Sierra Leone's external balance on goods and services (current US$) was −US$545.92 million in 2025, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 48.16% from −US$1.05 billion in 2015.
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | −US$545.92 million | 2025 |
| Five years earlier | −US$724.49 million | 2020 |
| Ten years earlier | −US$1.05 billion | 2015 |
| Highest | US$151.23 million | 1988 |
| Lowest | −US$1.2 billion | 2011 |
| Average since 2016 | −US$799.25 million | 2016–2025 |
| First recorded | −US$1.63 million |
What the numbers say
In 2025, Sierra Leone's external balance on goods and services (current US$) fell US$126.67 million on 2024 (from −US$419.25 million to −US$545.92 million).
Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was −US$15.15 million and a typical year strayed about US$258.24 million from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 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 US$461.09 million in 2020 and the biggest yearly fall was US$847.4 million 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 2016 to 2025 the straight-line trend is upward, about US$44.55 million a year. A straight line explains 41% 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 2025, Sierra Leone had the 74th highest value of the 137 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 2025 ranking
- Central African Republic — 70th of 137: −US$435.91 million
- Congo, Dem. Rep. — 71st of 137: −US$454.53 million
- Niger — 72nd of 137: −US$515.62 million
- Benin — 74th of 137: −US$739.95 million
- Iceland — 75th of 137: −US$872.02 million
- Tanzania — 76th of 137: −US$903.43 million
What this measures
The balance of international trade in goods and services is the difference between the exports and imports of goods and services. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.
All 62 values
| Year | External balance on goods and services (current US$) |
|---|---|
| 2025 | -545,924,446 |
| 2024 | -419,253,933 |
| 2023 | -857,124,560 |
| 2022 | -818,449,207 |
| 2021 | -791,819,588 |
| 2020 | -724,488,361 |
| 2019 | -1,185,573,550 |
| 2018 | -952,174,445 |
| 2017 | -794,633,873 |
| 2016 | -903,074,831 |
External balance on goods and services (current US$) in nearby economies
- Angola — US$13.82 billion (2025)
- Benin — −US$739.95 million (2025)
- Botswana — −US$1.09 billion (2025)
- Burkina Faso — US$1.37 billion (2025)
- Cabo Verde — −US$347.73 million (2025)
- Cameroon — −US$4.25 billion (2025)
- Central African Republic — −US$435.91 million (2025)
- Chad — US$2.73 billion (2025)
- Comoros — −US$404.54 million (2025)
More economic policy & debt data for Sierra Leone
- GDP (current US$) — 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$433.27 million (2024)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Sierra Leone's external balance on goods and services (current US$)?
- −US$545.92 million in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1964?
- It is down 33,325% from −US$1.63 million in 1964. The highest value was US$151.23 million in 1988 and the lowest −US$1.2 billion in 2011.
- How does Sierra Leone rank?
- 74th highest of 137 economies with data for 2025.
- Is the latest change in external balance on goods and services (current US$) unusual for Sierra Leone?
- In 2025, Sierra Leone's external balance on goods and services (current US$) fell US$126.67 million on 2024 (from −US$419.25 million to −US$545.92 million). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was −US$15.15 million and a typical year strayed about US$258.24 million from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 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 NE.RSB.GNFS.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks; National Accounts data files, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); Staff estimates, World Bank (WB) 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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