Gross external debt, Percent of GDP (Balance of Payments and) in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Gross external debt, Percent of GDP (Balance of Payments and) was 23.19 in 2027. ◆ Volatile
Gross external debt, Percent of GDP (Balance of Payments and) in Sierra Leone, 2000–2027
Source: International Monetary Fund.
Analysis
Sierra Leone recorded 23.19 for gross external debt, percent of gdp (balance of payments and) in 2027.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.7% on the previous year and down 10.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gross external debt, percent of gdp (balance of payments and) in Sierra Leone peaked at 85.87 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 15.33, in 2007.
Sierra Leone ranks 30th of 45 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Gross external debt, Percent of GDP (Balance of Payments and) in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 85.87 | — |
| 2001 | 85.37 | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 74.11 | -13.2% |
| 2003 | 73.84 | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 73.19 | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 64.08 | -12.4% |
| 2006 | 49.77 | -22.3% |
| 2007 | 15.33 | -69.2% |
| 2008 | 15.5 | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 18.25 | +17.8% |
| 2010 | 18.75 | +2.7% |
| 2011 | 18.55 | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 17.07 | -8.0% |
| 2013 | 15.51 | -9.1% |
| 2014 | 17.3 | +11.5% |
| 2015 | 18.33 | +6.0% |
| 2016 | 22.34 | +21.9% |
| 2017 | 25.89 | +15.9% |
| 2018 | 24.87 | -3.9% |
| 2019 | 25.85 | +3.9% |
| 2020 | 29.32 | +13.4% |
| 2021 | 27.93 | -4.7% |
| 2022 | 27.35 | -2.1% |
| 2023 | 31.56 | +15.4% |
| 2024 | 28.37 | -10.1% |
| 2025 | 25.6 | -9.8% |
| 2026 | 24.09 | -5.9% |
| 2027 | 23.19 | -3.7% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 23.19 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 26.53, 87% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 23.19 is below the median for low income countries, which is 24.57, 94% of the median. (19 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Gross external debt, Percent of GDP (Balance of Payments and) in Sierra Leone changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | -69.2% | 49.77 | 15.33 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 55.53 | 15.33 | 85.87 | 10 |
| 2010s | 20.45 | 15.51 | 25.89 | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.18 | 23.19 | 31.56 | 8 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
More external debt data for Sierra Leone
- IFC, private nonguaranteed 9.00 million NFL, US$ (2024)
- IFC, private nonguaranteed (NFL, US$), per capita 1.04 NFL, US$ per person (2024)
- IFC, private nonguaranteed (NFL, US$), per unit of GDP 0.0013 NFL, US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- IFC, private nonguaranteed (NFL, US$), per square kilometre 0 NFL, US$ per square kilometre (2023)
- Public and publicly guaranteed debt service 1.0% (2024)
- Net financial flows, IDA -4.82 million NFL, current US$ (2024)
- Net financial flows, IDA (NFL, current US$), per capita -0.5577 NFL, current US$ per person (2024)
- Net financial flows, IDA (NFL, current US$), per unit of GDP -0.0007 NFL, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Net financial flows, IBRD -284,000 NFL, current US$ (2000)
- Public and publicly guaranteed debt service 4.2% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gross external debt, percent of gdp (balance of payments and) in Sierra Leone?
- Gross external debt, percent of gdp (balance of payments and) in Sierra Leone was 23.19 in 2027, according to International Monetary Fund.
- What is the highest gross external debt, percent of gdp (balance of payments and) recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 85.87 in 2000.
- What is the lowest gross external debt, percent of gdp (balance of payments and) recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.33 in 2007.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for gross external debt, percent of gdp (balance of payments and)?
- Sierra Leone ranks 30th out of 45 countries with data for 2027.
- Is gross external debt, percent of gdp (balance of payments and) rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund, published as part of Gross external debt, Percent of GDP (Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual, Sixth Edition (BPM6)). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 28 observations, free to reuse under IMF Terms and Conditions (attribution required).
About this data
Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Economic Outlook (REO) provides information on recent economic developments and prospects for countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Data for the REO for sub-Saharan Africa are prepared in conjunction with the semi-annual World Economic Outlook (WEO) exercises, spring and fall.