Transport services (% of commercial service imports) in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Transport services (% of commercial service imports) was 68.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Transport services in Sierra Leone, 1977–2024
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of commercial service imports.
Analysis
Sierra Leone recorded 68.7% for transport services in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 12.5% on the previous year and up 330.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, transport services in Sierra Leone peaked at 78.6% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 11.0%, in 1999.
That places Sierra Leone 9th out of 197 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 48 years of available data.
Transport services (% of commercial service imports) in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | % of commercial service imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 44.1% | — |
| 1978 | 54.9% | +24.5% |
| 1979 | 54.2% | -1.2% |
| 1980 | 56.5% | +4.2% |
| 1981 | 60.4% | +6.9% |
| 1982 | 53.1% | -12.2% |
| 1983 | 42.8% | -19.3% |
| 1984 | 39.5% | -7.7% |
| 1985 | 43.5% | +10.2% |
| 1986 | 44.1% | +1.4% |
| 1987 | 36.2% | -17.9% |
| 1988 | 50.5% | +39.4% |
| 1989 | 45.1% | -10.7% |
| 1990 | 29.5% | -34.6% |
| 1991 | 25.7% | -12.8% |
| 1992 | 27.8% | +8.2% |
| 1993 | 25.3% | -9.2% |
| 1994 | 16.8% | -33.6% |
| 1995 | 17.4% | +3.9% |
| 1996 | 29.3% | +68.4% |
| 1997 | 21.8% | -25.8% |
| 1998 | 31.4% | +44.1% |
| 1999 | 11.0% | -64.9% |
| 2000 | 21.3% | +93.3% |
| 2001 | 20.4% | -4.0% |
| 2002 | 38.4% | +87.7% |
| 2003 | 40.7% | +6.2% |
| 2004 | 41.3% | +1.4% |
| 2005 | 49.7% | +20.3% |
| 2006 | 60.9% | +22.6% |
| 2007 | 61.2% | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 56.1% | -8.3% |
| 2009 | 72.1% | +28.4% |
| 2010 | 48.8% | -32.3% |
| 2011 | 59.6% | +22.3% |
| 2012 | 48.2% | -19.2% |
| 2013 | 38.8% | -19.5% |
| 2014 | 16.0% | -58.8% |
| 2015 | 19.3% | +21.0% |
| 2016 | 30.4% | +57.3% |
| 2017 | 39.7% | +30.7% |
| 2018 | 40.8% | +2.7% |
| 2019 | 42.2% | +3.4% |
| 2020 | 69.9% | +65.7% |
| 2021 | 75.3% | +7.8% |
| 2022 | 78.5% | +4.2% |
| 2023 | 78.6% | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 68.7% | -12.5% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 68.7% is above the median for low income countries, which is 56.6%, 1.2× the median. (22 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 68.7% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 41.1%, 1.7× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 51.1% | 44.1% | 54.9% | 3 |
| 1980s | 47.2% | 36.2% | 60.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 23.6% | 11.0% | 31.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 46.2% | 20.4% | 72.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 38.4% | 16.0% | 59.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 74.2% | 68.7% | 78.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
More private sector data for Sierra Leone
- Merchandise trade 45.9% (2025)
- Food imports 32.3% (2018)
- Manufactures imports 63.9% (2018)
- Merchandise imports 1.89 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service imports 481.67 million current US$ (2024)
- Food exports 45.6% (2018)
- Manufactures exports 25.1% (2018)
- Merchandise exports 1.53 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service exports 49.60 million current US$ (2024)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 173.93 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is transport services in Sierra Leone?
- Transport services in Sierra Leone was 68.7% in 2024, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest transport services recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 78.6% in 2023.
- What is the lowest transport services recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.0% in 1999.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for transport services?
- Sierra Leone ranks 9th out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
- Is transport services rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 330.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Transport services (% of commercial service imports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Transport is the process of carriage of people and objects from one location to another as well as related supporting and auxiliary services. Also included are postal and courier services. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of service imports which are commercial services provided by non-residents to residents.