Taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services was 2.0% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services in Sierra Leone, 1980–2023
Source: UNU-WIDER Government Revenue Dataset (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2023, taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services in Sierra Leone stood at 2.0%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 16.1% on the previous year and down 13.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services in Sierra Leone peaked at 2.6% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 1986.
Sierra Leone ranks 175th of 187 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 38 years of available data.
Taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 1.0% | — |
| 1985 | 0.5% | -51.8% |
| 1986 | 0.2% | -49.2% |
| 1987 | 0.4% | +51.0% |
| 1988 | 0.4% | +7.0% |
| 1989 | 0.4% | +6.4% |
| 1990 | 0.8% | +84.3% |
| 1991 | 0.9% | +15.6% |
| 1992 | 1.4% | +54.3% |
| 1993 | 1.7% | +18.8% |
| 1994 | 1.7% | +3.1% |
| 1995 | 1.3% | -23.4% |
| 1998 | 0.7% | -43.7% |
| 1999 | 0.6% | -21.6% |
| 2000 | 0.9% | +52.2% |
| 2001 | 1.2% | +40.3% |
| 2002 | 1.2% | -5.0% |
| 2003 | 1.2% | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 1.2% | +5.0% |
| 2005 | 1.2% | -3.0% |
| 2006 | 1.3% | +14.1% |
| 2007 | 0.9% | -31.5% |
| 2008 | 1.8% | +91.8% |
| 2009 | 1.9% | +8.9% |
| 2010 | 2.3% | +21.4% |
| 2011 | 1.9% | -17.0% |
| 2012 | 2.1% | +6.7% |
| 2013 | 2.3% | +9.0% |
| 2014 | 2.3% | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 2.4% | +2.5% |
| 2016 | 2.2% | -5.2% |
| 2017 | 2.6% | +18.2% |
| 2018 | 2.5% | -7.3% |
| 2019 | 2.6% | +7.8% |
| 2020 | 2.5% | -6.7% |
| 2021 | 2.5% | +2.2% |
| 2022 | 1.7% | -33.4% |
| 2023 | 2.0% | +16.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.5% | 0.2% | 1.0% | 6 |
| 1990s | 1.1% | 0.6% | 1.7% | 8 |
| 2000s | 1.3% | 0.9% | 1.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.3% | 1.9% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.2% | 1.7% | 2.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
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 taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services in Sierra Leone?
- Taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services in Sierra Leone was 2.0% in 2023, according to UNU-WIDER Government Revenue Dataset (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 2.6% in 2017.
- What is the lowest taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 1986.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services?
- Sierra Leone ranks 175th out of 187 countries with data for 2023.
- Is taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from UNU-WIDER Government Revenue Dataset (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Total taxes on income (individual and corporate) vs. total taxes on goods and services (including VAT and sales taxes), as a share of GDP.