Sierra Leone: Commercial banks and other lending (PPG + PNG) (NFL, current US$)

Key figures

Since 1970 it is down 121.27% from −US$1.4 million in 1970. The World Bank has no value for 25 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2022, Sierra Leone's commercial banks and other lending (PPG + PNG) (NFL, current US$) rose US$8.3 million on 2021 (from −US$11.4 million to −US$3.1 million).

Across the 19 yearly changes before that (1971 to 2021), the average change was −US$1.76 million and a typical year strayed about US$11.84 million from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 standard deviations above 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 US$21.24 million in 1974 and the biggest yearly fall was US$28.31 million in 1995. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

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

How it compares

See how every economy compares in the full ranking.

Closest to Sierra Leone in the 2022 ranking

• Bulgaria — 1st of 4: US$254.71 million
• Algeria — 2nd of 4: US$12.51 million
• Russian Federation — 4th of 4: −US$52.05 billion

What this measures

Commercial bank and other lending includes net commercial bank lending (public and publicly guaranteed and private non- guaranteed) and other private credits. Data are in current U.S. dollars. Proposed: Commercial bank and other lending includes net commercial bank and other private creditors lending excluding bonds (public and publicly guaranteed + private nonguaranteed).

Limitations: Data on external debt are gathered through the World Bank's Debtor Reporting System (DRS). Long term debt data are compiled using the countries report on public and publicly guaranteed borrowing on a loan-by-loan basis and private non guaranteed borrowing on an aggregate basis. These data are supplemented by information from major multilateral banks and official lending agencies in major creditor countries. Short-term debt data are gathered from the Quarterly External Debt Statistics (QEDS) database, jointly developed by the World Bank and the IMF and from creditors through the reporting systems of the Bank for International Settlements.

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

All 28 values

Commercial banks and other lending (PPG + PNG) (NFL, current US$) in nearby economies

• Angola — −US$924.98 million (2024)
• Benin — US$461.66 million (2024)
• Burkina Faso — US$131.21 million (2024)
• Cabo Verde — −US$22.14 million (2024)
• Cameroon — US$452.97 million (2024)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — −US$9.02 million (2024)
• Congo, Rep. — −US$404.91 million (2024)
• Côte d'Ivoire — US$233.35 million (2024)
• Eswatini

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)

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Questions people ask

What is Sierra Leone's commercial banks and other lending (PPG + PNG) (NFL, current US$)?

−US$3.1 million in 2022, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is down 121.27% from −US$1.4 million in 1970. The highest value was US$26.65 million in 1974 and the lowest −US$28.8 million in 1995.

Is the latest change in commercial banks and other lending (PPG + PNG) (NFL, current US$) unusual for Sierra Leone?

In 2022, Sierra Leone's commercial banks and other lending (PPG + PNG) (NFL, current US$) rose US$8.3 million on 2021 (from −US$11.4 million to −US$3.1 million). Across the 19 yearly changes before that (1971 to 2021), the average change was −US$1.76 million and a typical year strayed about US$11.84 million from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 standard deviations above 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 DT.NFL.PCBO.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB), uri: https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/debt-statistics 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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