Unemployment rate in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Unemployment rate was 3.15 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
3.15
Change on year
up 1.5%
World rank
142nd
of 186 countries
All-time high
4.68
in 2014
All-time low
3.09
in 2023
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Unemployment rate in Sierra Leone, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment rate in Sierra Leone stood at 3.15.
The figure is up 1.5% on the previous year and down 29.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Sierra Leone peaked at 4.68 in 2014 and was at its lowest, 3.09, in 2023.
Sierra Leone ranks 142nd of 186 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment rate in Sierra Leone, year by year
| 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% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 3.15 is below the median for low income countries, which is 4.43, 71% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 3.15 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.45, 58% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | 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 | 3.26 | 3.09 | 3.55 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
More work & labour data for Sierra Leone
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.1141 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.1389 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.091 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.2881 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.17 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 7,725 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 5,247 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 8,103 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 7,832 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 15,934 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rate in Sierra Leone?
- Unemployment rate in Sierra Leone was 3.15 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 4.68 in 2014.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.09 in 2023.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for unemployment rate?
- Sierra Leone ranks 142nd out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 29.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).