Economy Of Sierra Leone

Economy overview Sierra Leone is an extremely poor African nation with tremendous inequality in income distribution. It does have substantial mineral, agricultural, and fishery resources. However, the economic and social infrastructure is not well developed, and serious social disorders continue to hamper economic development, following a 11-year civil war. About two-thirds of the working-age population engages in subsistence agriculture. Manufacturing consists mainly of the processing of raw materials and of light manufacturing for the domestic market. Plans continue to reopen bauxite and rutile mines shut down during the conflict. The major source of hard currency consists of the mining of diamonds. The fate of the economy depends upon the maintenance of domestic peace and the continued receipt of substantial aid from abroad, which is essential to offset the severe trade imbalance and to supplement government revenues.
 
GDP purchasing power parity - $3.057 billion (2004 est.)
 
GDP - real growth rate 6.5% (2004 est.)
 
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $500 (2004 est.)
 
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 49%
industry: 31%
services: 21% (2001 est.)
 
Investment gross fixed  
Population below poverty line 68% (1989 est.)
 
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 0.5%
highest 10%: 43.6% (1989)
 
Distribution of family income - Gini index 62.9 (1989)
 
Inflation rate consumer prices 1% (2002 est.)
 
Labor force 1.369 million (1981 est.)
 
Labor force by occupation agriculture NA, industry NA, services NA
 
Unemployment rate NA
 
Budget
revenues: $96 million
expenditures: $351 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2000 est.)
 
Public debt  
Agriculture products rice, coffee, cocoa, palm kernels, palm oil, peanuts; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish
 
Industries mining (diamonds); small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles, cigarettes, footwear); petroleum refining
 
Industrial production growth rate NA
 
Electricity production 250.1 million kWh (2001)
 
Electricity production by source
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%
 
Electricity consumption 232.6 million kWh (2001)
 
Electricity exports 0 kWh (2001)
 
Electricity imports 0 kWh (2001)
 
Oil production 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 
Oil consumption 6,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 
Oil exports NA (2001)
 
Oil imports NA (2001)
 
Oil proved reserves  
Natural gas production  
Natural gas consumption  
Natural gas exports  
Natural gas imports  
Natural gas proved reserves  
Current account balance  
Exports $49 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
 
Exports commodities diamonds, rutile, cocoa, coffee, fish (1999)
 
Exports partners Belgium 61.2%, Germany 14.2%, UK 4.5%, US 4.5% (2003)
 
Imports $264 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
 
Imports commodities foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels and lubricants, chemicals (1995)
 
Imports partners Germany 23.7%, UK 9.9%, Cote d'Ivoire 7.4%, France 7.4%, US 5.3%, Netherlands 5.1%, Ukraine 4.6% (2003)
 
Reserves of foreign exchange gold  
Debt external $1.5 billion (2002 est.)
 
Economic aid recipient $103 million (2001 est.)
 
Currency leone (SLL)
 
Currency code SLL
 
Exchange rates leones per US dollar - 2,347.94 (2003), 2,099.03 (2002), 1,986.15 (2001), 2,092.12 (2000), 1,804.19 (1999)
 
Fiscal year calendar year

 

 

Applied Language Solutions offer English Translation , English to Mende Translation , English to Temne Translation , English to Krio Translation .

This information was reproduced in part from the CIA World Fact book.

Flags

If you would like to use this flag of Sierra Leone or any other on your website you are welcome to do so, all we ask is that you include a link back to our site on the same page. Please click here for information.

Map

If you would like to use this map of Sierra Leone or any other on your website you are welcome to do so, all we ask is that you include a link back to our site on the same page. Please click here for information.

Country Information

If you would like to use this information for Sierra Leone or any other on your website you are welcome to do so, all we ask is that you include a link back to our site on the same page. Please click here for information.

Information For Sierra Leone

Introduction
Geography
People
Government
Economy
Communication
Transportation
Military
Transnational Issues
Country Map
Country Flag
Select a country from the alphabetised listing
Or from the region listing

Related Resources

Country Guides
Maps of the World
Flags of the World
International Dialing codes
Fonts
Translation Articles
Case Studies
 
Get a FREE quote or call +44(0)845 367 7000 from the UK | +1(800) 579 5010 from the US
© Copyright 2009 Applied Language Solutions a Translation Services Company