Sierra Leone: key statistics
Sub-Saharan Africa · Low income · capital Freetown
Sierra Leone has a GDP of $7.0B and a GDP per capita of $807, with a population of about 8.6 million (World Bank, latest available year). Life expectancy is 62.0 years. Among countries with data, Sierra Leone ranks #166 of 214 by GDP, #203 of 214 by GDP per capita, #101 of 217 by population. Full indicator table, peer countries and head-to-head comparisons are below.
Source: World Bank Open Data. Data as of June 2026.
Sierra Leone at a glance
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (current US$) | $7.0B | 2024 |
| GDP per capita (current US$) | $807 | 2024 |
| Population, total | 8,642,022 | 2024 |
| Population growth (annual %) | 2.1% | 2024 |
| GDP growth (annual %) | 4.3% | 2024 |
| Inflation, consumer prices (annual %) | 28.6% | 2024 |
| Unemployment, total (% of labour force, modelled ILO) | 3.1% | 2025 |
| Life expectancy at birth, total (years) | 62.0 | 2024 |
| Individuals using the Internet (% of population) | 25.1% | 2024 |
| Urban population (% of total) | 45.4% | 2024 |
| CO2 emissions per capita (tonnes) | 0.17 | 2024 |
Source: World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0). Data as of June 2026.
Each value is the most-recent year the World Bank reports for Sierra Leone (the year column), so figures are not all from the same year. A dash (—) means no value is reported.
How Sierra Leone ranks
- GDP: #166 of 214 ($7.0B)
- GDP per capita: #203 of 214 ($807)
- Population: #101 of 217 (8.6 million)
- Life expectancy: #206 of 217 (62.0 years)
Sierra Leone vs its peers
The 6 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with the closest GDP per capita to Sierra Leone:
| Country | GDP per capita | Population | Life expectancy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sierra Leone (this country) | $807 | 8.6 million | 62.0 |
| Liberia | $851 | 5.6 million | 62.3 |
| Gambia, The | $871 | 2.8 million | 66.1 |
| Niger | $735 | 27.0 million | 61.4 |
| Eritrea | $689 | 3.5 million | 68.9 |
| Mozambique | $657 | 34.6 million | 63.8 |
| Chad | $962 | 20.3 million | 55.2 |
See every country in this region on the Sub-Saharan Africa hub.
Compare Sierra Leone head to head
Frequently asked questions
What is the GDP of Sierra Leone?
Sierra Leone's GDP is $7.0B (2024) in current US dollars (World Bank). GDP per capita is $807 (2024). That ranks Sierra Leone #166 of 214 economies with reported GDP.
What is the population of Sierra Leone?
Sierra Leone has a population of about 8.6 million (2024), per World Bank data. It is the #101 most populous of 217 countries.
What region and income group is Sierra Leone in?
The World Bank places Sierra Leone in the Sub-Saharan Africa region and classifies it as a low income economy. Its capital is Freetown.
How long do people live in Sierra Leone?
Life expectancy at birth in Sierra Leone is 62.0 years (2024, World Bank). That ranks #206 of 217.
Sources & notes
Data: World Bank Open Data, Indicators API (CC BY 4.0), retrieved June 2026. Values are each indicator's most-recent non-empty year for Sierra Leone, so the reference year varies by indicator (shown in the table). Figures are nominal (current US$) unless noted; see our methodology. Browse all 217 countries.
Last updated: 2026-06-20