Sierra Leone: Net trade in goods and services (current US$, BoP)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Sierra Leone's net trade in goods and services (current US$, BoP) fell US$474.61 million on 2023 (from −US$840.1 million to −US$1.31 billion).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was −US$25.61 million and a typical year strayed about US$382.55 million from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was US$813.14 million in 2016 and the biggest yearly fall was US$1.23 billion 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 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 18th 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

• Tanzania — 15th of 29: −US$1.02 billion
• Niger — 16th of 29: −US$1.27 billion
• Mali — 17th of 29: −US$1.29 billion
• Mauritania — 19th of 29: −US$1.32 billion
• Cameroon — 20th of 29: −US$1.58 billion
• Mauritius — 21st of 29: −US$2.06 billion

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 48 values

Net trade in goods and services (current US$, BoP) in nearby economies

• Angola — US$6.76 billion (2025)
• Benin — −US$1.68 billion (2023)
• Botswana — −US$843.02 million (2025)
• Burkina Faso — −US$547.37 million (2024)
• Burundi — −US$946.66 million (2025)
• Cabo Verde — −US$352.91 million (2025)
• Cameroon — −US$1.58 billion (2024)
• Comoros — −US$355.58 million (2023)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — −US$1.56 billion (2025)
• Congo, Rep.

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

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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Questions people ask

What is Sierra Leone's net trade in goods and services (current US$, BoP)?

−US$1.31 billion in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1977?

It is down 2,304% from −US$54.69 million in 1977. The highest value was US$26.03 million in 1987 and the lowest −US$1.95 billion in 2011.

How does Sierra Leone rank?

18th highest of 29 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in net trade in goods and services (current US$, BoP) unusual for Sierra Leone?

In 2024, Sierra Leone's net trade in goods and services (current US$, BoP) fell US$474.61 million on 2023 (from −US$840.1 million to −US$1.31 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was −US$25.61 million and a typical year strayed about US$382.55 million from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator BN.GSR.GNFS.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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