Sierra Leone: Net secondary income (current US$, BoP)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Sierra Leone's net secondary income (current US$, BoP) fell 0.5% on 2023 (from US$389.4 million to US$387.6 million).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +35.3% and a typical year strayed about 110.6% 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 532.6% in 2014 and the biggest yearly fall was 70.7% in 1997. 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 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 2024, Sierra Leone had the 17th highest value of the 29 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

• Fiji — 14th of 29: US$510.04 million
• Guinea — 15th of 29: US$489.2 million
• Niger — 16th of 29: US$420.92 million
• Mauritania — 18th of 29: US$335.3 million
• Papua New Guinea — 19th of 29: US$276.27 million
• Guinea-Bissau — 20th of 29: US$152.44 million

What this measures

Net secondary income (from abroad) comprises transfers of income between residents of the reporting country and the rest of the world that carry no provisions for repayment. Net secondary income is equal to the unrequited transfers of income from nonresidents to residents minus the unrequited transfers from residents to nonresidents. 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.

Limitations: Discrepancies may arise in the balance of payments because there is no single source for balance of payments data and therefore no way to ensure that the data are fully consistent. Sources include customs data, monetary accounts of the banking system, external debt records, information provided by enterprises, surveys to estimate service transactions, and foreign exchange records. Differences in collection methods - such as in timing, definitions of residence and ownership, and the exchange rate used to value transactions - contribute to net errors and omissions. In addition, smuggling and other illegal or quasi-legal transactions may be unrecorded or misrecorded.

All 48 values

Net secondary income (current US$, BoP) in nearby economies

• Angola — −US$399.46 million (2025)
• Benin — US$258.86 million (2023)
• Botswana — US$1.81 billion (2025)
• Burkina Faso — US$769.8 million (2024)
• Burundi — US$505.67 million (2025)
• Cabo Verde — US$501.52 million (2025)
• Cameroon — US$941.82 million (2024)
• Comoros — US$323.58 million (2023)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — US$975.88 million (2025)
• Congo, Rep. — US$101.7 million (2021)

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

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Questions people ask

What is Sierra Leone's net secondary income (current US$, BoP)?

US$387.6 million in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1977?

It is up 1,815% from US$20.24 million in 1977 (6.48% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$1.28 billion in 2014 and the lowest US$6.13 million in 1986.

How does Sierra Leone rank?

17th highest of 29 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in net secondary income (current US$, BoP) unusual for Sierra Leone?

In 2024, Sierra Leone's net secondary income (current US$, BoP) fell 0.5% on 2023 (from US$389.4 million to US$387.6 million). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +35.3% and a typical year strayed about 110.6% 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 BN.TRF.CURR.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, 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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