External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$) in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: External debt stocks, total was 2.33 billion DOD, current US$ in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
2.33 billion DOD, current US$
Change on year
down 3.1%
World rank
99th
of 122 countries
All-time high
2.53 billion DOD, current US$
in 2021
All-time low
61.40 million DOD, current US$
in 1970
Years of data
55
1970–2024
External debt stocks, total in Sierra Leone, 1970–2024
Source: International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB). Measured in DOD, current US$.
Analysis
The most recent figure for external debt stocks, total in Sierra Leone is 2.33 billion DOD, current US$, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of down 3.1% on the previous year and up 62.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external debt stocks, total in Sierra Leone peaked at 2.53 billion DOD, current US$ in 2021 and was at its lowest, 61.40 million DOD, current US$, in 1970.
Sierra Leone ranks 99th of 122 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
External debt stocks, total in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | DOD, current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 61.40 million DOD, current US$ | — |
| 1971 | 111.06 million DOD, current US$ | +80.9% |
| 1972 | 119.39 million DOD, current US$ | +7.5% |
| 1973 | 141.78 million DOD, current US$ | +18.8% |
| 1974 | 192.94 million DOD, current US$ | +36.1% |
| 1975 | 204.95 million DOD, current US$ | +6.2% |
| 1976 | 233.37 million DOD, current US$ | +13.9% |
| 1977 | 289.67 million DOD, current US$ | +24.1% |
| 1978 | 346.96 million DOD, current US$ | +19.8% |
| 1979 | 420.28 million DOD, current US$ | +21.1% |
| 1980 | 484.86 million DOD, current US$ | +15.4% |
| 1981 | 603.59 million DOD, current US$ | +24.5% |
| 1982 | 648.42 million DOD, current US$ | +7.4% |
| 1983 | 648.74 million DOD, current US$ | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 620.43 million DOD, current US$ | -4.4% |
| 1985 | 712.22 million DOD, current US$ | +14.8% |
| 1986 | 872.67 million DOD, current US$ | +22.5% |
| 1987 | 1.04 billion DOD, current US$ | +18.7% |
| 1988 | 1.04 billion DOD, current US$ | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 1.09 billion DOD, current US$ | +5.2% |
| 1990 | 1.20 billion DOD, current US$ | +9.8% |
| 1991 | 1.27 billion DOD, current US$ | +6.2% |
| 1992 | 1.39 billion DOD, current US$ | +9.4% |
| 1993 | 1.56 billion DOD, current US$ | +12.0% |
| 1994 | 1.56 billion DOD, current US$ | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 1.25 billion DOD, current US$ | -19.8% |
| 1996 | 1.24 billion DOD, current US$ | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 1.20 billion DOD, current US$ | -3.4% |
| 1998 | 1.31 billion DOD, current US$ | +9.5% |
| 1999 | 1.32 billion DOD, current US$ | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 1.25 billion DOD, current US$ | -5.4% |
| 2001 | 1.26 billion DOD, current US$ | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 1.41 billion DOD, current US$ | +12.1% |
| 2003 | 1.58 billion DOD, current US$ | +11.9% |
| 2004 | 1.68 billion DOD, current US$ | +6.8% |
| 2005 | 1.80 billion DOD, current US$ | +7.2% |
| 2006 | 1.53 billion DOD, current US$ | -15.3% |
| 2007 | 551.07 million DOD, current US$ | -64.0% |
| 2008 | 633.81 million DOD, current US$ | +15.0% |
| 2009 | 856.85 million DOD, current US$ | +35.2% |
| 2010 | 931.13 million DOD, current US$ | +8.7% |
| 2011 | 1.05 billion DOD, current US$ | +12.8% |
| 2012 | 1.34 billion DOD, current US$ | +27.1% |
| 2013 | 1.40 billion DOD, current US$ | +4.8% |
| 2014 | 1.43 billion DOD, current US$ | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 1.56 billion DOD, current US$ | +8.7% |
| 2016 | 1.62 billion DOD, current US$ | +4.3% |
| 2017 | 1.79 billion DOD, current US$ | +10.5% |
| 2018 | 1.83 billion DOD, current US$ | +2.2% |
| 2019 | 1.93 billion DOD, current US$ | +5.3% |
| 2020 | 2.20 billion DOD, current US$ | +13.7% |
| 2021 | 2.53 billion DOD, current US$ | +15.3% |
| 2022 | 2.40 billion DOD, current US$ | -5.2% |
| 2023 | 2.40 billion DOD, current US$ | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 2.33 billion DOD, current US$ | -3.1% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 2.33 billion DOD, current US$ is below the median for low income countries, which is 4.76 billion DOD, current US$, 49% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 2.33 billion DOD, current US$ is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 6.69 billion DOD, current US$, 35% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where External debt stocks, total in Sierra Leone changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | +80.9% | 61.40 million DOD, current US$ | 111.06 million DOD, current US$ |
| 2007 | -64.0% | 1.53 billion DOD, current US$ | 551.07 million DOD, current US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 212.18 million DOD, current US$ | 61.40 million DOD, current US$ | 420.28 million DOD, current US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 775.35 million DOD, current US$ | 484.86 million DOD, current US$ | 1.09 billion DOD, current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.33 billion DOD, current US$ | 1.20 billion DOD, current US$ | 1.56 billion DOD, current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.25 billion DOD, current US$ | 551.07 million DOD, current US$ | 1.80 billion DOD, current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.49 billion DOD, current US$ | 931.13 million DOD, current US$ | 1.93 billion DOD, current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.37 billion DOD, current US$ | 2.20 billion DOD, current US$ | 2.53 billion DOD, current US$ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 96 Afghanistan 3.34 billion DOD, current US$ compare
- 97 Turkmenistan 3.32 billion DOD, current US$ compare
- 98 Cape Verde 2.36 billion DOD, current US$ compare
- 100 Botswana 2.32 billion DOD, current US$ compare
- 101 Liberia 2.23 billion DOD, current US$ compare
- 102 Somalia 1.80 billion DOD, current US$ 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 in Sierra Leone?
- External debt stocks, total in Sierra Leone was 2.33 billion DOD, current US$ in 2024, according to International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest external debt stocks, total recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 2.53 billion DOD, current US$ in 2021.
- What is the lowest external debt stocks, total recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 61.40 million DOD, current US$ in 1970.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for external debt stocks, total?
- Sierra Leone ranks 99th out of 122 countries with data for 2024.
- Is external debt stocks, total rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 62.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB), published as part of External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Total external debt is debt owed to nonresidents repayable in currency, goods, or services. Total external debt is the sum of public, publicly guaranteed, and private nonguaranteed long-term debt, use of IMF credit, and short-term debt. Short-term debt includes all debt having an original maturity of one year or less and interest in arrears on long-term debt. Data are in current U.S. dollars.