Food imports in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Food imports was 32.3% in 2018. ▲ Rising
Food imports in Sierra Leone, 1963–2018
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
Sierra Leone recorded 32.3% for food imports in 2018.
The figure is down 0.9% on the previous year and up 194.4% over five years.
Over the whole period, food imports in Sierra Leone peaked at 32.7% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 11.0%, in 2014.
That places Sierra Leone 10th out of 196 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 16 years of available data.
Food imports in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | 21.8% | — |
| 1964 | 18.1% | -16.8% |
| 1972 | 22.3% | +23.4% |
| 1973 | 28.5% | +27.7% |
| 1974 | 25.6% | -10.2% |
| 1975 | 20.2% | -21.1% |
| 1976 | 22.0% | +8.8% |
| 1983 | 27.6% | +25.5% |
| 1984 | 20.7% | -24.8% |
| 2000 | 32.7% | +57.8% |
| 2002 | 22.5% | -31.1% |
| 2014 | 11.0% | -51.3% |
| 2015 | 20.7% | +88.9% |
| 2016 | 28.5% | +37.5% |
| 2017 | 32.6% | +14.3% |
| 2018 | 32.3% | -0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 19.9% | 18.1% | 21.8% | 2 |
| 1970s | 23.7% | 20.2% | 28.5% | 5 |
| 1980s | 24.2% | 20.7% | 27.6% | 2 |
| 2000s | 27.6% | 22.5% | 32.7% | 2 |
| 2010s | 25.0% | 11.0% | 32.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 7 Haiti 37.3% compare
- 8 Benin 33.3% compare
- 9 Cape Verde 32.6% compare
- 11 Sao Tome and Principe 31.8% compare
- 12 Equatorial Guinea 31.8% compare
- 13 Palestine, State of 30.9% compare
More private sector data for Sierra Leone
- Merchandise trade 45.9% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 63.9% (2018)
- Merchandise imports 1.89 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 45.6% (2018)
- Manufactures exports 25.1% (2018)
- Merchandise exports 1.53 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 173.93 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2055 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 6.75 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 214.63 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food imports in Sierra Leone?
- Food imports in Sierra Leone was 32.3% in 2018, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food imports recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 32.7% in 2000.
- What is the lowest food imports recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.0% in 2014.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for food imports?
- Sierra Leone ranks 10th out of 196 countries with data for 2018.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division, published as part of Food imports (% of merchandise imports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Food comprises the commodities in SITC (Rev. 3) sections 0 (food and live animals), 1 (beverages and tobacco), and 4 (animal and vegetable oils and fats) and division 22 (oil seeds, oil nuts, and oil kernels). This indicator is expressed as a percentage of merchandise imports which is comprised of goods whose economic ownership is changed between a non-resident and a resident and that are not included in the following specific categories: goods under merchanting, non-monetary gold, and parts of travel, construction, and government goods and services n.i.e.