Sierra Leone
Everything Palanor holds about Sierra Leone, in one place: 120 public signals, what its economy runs on, how often America’s largest companies name it, the news that names it, and Country Posture. Every figure is computed from stored readings and carries its source and date.
AfricaSub-Saharan AfricaMiddle East & Africa
The latest read
- GDP in current U.S. dollars: $7.46 billion (2025); 96th percentile since 1960; highest since 2014; 1y +7.0%.
- Real GDP growth: 4.61% (2025); 68th percentile since 1961; 1y +0.32 pts.
- Consumer price inflation: 7.49% (2025); 39th percentile since 2007; lowest since 2015; 1y −21.14 pts.
- Unemployment: 3.15% (2025); 10th percentile since 1991; highest since 2021; 1y +0.05 pts.
- Household consumption, share of GDP: 78.2% of GDP (2025); 21st percentile since 1990; lowest since 2012; 1y −1.77 pts.
- Net exports, share of GDP: -7.31% of GDP (2025); 63rd percentile since 1990; 1y −1.30 pts.
Country Posture
What Sierra Leone’s economy is doing
Momentum
2025Inputs only. Did not pass the pre-registered back-test: 1996–2009: AUC 0.590 below 0.60; AUC 0.590 below the single-input baseline (0.624); 2010–2022: AUC 0.595 below 0.60; AUC 0.595 below the single-input baseline (0.641).
Inputs
| Real GDP growth | 4.6 |
| Growth against its three-year average | -0.5 |
| Change in unemployment | 0.0 |
| Change in the employment rate | -0.2 |
| Export volume growth | — |
| OECD leading indicator | — |
Resilience
2025Withheld: 3 of 5 core inputs reported for 2025.
Inputs
| Interest as a share of revenue | — |
| Budget balance | — |
| Reserves, months of imports (2024) | 1.8 |
| Current account (2024) | -14.1 |
| Governance (WGI mean) | -0.75 |
| External debt (2024) | 31.1 |
Pressure
2025Inputs only. Did not pass the pre-registered back-test: 1996–2009: AUC 0.657 below the single-input baseline (0.672).
Inputs
| Inflation | 7.5 |
| Change in inflation | -21.1 |
| Currency move against the dollar | — |
| Conflict deaths per million | 0.0 |
| Political stability | -0.39 |
| Private credit, three-year change | 2.0 |
| Bond spread over U.S. Treasuries | — |
Posture describes what an economy is doing; it is not a rating and never ranks countries. Each input is read against the country’s own history and against every other economy that year. An axis shows a score only after passing a back-test fixed before any result was computed. Method and back-test.
Country Schemas
Where Sierra Leone is in its cycles
Where Sierra Leone sits in eight long cycles, each read from published statistics against a method fixed before any reading was computed. A stage describes; it is not a rating, and no stage is better or worse than another.
- Development stage
Pre-take-off60% · 2025
Pre-take-offTake-offDrive to maturityHigh mass consumption20002025
- Demographic stage
Late expanding83% · 2025
High stationaryEarly expandingLate expandingLow stationaryDeclining20002025
- Debt cycle stage
Early cycle92% · 2025
Early cycleLeveragingLate cycleDeleveraging20002025
- External balance stage
Immature debtor92% · 2025
Immature debtorMature debtorDebt repayerImmature creditorMature creditorCredit disinvestor20002025
- Export structure stage
Withheld.
Commodity-reliantDiversifyingManufacturing exporterComplex exporter20002025
Withheld: too little of its evidence is published and fresh.
- Structural pressure
High67% · 2025
LowBuildingHighAcute20002025
- Middle-class stage
Withheld.
Pre-middle-classEmerging middle classMiddle-class majorityAffluent20032025
Withheld: too little of its evidence is published and fresh.
- Electoral cycle
Mid-term99% · 2026-10
Post-electionMid-termPre-election2020-012026-10
Passport reach
Where a Sierra Leone passport opens doors
The share of world GDP, outside Sierra Leone itself, in the economies whose published rules let a holder of this passport in, as of October 2026. Palanor records the rules of destinations holding 88% of world GDP, from each government’s own list, and weights them by World Bank GDP for 2025. Rank is among 199 passports.
Work
0.0%rank 114 of 199
the right to work (free movement in full; treaty and working-holiday routes at half); 0 destinations in full.
Recorded changes
- 2026-01-01United States · visit: Visa required → Not admitted source
Reach is shown here and not weighted into Country Strength: it rewards membership of a free-movement area or a treaty more than the strength of an economy. Entry is always at the border officer’s discretion, and conditions (length of stay, fees, age limits) vary. Method, sources and the full ranking: Passports and citizenship.
Palanor calculation from each destination government's published rules; GDP weights from the World Bank (CC BY 4.0), one year for the whole line, so it moves only when a list changes.
