.19 DOD, current US$ per person |
| 2007 | -64.7% | 271.78 DOD, current US$ per person | 95.85 DOD, current US$ per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 70.19 DOD, current US$ per person | 22.64 DOD, current US$ per person | 131.03 DOD, current US$ per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 211.39 DOD, current US$ per person | 148.18 DOD, current US$ per person | 270.54 DOD, current US$ per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 315.42 DOD, current US$ per person | 282.12 DOD, current US$ per person | 374.41 DOD, current US$ per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 239.66 DOD, current US$ per person | 95.85 DOD, current US$ per person | 328.01 DOD, current US$ per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 211.72 DOD, current US$ per person | 149.63 DOD, current US$ per person | 249.67 DOD, current US$ per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 286.81 DOD, current US$ per person | 269.58 DOD, current US$ per person | 312.79 DOD, current US$ per person | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 101 Guinea 365.19 DOD, current US$ per person compare
- 102 Nepal 342.39 DOD, current US$ per person compare
- 103 Ethiopia 276.75 DOD, current US$ per person compare
- 105 Mali 263.08 DOD, current US$ per person compare
- 106 East Timor 211.81 DOD, current US$ per person compare
- 107 Madagascar 208.15 DOD, current US$ per person 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)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate -18.54 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0324 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 27.41 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate -22.43 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0236 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 20.01 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0381 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external debt stocks, total (dod, current us$), per capita in Sierra Leone?
- External debt stocks, total (dod, current us$), per capita in Sierra Leone was 269.58 DOD, current US$ per person in 2024, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest external debt stocks, total (dod, current us$), per capita recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 374.41 DOD, current US$ per person in 1993.
- What is the lowest external debt stocks, total (dod, current us$), per capita recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.64 DOD, current US$ per person in 1970.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for external debt stocks, total (dod, current us$), per capita?
- Sierra Leone ranks 104th out of 122 countries with data for 2024.
- Is external debt stocks, total (dod, current us$), per capita rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 29.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$), per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$) divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$) ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- External debt stocks, total International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB)
- Population, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$) divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.