Value of imported goods as a share of GDP in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Value of imported goods as a share of GDP was 29.8% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Value of imported goods as a share of GDP in Sierra Leone, 1960–2024
Source: International Monetary Fund (2025); National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Sierra Leone recorded 29.8% for value of imported goods as a share of gdp in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.8% on the previous year and up 8.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, value of imported goods as a share of gdp in Sierra Leone peaked at 34.7% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 12.2%, in 1985.
Sierra Leone ranks 107th of 201 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Value of imported goods as a share of GDP in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 21.3% | — |
| 1961 | 25.9% | +21.6% |
| 1962 | 23.2% | -10.4% |
| 1963 | 22.2% | -4.3% |
| 1964 | 23.7% | +6.8% |
| 1965 | 27.9% | +17.4% |
| 1966 | 23.2% | -16.6% |
| 1967 | 23.7% | +2.2% |
| 1968 | 24.8% | +4.5% |
| 1969 | 24.3% | -2.2% |
| 1970 | 24.1% | -0.5% |
| 1971 | 24.1% | -0.2% |
| 1972 | 22.5% | -6.6% |
| 1973 | 23.5% | +4.2% |
| 1974 | 30.6% | +30.3% |
| 1975 | 27.5% | -10.1% |
| 1976 | 25.0% | -8.9% |
| 1977 | 26.9% | +7.6% |
| 1981 | 27.0% | +0.2% |
| 1982 | 15.8% | -41.3% |
| 1983 | 13.0% | -17.6% |
| 1984 | 12.9% | -1.2% |
| 1985 | 12.2% | -5.4% |
| 1986 | 21.3% | +74.6% |
| 1987 | 17.4% | -18.2% |
| 1988 | 12.4% | -28.6% |
| 1989 | 16.5% | +32.5% |
| 1990 | 28.8% | +74.9% |
| 1991 | 26.5% | -8.1% |
| 1992 | 31.5% | +19.1% |
| 1993 | 29.8% | -5.4% |
| 1994 | 26.4% | -11.5% |
| 1995 | 26.6% | +0.9% |
| 1996 | 28.6% | +7.5% |
| 1997 | 26.7% | -6.8% |
| 1998 | 27.9% | +4.6% |
| 1999 | 28.3% | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 34.4% | +21.6% |
| 2001 | 21.4% | -37.8% |
| 2002 | 31.8% | +48.3% |
| 2003 | 34.7% | +9.1% |
| 2004 | 28.4% | -18.0% |
| 2005 | 25.9% | -8.8% |
| 2006 | 18.6% | -28.3% |
| 2007 | 17.6% | -5.3% |
| 2008 | 19.1% | +8.3% |
| 2009 | 19.5% | +2.3% |
| 2010 | 18.8% | -3.8% |
| 2011 | 27.3% | +45.5% |
| 2012 | 24.4% | -10.4% |
| 2013 | 19.5% | -20.3% |
| 2014 | 27.6% | +41.3% |
| 2015 | 26.8% | -2.8% |
| 2016 | 16.9% | -36.9% |
| 2017 | 20.1% | +18.8% |
| 2018 | 17.0% | -15.5% |
| 2019 | 18.0% | +6.2% |
| 2020 | 17.8% | -1.0% |
| 2021 | 23.6% | +32.5% |
| 2022 | 26.5% | +12.0% |
| 2023 | 30.6% | +15.6% |
| 2024 | 29.8% | -2.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 24.0% | 21.3% | 27.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | 25.5% | 22.5% | 30.6% | 8 |
| 1980s | 16.5% | 12.2% | 27.0% | 9 |
| 1990s | 28.1% | 26.4% | 31.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 25.1% | 17.6% | 34.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.6% | 16.9% | 27.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 25.7% | 17.8% | 30.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 104 Togo 30.3% compare
- 105 Lao People's Democratic Republic 30.2% compare
- 106 Trinidad and Tobago 29.9% compare
- 108 Bahamas 29.7% compare
- 109 Iceland 29.6% compare
- 110 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 29.5% 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)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps -33,272 BoP, current US$ (2010)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit -0 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2010)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita -0.0053 BoP, current US$ per person (2010)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 121.78 million BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual -16.53 % change on previous year (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0175 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 14.09 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate -12.59 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is value of imported goods as a share of gdp in Sierra Leone?
- Value of imported goods as a share of gdp in Sierra Leone was 29.8% in 2024, according to International Monetary Fund (2025); National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest value of imported goods as a share of gdp recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 34.7% in 2003.
- What is the lowest value of imported goods as a share of gdp recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.2% in 1985.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for value of imported goods as a share of gdp?
- Sierra Leone ranks 107th out of 201 countries with data for 2024.
- Is value of imported goods as a share of gdp rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund (2025); National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Value of imported goods as a share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Value of a country’s total goods imports, including freight and insurance costs, as a percentage of a country’s gross domestic product (GDP).