GDP by expenditure
What Sierra Leone’s economy runs on
In 2025, household spending was 78.2% of GDP, government consumption 6.0%, investment 23.2% and net exports -7.3% (exports 20.9%, imports 28.2%).
World Bank national accounts. The parts can miss 100 by a few points (the statistical discrepancy).
Same World Bank definition for every country, so the shares compare directly: What each economy runs on.
IMF World Economic Outlook
The IMF’s outlook for Sierra Leone
The latest year before the October 2026 edition (often still an IMF estimate) and the IMF’s own projections. These are the IMF’s published forecasts, shown as published; Palanor does not project them further. Since the previous edition the IMF cut its growth forecast for this year by 0.5 percentage points (Palanor calculation).
| Measure | 2025 | 2026 IMF f’cast | 2027 IMF f’cast | 2031 IMF f’cast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real GDP growth% | 4.8 | 4.0 | 4.4 | 4.6 |
| Inflation, average consumer prices% | 7.6 | 13.8 | 13.0 | 9.0 |
| GDP, current US dollarsUS$ bn | 7.7 | 8.5 | 8.8 | 10.7 |
| GDP at purchasing-power parityintl $ bn | 32.9 | 35.4 | 38.1 | 49.2 |
| GDP per person, US dollarsUS$ | 874.3 | 946.5 | 961.7 | 1,077 |
| Current account balance% of GDP | -5.2 | -4.7 | -4.2 | -4.0 |
| Government gross debt% of GDP | 51.4 | 50.1 | 45.4 | 33.8 |
| Government overall balance% of GDP | -4.2 | -2.9 | -0.9 | -0.8 |
| Government primary balance% of GDP | 0.4 | 0.5 | 1.9 | 1.2 |
| Government net interest paid% of GDP · Palanor calc. | 4.6 | 3.5 | 2.8 | 2.0 |
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook Database (edition on the projection). Dashed: the IMF's published projection.
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook Database (edition on the projection). Dashed: the IMF's published projection.
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook Database, October 2026. Provided by the IMF “as is” and free of charge from the IMF; the IMF does not endorse Palanor. Net interest paid is a Palanor calculation: the IMF's primary balance minus its overall balance.
Charts
The headline series
Conflict
Organized violence
News
In the news
- As sand becomes more valuable, Sierra Leone’s Mahera Coast grows more vulnerable
Mongabay2026-10-13positive · +grows
Headlines that name Sierra Leone, matched by name with fixed rules (a wrong match is worse than a missing one). Tone is read from each headline’s own words; no model reads or summarizes an article, and other publishers’ stories link out.
Company graph
Companies headquartered in Sierra Leone
Palanor’s company graph holds 4 entities headquartered here (GLEIF headquarters address, else legal address).
Signals
Every series about Sierra Leone
Grouped by theme, the most-read first. All 120 in the Library.
Growth and output8 of 25
- Sierra Leone · GDP · USD bn (current)96th percentile since 1960; highest since 2014; 1y +7.0%$7.46bn2025
- Sierra Leone · Real GDP Growth · % y/y68th percentile since 1961; 1y +0.32 pts4.61%2025
- Sierra Leone · Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Value Added · % of GDP17th percentile since 1964; highest since 2022; 1y +0.381 pts29.5% of GDP2025
- Sierra Leone · Industry (incl. Construction) Value Added · % of GDP72nd percentile since 1964; 1y +0.138 pts25.7% of GDP2025
- Sierra Leone · Services Value Added · % of GDP56th percentile since 1964; lowest since 2013; 1y −0.969 pts41.6% of GDP2025
- Sierra Leone · Manufacturing Value Added · % of GDP75th percentile since 1964; lowest since 2017; 1y −0.708 pts6.96% of GDP2024
- Sierra Leone · GDP per Capita · PPP USDrecord high since 1990; 1y +5.4%3,717 usd2025
- Sierra Leone · Country Strength32nd percentile since 2007; lowest since 2019; 1y −12.5%21.7 index2023
Prices1 of 3
- Sierra Leone · Inflation · CPI % y/y39th percentile since 2007; lowest since 2015; 1y −21.14 pts7.49%2025
Jobs and people at work3 of 4
- Sierra Leone · Female Labor Force Participation · %13th percentile since 1990; lowest since 2021; 1y −0.22 pts51.6%2025
- Sierra Leone · Male Labor Force Participation · %record low since 1990; 1y −0.21 pts55.2%2025
- Sierra Leone · Unemployment Rate · %10th percentile since 1991; highest since 2021; 1y +0.05 pts3.15%2025
Money, rates and credit1 of 2
- Sierra Leone · Central Bank Policy Rate (IMF)80th percentile since Nov 1965; 1y −8.00 pts16.8%2026-04-01
