Total debt service in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Total debt service was 2.2% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Total debt service in Sierra Leone, 1970–2024
Source: International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of GNI.
Analysis
In 2024, total debt service in Sierra Leone stood at 2.2%.
That represents a change of down 8.9% on the previous year and up 361.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total debt service in Sierra Leone peaked at 19.9% in 1994 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 2008.
That places Sierra Leone 91st out of 122 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Total debt service in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | % of GNI | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 4.3% | — |
| 1971 | 2.1% | -52.0% |
| 1972 | 2.3% | +12.3% |
| 1973 | 2.3% | -2.6% |
| 1974 | 2.5% | +11.7% |
| 1975 | 2.3% | -8.2% |
| 1976 | 3.8% | +62.6% |
| 1977 | 2.6% | -32.4% |
| 1978 | 4.7% | +81.6% |
| 1979 | 5.0% | +7.5% |
| 1980 | 7.1% | +41.5% |
| 1981 | 7.0% | -1.3% |
| 1982 | 3.2% | -53.8% |
| 1983 | 3.5% | +8.5% |
| 1984 | 4.2% | +19.4% |
| 1985 | 2.9% | -31.2% |
| 1986 | 13.4% | +367.6% |
| 1987 | 2.6% | -80.6% |
| 1988 | 1.9% | -28.8% |
| 1989 | 0.8% | -54.5% |
| 1990 | 3.7% | +335.4% |
| 1991 | 2.1% | -41.8% |
| 1992 | 5.7% | +167.9% |
| 1993 | 4.3% | -24.6% |
| 1994 | 19.9% | +361.0% |
| 1995 | 10.1% | -49.1% |
| 1996 | 7.2% | -28.7% |
| 1997 | 1.9% | -73.9% |
| 1998 | 4.0% | +113.3% |
| 1999 | 4.7% | +18.0% |
| 2000 | 7.7% | +63.4% |
| 2001 | 5.8% | -25.1% |
| 2002 | 0.8% | -86.0% |
| 2003 | 0.9% | +9.8% |
| 2004 | 1.1% | +20.5% |
| 2005 | 0.8% | -29.0% |
| 2006 | 0.9% | +15.3% |
| 2007 | 0.4% | -59.9% |
| 2008 | 0.2% | -53.8% |
| 2009 | 0.2% | +28.3% |
| 2010 | 0.3% | +31.3% |
| 2011 | 0.4% | +45.8% |
| 2012 | 0.3% | -13.3% |
| 2013 | 0.4% | +11.2% |
| 2014 | 0.5% | +24.4% |
| 2015 | 0.8% | +61.8% |
| 2016 | 0.7% | -13.9% |
| 2017 | 1.1% | +56.6% |
| 2018 | 1.0% | -9.2% |
| 2019 | 1.2% | +20.9% |
| 2020 | 1.5% | +28.5% |
| 2021 | 1.5% | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 1.7% | +13.9% |
| 2023 | 2.4% | +42.4% |
| 2024 | 2.2% | -8.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3.2% | 2.1% | 5.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.7% | 0.8% | 13.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.4% | 1.9% | 19.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.9% | 0.2% | 7.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.7% | 0.3% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.9% | 1.5% | 2.4% | 5 |
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)
- Manufacturing, value added (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.0696 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Manufacturing, value added (current US$), per capita 56.13 current US$ per person (2024)
- Manufacturing, value added (current LCU), per unit of GDP 1.57 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Manufacturing, value added (current LCU), per capita 1,268 current LCU per person (2024)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.0726 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant 2015 US$), per capita 58.6 constant 2015 US$ per person (2024)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant LCU), per capita 475.61 constant LCU per person (2024)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), annual 7.65 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total debt service in Sierra Leone?
- Total debt service in Sierra Leone was 2.2% in 2024, according to International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest total debt service recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 19.9% in 1994.
- What is the lowest total debt service recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 2008.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for total debt service?
- Sierra Leone ranks 91st out of 122 countries with data for 2024.
- Is total debt service rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 361.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB), published as part of Total debt service (% of GNI). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Total debt service is the sum of principal repayments and interest actually paid in currency, goods, or services on long-term debt, interest paid on short-term debt, and repayments (repurchases and charges) to the IMF.