Sierra Leone's merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$) was US$1.94 billion in 2023, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 33.36% from US$1.45 billion in 2013 (2.92% a year on average, compounded).
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | US$1.94 billion | 2023 |
| Five years earlier | US$1.08 billion | 2018 |
| Ten years earlier | US$1.45 billion | 2013 |
| Highest | US$2.12 billion | 2014 |
| Lowest | US$68.5 million | 1960 |
| Average since 2014 | US$1.51 billion | 2014–2023 |
| First recorded | US$68.5 million |
What the numbers say
In 2023, Sierra Leone's merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$) rose 3.3% on 2022 (from US$1.88 billion to US$1.94 billion).
Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +10.4% and a typical year strayed about 26% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 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 75.4% in 2002 and the biggest yearly fall was 43.5% in 2016. 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 1% 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 165th 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$1.94 billion | 2023 |
| World | US$23.45 trillion | 2023 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | US$467.85 billion | 2023 |
| Low income | US$130.04 billion | 2023 |
Closest to Sierra Leone in the 2023 ranking
- Haiti — 162nd of 205: US$2.14 billion
- Barbados — 163rd of 205: US$2.12 billion
- Eswatini — 164th of 205: US$2.04 billion
- Faroe Islands — 166th of 205: US$1.93 billion
- Cabo Verde — 167th of 205: US$1.74 billion
- Suriname — 168th of 205: US$1.66 billion
What this measures
Merchandise imports by the reporting economy are the total merchandise imports by the reporting economy from the rest of the world, as reported in the IMF's Direction of trade database. Data are in current U.S. dollars.
Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.
All 61 values
| Year | Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$) |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 1,938,583,016 |
| 2022 | 1,876,954,158 |
| 2021 | 1,683,893,526 |
| 2020 | 1,191,836,710 |
| 2019 | 1,167,509,093 |
| 2018 | 1,084,095,791 |
| 2017 | 1,153,650,127 |
| 2016 | 1,027,895,080 |
| 2015 | 1,818,595,065 |
| 2014 | 2,117,615,696 |
Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$) in nearby economies
- Angola — US$15.69 billion (2023)
- Benin — US$3.91 billion (2023)
- Botswana — US$5.89 billion (2023)
- Burkina Faso — US$5.88 billion (2023)
- Burundi — US$959.12 million (2023)
- Cabo Verde — US$1.74 billion (2023)
- Cameroon — US$8.62 billion (2023)
- Central African Republic — US$736.21 million (2023)
- Chad — US$1.39 billion (2023)
More private sector & trade data for Sierra Leone
- Merchandise trade (% of GDP) — 45.91% (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$) — US$1.89 billion (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$) — US$1.53 billion (2025)
- Merchandise exports to high-income economies (% of total merchandise exports) — 13.74% (2023)
- Merchandise exports by the reporting economy, residual (% of total merchandise exports) — 0.00395% (2023)
- Merchandise exports by the reporting economy (current US$) — US$513.99 million (2023)
- Merchandise imports from economies in the Arab World (% of total merchandise imports) — 10.91% (2023)
- Merchandise imports from high-income economies (% of total merchandise imports)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Sierra Leone's merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$)?
- US$1.94 billion in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1960?
- It is up 2,730% from US$68.5 million in 1960 (5.45% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$2.12 billion in 2014 and the lowest US$68.5 million in 1960.
- How does Sierra Leone rank?
- 165th highest of 205 economies with data for 2023.
- Is the latest change in merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$) unusual for Sierra Leone?
- In 2023, Sierra Leone's merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$) rose 3.3% on 2022 (from US$1.88 billion to US$1.94 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +10.4% and a typical year strayed about 26% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 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 TM.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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