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Prices & public finance · Sub-Saharan Africa · Low income
Sierra Leone: prices, money and public finance
Inflation is 7.5% (2025), 33rd of 180 in the world and 15th of 44 in Sub-Saharan Africa. GDP deflator is 2.7% (2025), 131st of 209 in the world and 33rd of 46 in Sub-Saharan Africa. Lending rate is 21.4% (2025), 11th of 136 in the world and 6th of 36 in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Inflation
Sierra LeoneSub-Saharan AfricaLow incomeWorld
GDP deflator
Sierra LeoneSub-Saharan AfricaLow incomeWorld
10 indicators
Prices & public finance: Sierra Leone in detail
Latest reported value, world rank and rank within Sub-Saharan Africa; values around 2000, 2010, 2020; group and world columns are World Bank aggregates.
| Indicator | Latest | World rank | In region | ~2000 | ~2010 | ~2020 | 10-year change | Region | Income group | World | Since 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| InflationInflation, consumer prices, annual % | 7.5%2025 | 33/180 | 15/44 | · | 7.2% | 13.4% | +0.8 ppsince 2015 | 3.4% | 4.4% | 3.0% | |
| GDP deflatorInflation, GDP deflator, annual % | 2.7%2025 | 131/209 | 33/46 | 3.3% | 19.1% | 13.3% | −0.9 ppsince 2015 | 4.1% | 6.3% | 3.3% | |
| Lending rateLending interest rate, % | 21.4%2025 | 11/136 | 6/36 | 26.2% | 21.2% | 17.9% | +2.7 ppsince 2015 | — | — | — | |
| Real interest rateReal interest rate, % | 18.3%2025 | 6/136 | 3/36 | 22.2% | 1.8% | 4.1% | +3.7 ppsince 2015 | — | — | — | |
| Exchange rateOfficial exchange rate, local currency per US$ | 21.302023 | 93/210 | 39/47 | 2.09 | 3.98 | 9.83 | +392%since 2013 | — | — | — | |
| External debtExternal debt stocks, % of GNI | 31.1%2024 | 88/119 | 33/43 | 202.6% | 22.1% | 32.9% | +11.5 ppsince 2014 | — | 42.2% | — | |
| Private creditDomestic credit to private sector, % of GDP | 5.5%2025 | 164/169 | 40/42 | 2.1% | 4.7% | 3.6% | +2.2 ppsince 2015 | 31.7% | 12.6% | 140.3% | |
| Broad moneyBroad money, % of GDP | 22.6%2025 | 136/146 | 33/42 | 16.4% | 12,585.0% | 17.9% | +7.5 ppsince 2015 | 42.6% | 22.6% | 135.7% | |
| Reserves, months of importsTotal reserves in months of imports | 1.82024 | 138/165 | 26/32 | 2.3 | 4.1 | 6.1 | −21%since 2014 | 6.1 | 3.3 | 8.6 | |
| Military spendingMilitary expenditure, % of GDP | 0.37%2025 | 149/156 | 44/45 | 1.58% | 0.60% | 0.49% | −0.2 ppsince 2015 | 1.13% | 1.57% | 2.48% |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)“·” — no value reported within two years of that date. World rank counts countries with a recent value.
Better than ten years ago
No rated indicator improved over the decade.
Worse than ten years ago
- Inflation+0.8 pp7.5% in 2025
- External debt+11.5 pp31.1% in 2024
- Reserves, months of imports−21%1.8 in 2024
Only indicators where higher or lower is clearly better are rated (for example, unemployment down is better, life expectancy up is better).
neighbours
Sierra Leone and its neighbours
Countries sharing a land border with Sierra Leone. Latest values since 2005; the highest in each row is marked.
| Indicator | Sierra Leone | Guinea | Liberia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inflation | 7.5%2025 | 3.6%2025 | 8.3%2025 |
| GDP deflator | 2.7%2025 | 6.2%2025 | 4.5%2025 |
| Lending rate | 21.4%2025 | — | 13.0%2025 |
| Real interest rate | 18.3%2025 | — | 8.1%2025 |
| Exchange rate | 21.302023 | 9,565.082020 | 191.312024 |
| External debt | 31.1%2024 | 23.2%2024 | 50.5%2024 |
| Private credit | 5.5%2025 | 10.6%2025 | 17.2%2024 |
| Broad money | 22.6%2025 | 30.1%2024 | 27.0%2024 |
| Reserves, months of imports | 1.82024 | 1.32024 | 2.02024 |