Share of government consumption in GDP vs. GDP per capita in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Share of government consumption in GDP vs. GDP per capita was 6.6% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
6.6%
Change on year
down 4.2%
World rank
181st
of 184 countries
All-time high
39.1%
in 1974
All-time low
6.6%
in 2023
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Share of government consumption in GDP vs. GDP per capita in Sierra Leone, 1961–2023
Source: Feenstra et al. - Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of government consumption in gdp vs. gdp per capita in Sierra Leone is 6.6%, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.2% on the previous year and down 28.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of government consumption in gdp vs. gdp per capita in Sierra Leone peaked at 39.1% in 1974 and was at its lowest, 6.6%, in 2023.
Sierra Leone ranks 181st of 184 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of government consumption in GDP vs. GDP per capita in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 23.4% | — |
| 1962 | 22.0% | -6.0% |
| 1963 | 20.6% | -6.2% |
| 1964 | 20.3% | -1.8% |
| 1965 | 20.2% | -0.2% |
| 1966 | 19.8% | -2.0% |
| 1967 | 21.4% | +7.7% |
| 1968 | 20.5% | -3.9% |
| 1969 | 20.8% | +1.5% |
| 1970 | 32.2% | +54.3% |
| 1971 | 32.4% | +0.9% |
| 1972 | 34.6% | +6.5% |
| 1973 | 36.6% | +6.0% |
| 1974 | 39.1% | +6.8% |
| 1975 | 38.4% | -1.9% |
| 1976 | 35.7% | -7.0% |
| 1977 | 34.7% | -2.9% |
| 1978 | 34.4% | -0.7% |
| 1979 | 34.3% | -0.5% |
| 1980 | 32.5% | -5.2% |
| 1981 | 32.9% | +1.2% |
| 1982 | 34.5% | +4.9% |
| 1983 | 30.4% | -11.8% |
| 1984 | 27.6% | -9.1% |
| 1985 | 27.0% | -2.4% |
| 1986 | 22.2% | -17.7% |
| 1987 | 17.0% | -23.6% |
| 1988 | 16.6% | -1.9% |
| 1989 | 15.1% | -9.0% |
| 1990 | 12.3% | -18.7% |
| 1991 | 16.8% | +36.2% |
| 1992 | 13.8% | -17.9% |
| 1993 | 14.0% | +1.5% |
| 1994 | 12.4% | -11.1% |
| 1995 | 9.1% | -27.1% |
| 1996 | 7.8% | -14.0% |
| 1997 | 8.4% | +7.5% |
| 1998 | 9.1% | +8.7% |
| 1999 | 10.5% | +15.7% |
| 2000 | 12.9% | +22.7% |
| 2001 | 14.0% | +8.3% |
| 2002 | 15.8% | +13.0% |
| 2003 | 15.3% | -3.0% |
| 2004 | 14.2% | -7.5% |
| 2005 | 15.1% | +6.7% |
| 2006 | 15.8% | +4.6% |
| 2007 | 12.9% | -18.5% |
| 2008 | 13.2% | +2.4% |
| 2009 | 13.4% | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 13.3% | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 11.2% | -16.0% |
| 2012 | 11.7% | +4.1% |
| 2013 | 9.2% | -20.7% |
| 2014 | 7.7% | -16.7% |
| 2015 | 9.9% | +29.0% |
| 2016 | 10.5% | +5.4% |
| 2017 | 8.6% | -17.8% |
| 2018 | 6.8% | -20.9% |
| 2019 | 6.7% | -1.2% |
| 2020 | 7.3% | +8.9% |
| 2021 | 7.3% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 6.9% | -5.9% |
| 2023 | 6.6% | -4.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 21.0% | 19.8% | 23.4% | 9 |
| 1970s | 35.2% | 32.2% | 39.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 25.6% | 15.1% | 34.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 11.4% | 7.8% | 16.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.3% | 12.9% | 15.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.6% | 6.7% | 13.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.0% | 6.6% | 7.3% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 178 Malawi 7.4% compare
- 179 India 7.4% compare
- 180 Tanzania, United Republic of 7.3% compare
- 182 Bangladesh 6.5% compare
- 183 British Virgin Islands 6.5% compare
- 184 Nepal 6.3% 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)
- Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$), per capita 1,075 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current US$), annual growth rate 8.39 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current US$), per unit of GDP 1.07 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current US$), per capita 908.19 current US$ per person (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current LCU), annual growth rate 8.72 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current LCU), per unit of GDP 24.31 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current LCU), per capita 20,577 current LCU per person (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 5.31 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of government consumption in gdp vs. gdp per capita in Sierra Leone?
- Share of government consumption in gdp vs. gdp per capita in Sierra Leone was 6.6% in 2023, according to Feenstra et al. - Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of government consumption in gdp vs. gdp per capita recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 39.1% in 1974.
- What is the lowest share of government consumption in gdp vs. gdp per capita recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.6% in 2023.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for share of government consumption in gdp vs. gdp per capita?
- Sierra Leone ranks 181st out of 184 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of government consumption in gdp vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from Feenstra et al. - Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of government consumption in GDP vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Government consumption divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage.