Sierra Leone's merchandise exports by the reporting economy (current US$) was US$513.99 million in 2023, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 28.8% from US$399.05 million in 2013 (2.56% a year on average, compounded).
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | US$513.99 million | 2023 |
| Five years earlier | US$373.5 million | 2018 |
| Ten years earlier | US$399.05 million | 2013 |
| Highest | US$625.41 million | 2016 |
| Lowest | US$2.17 million | 2001 |
| Average since 2014 | US$406.65 million | 2014–2023 |
| First recorded | US$72.2 million |
What the numbers say
In 2023, Sierra Leone's merchandise exports by the reporting economy (current US$) rose 6.6% on 2022 (from US$482.26 million to US$513.99 million).
Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +27.2% and a typical year strayed about 89% 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 341.3% in 2003 and the biggest yearly fall was 78.5% in 1995. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2014 to 2023 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 5% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
How it compares
In 2023, Sierra Leone had the 164th highest value of the 205 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.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Sierra Leone | US$513.99 million | 2023 |
| World | US$22.82 trillion | 2023 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | US$417.96 billion | 2023 |
| Low income | US$87.82 billion | 2023 |
Closest to Sierra Leone in the 2023 ranking
- Montenegro — 161st of 205: US$689.83 million
- South Sudan — 162nd of 205: US$652.23 million
- Seychelles — 163rd of 205: US$548.98 million
- Eritrea — 165th of 205: US$480.28 million
- Gibraltar — 166th of 205: US$475.72 million
- Niger — 167th of 205: US$468.69 million
What this measures
Merchandise exports by the reporting economy are the total merchandise exports by the reporting economy to the rest of the world, as reported in the IMF's Direction of trade database. Data are in current US$.
Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.
All 64 values
| Year | Merchandise exports by the reporting economy (current US$) |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 513,987,404 |
| 2022 | 482,255,588 |
| 2021 | 416,095,687 |
| 2020 | 321,898,712 |
| 2019 | 380,901,747 |
| 2018 | 373,499,738 |
| 2017 | 273,560,267 |
| 2016 | 625,407,229 |
| 2015 | 229,002,956 |
| 2014 | 449,916,422 |
Merchandise exports by the reporting economy (current US$) in nearby economies
- Angola — US$38.48 billion (2023)
- Benin — US$1.05 billion (2023)
- Botswana — US$5.08 billion (2023)
- Burkina Faso — US$4.46 billion (2023)
- Burundi — US$156.8 million (2023)
- Cabo Verde — US$170.84 million (2023)
- Cameroon — US$4.45 billion (2023)
- Central African Republic — US$115.95 million (2023)
- Chad — US$4.22 billion (2023)
More private sector & trade data for Sierra Leone
- Merchandise trade (% of GDP) — 45.91% (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$) — US$1.89 billion (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$) — US$1.53 billion (2025)
- Merchandise exports to high-income economies (% of total merchandise exports) — 13.74% (2023)
- Merchandise exports by the reporting economy, residual (% of total merchandise exports) — 0.00395% (2023)
- Merchandise imports from economies in the Arab World (% of total merchandise imports) — 10.91% (2023)
- Merchandise imports from high-income economies (% of total merchandise imports) — 35.16% (2023)
- Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside region (% of total merchandise imports)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Sierra Leone's merchandise exports by the reporting economy (current US$)?
- US$513.99 million in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1960?
- It is up 611.89% from US$72.2 million in 1960 (3.16% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$625.41 million in 2016 and the lowest US$2.17 million in 2001.
- How does Sierra Leone rank?
- 164th highest of 205 economies with data for 2023.
- Is the latest change in merchandise exports by the reporting economy (current US$) unusual for Sierra Leone?
- In 2023, Sierra Leone's merchandise exports by the reporting economy (current US$) rose 6.6% on 2022 (from US$482.26 million to US$513.99 million). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +27.2% and a typical year strayed about 89% 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 TX.VAL.MRCH.WL.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB); Direction of Trade database, 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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