Sierra Leone: Charges for the use of intellectual property, payments (BoP, current US$)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Sierra Leone's charges for the use of intellectual property, payments (BoP, current US$) rose 563.7% on 2023 (from US$1.16 million to US$7.73 million).

Across the 20 yearly changes before that (2004 to 2023), the average change was +1,789% and a typical year strayed about 8,003.2% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 35,790.1% in 2006 and the biggest yearly fall was 88.4% in 2005. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is upward, about US$396,352 a year. A straight line explains 33% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, Sierra Leone had the 13th highest value of the 20 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Sierra Leone in the 2024 ranking

• Bahamas, The — 9th of 20: US$16.91 million
• Zimbabwe — 10th of 20: US$13.32 million
• Mauritius — 11th of 20: US$8.17 million
• Ethiopia — 13th of 20: US$2.62 million
• Solomon Islands — 14th of 20: US$2.16 million
• Fiji — 15th of 20: US$1.66 million

What this measures

Charges for the use of proprietary rights (such as patents, trademarks, copyrights, industrial processes and designs including trade secrets, franchises), and charges for licenses to reproduce or distribute (or both) intellectual property embodied in produced originals or prototypes (such as copyrights on books and manuscripts, computer software, cinematographic works, and sound recordings) and related rights (such as for live performances and television, cable, or satellite broadcast). This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.

All 22 values

Charges for the use of intellectual property, payments (BoP, current US$) in nearby economies

• Angola — US$106.74 million (2025)
• Benin — US$401,153 (2020)
• Botswana — US$75.39 million (2025)
• Burkina Faso — US$387,343 (2024)
• Burundi — US$588,733 (2025)
• Cabo Verde — US$2.46 million (2025)
• Cameroon — US$62.28 million (2024)
• Comoros — US$2.36 million (2023)
• Côte d'Ivoire

More economic policy & debt data for Sierra Leone

• GDP (current US$) — US$7.46 billion (2025)
• GDP (current LCU) — 169.12 billion (2025)
• GDP (constant 2015 US$) — US$10.28 billion (2025)
• GDP (constant LCU) — 67.92 billion (2025)
• GDP per capita (current US$) — US$846.3 (2025)
• GDP per capita (current LCU) — 19,175 (2025)
• GDP per capita (constant 2015 US$) — US$1,166 (2025)
• GDP per capita (constant LCU) — 7,701 (2025)
• Total reserves, including gold (current US$) — US$433.27 million (2024)
• Total reserves, excluding gold (current US$) — US$433.27 million (2024)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Sierra Leone's charges for the use of intellectual property, payments (BoP, current US$)?

US$7.73 million in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2003?

It is up 3,817% from US$197,311 in 2003 (19.09% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$7.73 million in 2024 and the lowest US$2,897 in 2005.

How does Sierra Leone rank?

13th highest of 20 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in charges for the use of intellectual property, payments (BoP, current US$) unusual for Sierra Leone?

In 2024, Sierra Leone's charges for the use of intellectual property, payments (BoP, current US$) rose 563.7% on 2023 (from US$1.16 million to US$7.73 million). Across the 20 yearly changes before that (2004 to 2023), the average change was +1,789% and a typical year strayed about 8,003.2% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator BM.GSR.ROYL.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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