Sierra Leone: Official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Sierra Leone's official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average) rose US$7.26 on 2022 (from US$14.05 to US$21.3).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +US$0.45 and a typical year strayed about US$0.69 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 9.8 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was US$7.26 in 2023 and the biggest yearly fall was US$0.11 in 2001. 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 the straight-line trend is upward, about US$1.47 a year. A straight line explains 80% 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.

Closest to Sierra Leone in the 2023 ranking

• Yemen, Rep. — 2nd of 5: US$1,355
• Malawi — 3rd of 5: US$1,161
• Mauritania — 4th of 5: US$36.49

What this measures

Official exchange rate refers to the exchange rate determined by national authorities or to the rate determined in the legally sanctioned exchange market. This indicator represents the ratio of Local Currency Units relative to United States dollars.This indicator is derived as an average over the reference period.

Limitations: Official or market exchange rates are often used to convert economic statistics in local currencies to a common currency in order to make comparisons across countries. Since market rates reflect at best the relative prices of tradable goods, the volume of goods and services that a U.S. dollar buys in the United States may not correspond to what a U.S. dollar converted to another country's currency at the official exchange rate would buy in that country, particularly when nontradable goods and services account for a significant share of a country's output.

All 64 values

Official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average) in nearby economies

• Angola — US$911.99 (2025)
• Benin — US$581.93 (2025)
• Botswana — US$13.5 (2025)
• Burkina Faso — US$581.93 (2025)
• Burundi — US$2,943 (2025)
• Cabo Verde — US$97.86 (2025)
• Cameroon — US$581.93 (2025)
• Central African Republic — US$581.93 (2025)
• Chad — US$581.93 (2025)
• Comoros

More financial sector data for Sierra Leone

• Domestic credit to private sector by banks (% of GDP) — 5.48% (2025)
• Net domestic credit (current LCU) — 41.83 billion (2025)
• Net foreign assets (current LCU) — 417.37 million (2025)
• Monetary sector credit to private sector (% of GDP) — 5.5% (2025)
• Broad money (current LCU) — 38.15 billion (2025)
• Broad money (% of GDP) — 22.56% (2025)
• Claims on central government, etc. (% of GDP) — 19.17% (2025)
• Domestic credit to private sector (% of GDP) — 5.5% (2025)
• GDP deflator (base year varies by country) — 249 (2025)

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Questions people ask

What is Sierra Leone's official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average)?

US$21.3 in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1960?

It is up 2.98 million% from US$0.000714 in 1960 (17.77% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$21.3 in 2023 and the lowest US$0.000714 in 1960.

Is the latest change in official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average) unusual for Sierra Leone?

In 2023, Sierra Leone's official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average) rose US$7.26 on 2022 (from US$14.05 to US$21.3). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +US$0.45 and a typical year strayed about US$0.69 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 9.8 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

Where does this data come from?

The World Bank's World Development Indicators, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator PA.NUS.FCRF, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: International Financial Statistics 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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