Government and debt5
- Sierra Leone · Budget Balance · % GDP25th percentile since 2000; highest since 2020; 1y +1.00-4.16 pct_gdp2025
- Sierra Leone · Government Spending · % GDP94th percentile since 2000; 1y −3.5%17 pct_gdp2025
- Sierra Leone · Net Interest · % GDPrecord high since 2000; 1y +54.4%4.61 pct_gdp2025
- Sierra Leone · Primary Balance · % GDP79th percentile since 2000; highest since 2007; 1y +2.620.44 pct_gdp2025
- Sierra Leone · Government Debt · % GDP70th percentile since 2001; highest since 2022; 1y +9.4%51.4 pct_gdp2025
Trade and capital flows2 of 3
- Sierra Leone · Current Account · % GDP18th percentile since 1977; lowest since 2015; 1y −6.26-14.1 pct_gdp2024
- Sierra Leone · Net International Investment Position, % of GDP (IMF)27th percentile since 2001; lowest since 2006; 1y −4.13 pts-57.2% of GDP2024
Conflict and geopolitics6 of 12
- Sierra Leone · Organized-Violence Deaths (UCDP, annual)record low since 1989; 1y unchanged0 deaths2025
- Sierra Leone · State-Based Conflict Deaths (UCDP, annual)record low since 1989; 1y unchanged0 deaths2025
- Sierra Leone · Governance · WGI six-dimension mean35th percentile since 1996; 1y +0.009-0.75 index2025
- Sierra Leone · Political Stability · WGI35th percentile since 1996; highest since 2022; 1y +0.118-0.39 index2025
- Sierra Leone · Regulatory Quality · WGI39th percentile since 1996; lowest since 2008; 1y −0.062-1.1 index2025
- Sierra Leone · Rule of Law · WGI46th percentile since 1996; highest since 2022; 1y +0.02-0.84 index2025
Migration4 of 6
- International Migrant Stock: Sierra Leone (UN)record low since 199049,997 people2024
- International Migrants as a Share of Population: Sierra Leone (UN)record low since 19900.58% of population2024
- U.S.-Born People Living in Sierra Leone (UN)record low since 1990141 people2024
- Change in Migrant Share of Population Since 2000: Sierra Leone (UN)-1.642024
AI stance and technology1
- AI User Share: Sierra Leone (Microsoft AI Diffusion)1y +1.70 pts10.4% of people aged 15-642026-06-30
Climate and the physical world6
- Sierra Leone · Arable Land · % of land88th percentile since 1961; 1y unchanged22% of land area2024
- Sierra Leone · Renewable Freshwater · m³ per personrecord low since 1961; 1y −2.2%19,3312022
- Sierra Leone · Forest Area · % of landrecord low since 1990; 1y −0.27 pts34%2024
- Sierra Leone · PM2.5 Exposure · µg/m³67th percentile since 1990; 1y +11.9%41.6 µg/m³2020
- Sierra Leone · Plastic Emitted to the Ocean by Rivers · tonnes per year (2015)3,619.9 t/yr2015
- Sierra Leone · Share of Global River Plastic Emitted to the Ocean · % (2015)0.36% of world2015
Health and living standards6
- Sierra Leone · Life Expectancy at Birth · yearsrecord high since 1960; 1y +0.3%62 years2024
- Sierra Leone · Human Development Index · UNDPrecord high since 1990; 1y +0.9%0.47 index2023
- Sierra Leone · Access to Electricity · % of populationrecord high since 2000; 1y +3.70 pts39.2%2024
- Sierra Leone · Basic Drinking Water Access · % of populationrecord high since 2000; 1y +1.17 pts68.1%2024
- Sierra Leone · Safely Managed Drinking Water · % of populationrecord high since 2000; 1y +0.29 pts10.9%2024
- Sierra Leone · Undernourishment · % of population35th percentile since 2001; lowest since 2016; 1y −1.10 pts25.3%2024
Sentiment and attention1
- Sierra Leone · Search Attention81st percentile since Sep 2021; 1y unchanged26 index2026-09-20
More about this country2 of 16
- Sierra Leone · IMF Credit Outstanding · USD bn (IMF)93rd percentile since Jan 1967; lowest since Nov 2025; 1y +8.3%$0.48bn2026-09-01
- Sierra Leone · IMF Credit Outstanding, % of GDP58th percentile since 1980; lowest since 2019; 1y −0.165 pts6.34% of GDP2025
Peers
Elsewhere in Africa
Alphabetical. Palanor does not rank countries.
AlgeriaAngolaBeninBotswanaBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBurkina FasoBurundiCabo VerdeCameroonCentral African RepublicChadComorosCongoCôte d'IvoireDjiboutiDR CongoEgyptEquatorial GuineaEritreaEswatiniEthiopiaGabonGambiaGhanaGuineaGuinea-BissauKenyaLesothoLiberiaLibyaMadagascarMalawiMaliMauritaniaMauritiusMoroccoMozambiqueNamibiaNigerNigeriaRéunionRwandaSao Tome and PrincipeSenegalSeychellesSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth SudanSudanTanzaniaTogoTunisiaUgandaZambiaZimbabwe