Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) in Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone: Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) was 3.23 in 2027. ▼ Falling

Latest (2027)
3.23
Change on year
up 1.1%
World rank
138th
of 188 countries
All-time high
4.68
in 2014
All-time low
3.09
in 2023
Years of data
37
1991–2027

Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) in Sierra Leone, 1991–2027

0123451991200920271991: 4.11992: 4.41993: 4.41994: 4.51995: 4.31996: 4.31997: 4.41998: 4.21999: 4.32000: 4.12001: 4.22002: 3.92003: 3.92004: 3.42005: 3.72006: 3.92007: 42008: 4.12009: 4.32010: 4.32011: 4.42012: 4.42013: 4.42014: 4.72015: 4.52016: 4.22017: 3.72018: 3.22019: 3.22020: 3.52021: 3.62022: 3.12023: 3.12024: 3.12025: 3.12026: 3.22027: 3.2

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

In 2027, unemployment rate (ilo modelled estimates) in Sierra Leone stood at 3.23.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.1% on the previous year and down 11.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployment rate (ilo modelled estimates) in Sierra Leone peaked at 4.68 in 2014 and was at its lowest, 3.09, in 2023.

Sierra Leone ranks 138th of 188 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 37 years of available data.

Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) in Sierra Leone, year by year

Annual values for Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) in Sierra Leone, 1991 to 2027.
Year Value Change
1991 4.13
1992 4.38 +5.8%
1993 4.4 +0.6%
1994 4.46 +1.3%
1995 4.32 -3.1%
1996 4.31 -0.1%
1997 4.36 +1.2%
1998 4.24 -2.8%
1999 4.29 +1.1%
2000 4.14 -3.5%
2001 4.24 +2.4%
2002 3.91 -7.7%
2003 3.88 -0.8%
2004 3.42 -11.8%
2005 3.73 +9.2%
2006 3.89 +4.2%
2007 4.02 +3.4%
2008 4.13 +2.7%
2009 4.27 +3.3%
2010 4.34 +1.7%
2011 4.39 +1.1%
2012 4.38 -0.2%
2013 4.38 -0.0%
2014 4.68 +6.9%
2015 4.48 -4.2%
2016 4.18 -6.7%
2017 3.66 -12.6%
2018 3.19 -12.7%
2019 3.2 +0.4%
2020 3.51 +9.5%
2021 3.55 +1.2%
2022 3.14 -11.7%
2023 3.09 -1.4%
2024 3.1 +0.4%
2025 3.15 +1.5%
2026 3.19 +1.3%
2027 3.23 +1.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 4.32 4.13 4.46 9
2000s 3.96 3.42 4.27 10
2010s 4.09 3.19 4.68 10
2020s 3.25 3.09 3.55 8

Countries ranked near Sierra Leone

  1. 135 Oman 3.3 compare
  2. 136 Ethiopia 3.28 compare
  3. 137 Bhutan 3.23 compare
  4. 139 Nigeria 3.17 compare
  5. 140 Israel 3.15 compare
  6. 141 El Salvador 3.14 compare

See the full ranking of 276 places →

More work & labour data for Sierra Leone

All data for Sierra Leone →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment rate (ilo modelled estimates) in Sierra Leone?
Unemployment rate (ilo modelled estimates) in Sierra Leone was 3.23 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest unemployment rate (ilo modelled estimates) recorded in Sierra Leone?
The highest recorded value was 4.68 in 2014.
What is the lowest unemployment rate (ilo modelled estimates) recorded in Sierra Leone?
The lowest recorded value was 3.09 in 2023.
How does Sierra Leone rank for unemployment rate (ilo modelled estimates)?
Sierra Leone ranks 138th out of 188 countries with data for 2027.
Is unemployment rate (ilo modelled estimates) rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
Over the last ten years it is down 11.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 37 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) in Sierra Leone. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 07 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/unemployment-rate-ilo-modelled-estimates-15/sierra-leone/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/unemployment-rate-ilo-modelled-estimates-15/sierra-leone/">Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) in Sierra Leone</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) (15+)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
276 places, 10,188 data points, 1991–2027
Last refreshed

Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. The unemployment rate conveys the number of persons who are unemployed as a percent of the labour force (i.e., the employed plus the unemployed). The unemployed comprise all persons of working age who were: a) without work during the reference period, i.e. were not in paid employment or self-employment; b) currently available for work, i.e. were available for paid employment or self-employment during the reference period; and c) seeking work, i.e. had taken specific steps in a specified recent period to seek paid employment or self-employment. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.