Share of food products in total merchandise exports in Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone: Share of food products in total merchandise exports was 45.6% in 2018. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2018)
45.6%
Change on year
down 37.8%
World rank
45th
of 196 countries
All-time high
91.6%
in 2002
All-time low
4.0%
in 2014
Years of data
16
1963–2018

Share of food products in total merchandise exports in Sierra Leone, 1963–2018

0204060801001963199020181963: 15.3 % of merchandise exports1964: 15.4 % of merchandise exports1972: 18.4 % of merchandise exports1973: 21.4 % of merchandise exports1974: 20.7 % of merchandise exports1975: 24.8 % of merchandise exports1976: 22.4 % of merchandise exports1983: 32.7 % of merchandise exports1984: 31.4 % of merchandise exports2000: 18.9 % of merchandise exports2002: 91.6 % of merchandise exports2014: 4 % of merchandise exports2015: 87.8 % of merchandise exports2016: 78 % of merchandise exports2017: 73.3 % of merchandise exports2018: 45.6 % of merchandise exports

Source: UN Comtrade, WITS, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of merchandise exports.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of food products in total merchandise exports in Sierra Leone is 45.6%, measured in 2018.

The figure is down 37.8% on the previous year and up 1,028.5% over five years.

Over the whole period, share of food products in total merchandise exports in Sierra Leone peaked at 91.6% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 4.0%, in 2014.

That places Sierra Leone 45th out of 196 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 15.4% 15.3% 15.4% 2
1970s 21.5% 18.4% 24.8% 5
1980s 32.1% 31.4% 32.7% 2
2000s 55.3% 18.9% 91.6% 2
2010s 57.8% 4.0% 87.8% 5

Countries ranked near Sierra Leone

  1. 42 Iceland 46.9% compare
  2. 43 Burundi 46.0% compare
  3. 44 Georgia 45.9% compare
  4. 46 Barbados 43.5% compare
  5. 47 Nicaragua 42.6% compare
  6. 48 Saint Lucia 41.6% compare

See the full ranking of 196 places →

More economy & growth data for Sierra Leone

All data for Sierra Leone →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of food products in total merchandise exports in Sierra Leone?
Share of food products in total merchandise exports in Sierra Leone was 45.6% in 2018, according to UN Comtrade, WITS, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of food products in total merchandise exports recorded in Sierra Leone?
The highest recorded value was 91.6% in 2002.
What is the lowest share of food products in total merchandise exports recorded in Sierra Leone?
The lowest recorded value was 4.0% in 2014.
How does Sierra Leone rank for share of food products in total merchandise exports?
Sierra Leone ranks 45th out of 196 countries with data for 2018.
Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
The figures come from UN Comtrade, WITS, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of food products in total merchandise exports. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Share of food products in total merchandise exports
Unit
% of merchandise exports
Source
UN Comtrade, WITS, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
196 places, 7,959 data points, 1962–2025
Last refreshed

Value of food exports divided by the total value of merchandise exports, expressed as a percentage.