Sierra Leone: Depositors with commercial banks (per 1,000 adults)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Sierra Leone's depositors with commercial banks (per 1,000 adults) rose 21.52 on 2023 (from 466.38 to 487.9).

Across the 17 yearly changes before that (2007 to 2023), the average change was +24.01 and a typical year strayed about 34.8 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 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 115.15 in 2022 and the biggest yearly fall was 32.56 in 2011. 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 38.11 a year. A straight line explains 92% 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 54th highest value of the 74 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

• Malaysia — 51st of 74: 674.37
• Pakistan — 52nd of 74: 617.49
• São Tomé and Principe — 53rd of 74: 592.32
• Nicaragua — 55th of 74: 483.83
• Madagascar — 56th of 74: 466.59
• Rwanda — 57th of 74: 447.89

What this measures

Depositors with commercial banks are the reported number of deposit account holders, including both resident non-financial corporations (both public and private) and individuals from the household sector, at commercial banks within the reporting jurisdiction for every 1,000 adults. The major types of deposits are checking accounts, savings accounts, and time deposits.

Limitations: For many countries data cover the total number of deposit accounts due to lack of information on account holders.

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

All 19 values

Depositors with commercial banks (per 1,000 adults) in nearby economies

• Benin — 266.61 (2024)
• Botswana — 850.96 (2024)
• Burkina Faso — 234.52 (2023)
• Burundi — 11.83 (2020)
• Cabo Verde — 1,884 (2024)
• Cameroon — 121.45 (2020)
• Chad — 49.02 (2022)
• Comoros — 178.75 (2024)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 41.42 (2018)
• Congo, Rep.

More financial sector data for Sierra Leone

• Domestic credit to private sector by banks (% of GDP) — 5.48% (2025)
• Net domestic credit (current LCU) — 41.83 billion (2025)
• Net foreign assets (current LCU) — 417.37 million (2025)
• Monetary sector credit to private sector (% of GDP) — 5.5% (2025)
• Broad money (current LCU) — 38.15 billion (2025)
• Broad money (% of GDP) — 22.56% (2025)
• Claims on central government, etc. (% of GDP) — 19.17% (2025)
• Domestic credit to private sector (% of GDP) — 5.5% (2025)
• GDP deflator (base year varies by country) — 249 (2025)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Sierra Leone's depositors with commercial banks (per 1,000 adults)?

487.9 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2006?

It is up 738.44% from 58.19 in 2006 (12.54% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 487.9 in 2024 and the lowest 58.19 in 2006.

How does Sierra Leone rank?

54th highest of 74 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in depositors with commercial banks (per 1,000 adults) unusual for Sierra Leone?

In 2024, Sierra Leone's depositors with commercial banks (per 1,000 adults) rose 21.52 on 2023 (from 466.38 to 487.9). Across the 17 yearly changes before that (2007 to 2023), the average change was +24.01 and a typical year strayed about 34.8 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 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 FB.CBK.DPTR.P3, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Financial Access Survey, International Monetary Fund (IMF), uri: https://data.imf.org/en/datasets/IMF.STA:FAS 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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