Value of imported goods as a share of GDP (International Monetary) in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Value of imported goods as a share of GDP (International Monetary) was 26.9% in 2025. ▬ Flat
Value of imported goods as a share of GDP in Sierra Leone, 1960–2025
Source: International Monetary Fund (2026); 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 26.9% for value of imported goods as a share of gdp in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.0% on the previous year and up 0.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, value of imported goods as a share of gdp in Sierra Leone peaked at 32.3% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 12.2%, in 1985.
Sierra Leone ranks 119th of 201 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Value of imported goods as a share of GDP (International Monetary) 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 | 21.4% | -24.4% |
| 2001 | 18.3% | -14.5% |
| 2002 | 31.7% | +73.4% |
| 2003 | 32.3% | +1.9% |
| 2004 | 28.0% | -13.3% |
| 2005 | 25.0% | -10.8% |
| 2006 | 19.2% | -23.1% |
| 2007 | 18.3% | -4.8% |
| 2008 | 19.1% | +4.5% |
| 2009 | 19.6% | +2.9% |
| 2010 | 19.0% | -3.4% |
| 2011 | 27.4% | +44.4% |
| 2012 | 24.1% | -12.0% |
| 2013 | 19.4% | -19.5% |
| 2014 | 27.6% | +41.8% |
| 2015 | 26.8% | -2.8% |
| 2016 | 16.9% | -36.9% |
| 2017 | 20.1% | +18.8% |
| 2018 | 17.0% | -15.5% |
| 2019 | 17.9% | +5.4% |
| 2020 | 18.0% | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 23.6% | +31.1% |
| 2022 | 26.5% | +12.3% |
| 2023 | 28.0% | +5.6% |
| 2024 | 28.9% | +3.2% |
| 2025 | 26.9% | -7.0% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 26.9% is above the median for low income countries, which is 24.9%, 1.1× the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 26.9% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 26.0%, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Value of imported goods as a share of GDP (International Monetary) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | +74.6% | 12.2% | 21.3% |
| 1990 | +74.9% | 16.5% | 28.8% |
| 2002 | +73.4% | 18.3% | 31.7% |
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 | 23.3% | 18.3% | 32.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.6% | 16.9% | 27.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 25.3% | 18.0% | 28.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
More economy & growth data for Sierra Leone
- Real gdp growth, annual growth rate -24.83 % change on previous year (2024)
- 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)
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 26.9% in 2025, according to International Monetary Fund (2026); 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 32.3% 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 119th out of 201 countries with data for 2025.
- Is value of imported goods as a share of gdp rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.3%. 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 (2026); 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).