Economy - overview:

GDP (purchasing power parity):

GDP - real growth rate:

GDP - per capital:

GDP - composition by sector:

Labor force:

Labor force - by occupation:

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

Budget:

Agriculture - products:

Industries:

Sierra Leone possesses substantial mineral, agricultural, and fishery resources, its economic and social infrastructure is not well developed, and serious social disorders continue to hamper economic development. 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 to reopen bauxite and rutile mines shut down during an 11 year civil war have not been implemented due to lack of foreign investment. Alluvial diamond mining remains the major source of hard currency earnings. 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 supplement government revenues. International financial institutions contributed over $600 million in development aid and budgetary support in 2003.

$3.335 billion (2004 est.)

6% (2004 est.)

purchasing power parity - $600 (2004 est.)

Agriculture: 49%
industry: 30%
services: 21% (2001 est.)

1.369 million (1981 est.)

Agriculture NA, industry NA, services NA

lowest 10%: 0.5%
highest 10%: 43.6% (1989)

62.9 (1989)

% (2002 est.)

Revenues: $96 million

Rice, coffee, cocoa, palm kernels, palm oil, mango, peanuts, poultry, cattle, sheep, fish  & more

Diamonds mining; small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles, cigarettes, footwear); petroleum refining, small commercial ship repair.