Economy - overview:
Sierra Leone is extremely poor and nearly half of the working-age population engages in subsistence agriculture. The country possesses substantial mineral, agricultural, and fishery resources, but it is still recovering from a civil war that destroyed most institutions before ending in the early 2000s.In recent years economic growth has been driven by mining - particularly iron ore. The country’s principal exports are iron ore, diamonds, and rutile, and the economy is vulnerable to fluctuations in international prices. Since 2014, the rapid spread of Ebolavirus has caused a contraction of economic activity in several areas, including transportation, health, and industrial production. Iron ore production has dropped, due to low global prices and high costs, driven by the epidemic. A long-term shutdown of the industry would badly hurt the economy because it supports thousands of jobs and creates about 20% of GDP.Until 2014, the government had relied on external assistance to support its budget, but it was gradually becoming more independent. While the World Health Organization declared Sierra Leone free of Ebolavirus in November 2015, the epidemic has disrupted economic activity, deterred private investment, and strained the budget and restricted public investment projects. A rise in international donor support will partially offset these fiscal constraints.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$9.833 billion (2015 est.) $12.92 billion (2014 est.) $12.07 billion (2013 est.)
note: data are in 2015 US dollars
country comparison to the world: 158
[see also: GDP country ranks ]

GDP (official exchange rate):
$4.266 billion (2015 est.)
[see also: GDP (official exchange rate) country ranks ]

GDP - real growth rate:
-23.9% (2015 est.) 7.1% (2014 est.) 20.1% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 224
[see also: GDP - real growth rate country ranks ]

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,600 (2015 est.) $2,100 (2014 est.) $1,900 (2013 est.)
note: data are in 2015 US dollars
country comparison to the world: 214
[see also: GDP - per capita country ranks ]

Gross national saving:
1.2% of GDP (2015 est.) 1.4% of GDP (2014 est.) 2.3% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 171
[see also: Gross national saving country ranks ]

GDP - composition, by end use:
household consumption: 87.5%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - household consumption country ranks ]
government consumption: 10.6%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - government consumption country ranks ]
investment in fixed capital: 15.6%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in fixed capital country ranks ]
investment in inventories: 0.5%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in inventories country ranks ]
exports of goods and services: 7.6%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - exports of goods and services country ranks ]
imports of goods and services: -21.8% (2015 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - imports of goods and services country ranks ]

GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture: 66.8%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 3.4%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - industry country ranks ]
services: 29.8% (2015 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - services country ranks ]

Agriculture - products:
rice, coffee, cocoa, palm kernels, palm oil, peanuts; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish

Industries:
diamond mining; iron ore, rutile and bauxite mining; small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles, cigarettes, footwear); petroleum refining, small commercial ship repair

Industrial production growth rate:
-51% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 201
[see also: Industrial production growth rate country ranks ]

Labor force:
2.53 million (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 114
[see also: Labor force country ranks ]

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: NA%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: NA%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - industry country ranks ]
services: NA%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - services country ranks ]

Unemployment rate:
NA%
[see also: Unemployment rate country ranks ]

Population below poverty line:
70.2% (2004 est.)
[see also: Population below poverty line country ranks ]

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.6%
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10% country ranks ]
highest 10%: 33.6% (2003)
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - highest 10% country ranks ]

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
62.9 (1989)
country comparison to the world: 3
[see also: Distribution of family income - Gini index country ranks ]

Budget:
revenues: $544.1 million
[see also: Budget revenues country ranks ]
expenditures: $737.3 million (2015 est.)
[see also: Budget expenditures country ranks ]

Taxes and other revenues:
12.8% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 206
[see also: Taxes and other revenues country ranks ]

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
-4.5% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 160
[see also: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) country ranks ]

Public debt:
48.5% of GDP (2015 est.) 39.3% of GDP (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 86
[see also: Public debt country ranks ]

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
7.8% (2015 est.) 7.3% (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 195
[see also: Inflation rate (consumer prices) country ranks ]

Central bank discount rate:
NA%
[see also: Central bank discount rate country ranks ]

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
19% (31 December 2015 est.) 19.41% (31 December 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 15
[see also: Commercial bank prime lending rate country ranks ]

Stock of narrow money:
$509.6 million (31 December 2015 est.) $431.9 million (31 December 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 164
[see also: Stock of narrow money country ranks ]

Stock of broad money:
$960.1 million (31 December 2014 est.) $857.3 million (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 171
[see also: Stock of broad money country ranks ]

Stock of domestic credit:
$574 million (31 December 2015 est.) $516 million (31 December 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165
[see also: Stock of domestic credit country ranks ]

Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
[see also: Market value of publicly traded shares country ranks ]

Current account balance:
-$487 million (2015 est.) -$466 million (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 96
[see also: Current account balance country ranks ]

Exports:
$533.3 million (2015 est.) $2.086 billion (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 171
[see also: Exports country ranks ]

Exports - commodities:
diamonds, rutile, cocoa, coffee, fish

Exports - partners:
China 80%, Belgium 8.8% (2014)

Imports:
$929.3 million (2015 est.) $1.829 billion (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 182
[see also: Imports country ranks ]

Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels and lubricants, chemicals

Imports - partners:
China 13.2%, US 7.1%, India 6.8%, UK 6.6%, Belgium 6.1%, Netherlands 4.7%, South Africa 4.6% (2014)

Debt - external:
$1.368 billion (31 December 2014 est.) $1.395 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 156
[see also: Debt - external country ranks ]

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$1.064 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $1.012 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 111
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home country ranks ]

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$9.7 million (31 December 2015 est.) $6.7 million (31 December 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 103
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad country ranks ]

Exchange rates:
leones (SLL) per US dollar - 4,923.8 (2015 est.) 4,524.2 (2014 est.) 4,524.2 (2013 est.) 4,344 (2012 est.) 4,336.1 (2011 est.)