Proportion of total government spending on essential services … UIS in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Proportion of total government spending on essential services … UIS was 20.5% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Proportion of total government spending on essential services in Sierra Leone, 2000–2025
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
Sierra Leone recorded 20.5% for proportion of total government spending on essential services in 2025. That is the highest value across all 23 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.9% on the previous year and up 136,059.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of total government spending on essential services in Sierra Leone peaked at 20.5% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 2011.
That places Sierra Leone 13th out of 197 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Proportion of total government spending on essential services … UIS in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 0.0% | — |
| 2001 | 0.0% | -13.3% |
| 2002 | 0.0% | -1.5% |
| 2003 | 0.0% | -2.1% |
| 2004 | 0.0% | -1.0% |
| 2005 | 0.0% | -9.6% |
| 2007 | 0.0% | +27.3% |
| 2008 | 0.0% | -24.4% |
| 2009 | 0.0% | +6.5% |
| 2010 | 0.0% | -19.5% |
| 2011 | 0.0% | -3.0% |
| 2012 | 0.0% | +13.9% |
| 2013 | 0.0% | +7.6% |
| 2014 | 0.0% | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 0.0% | -17.4% |
| 2017 | 0.0% | +59.5% |
| 2018 | 0.0% | +64.6% |
| 2019 | 0.0% | +7.0% |
| 2020 | 0.0% | -2.2% |
| 2021 | 0.0% | -2.4% |
| 2022 | 0.0% | -12.1% |
| 2024 | 20.0% | +67857.8% |
| 2025 | 20.5% | +2.9% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 20.5% is above the median for low income countries, which is 14.9%, 1.4× the median. (20 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 20.5% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14.4%, 1.4× the median. (42 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Proportion of total government spending on essential services … UIS in Sierra Leone changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | +67857.8% | 0.0% | 20.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 9 |
| 2010s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 9 |
| 2020s | 8.1% | 0.0% | 20.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 10 Botswana 21.5% compare
- 11 Senegal 20.9% compare
- 12 Dominican Republic 20.9% compare
- 14 Mozambique 20.4% compare
- 15 Costa Rica 20.4% compare
- 16 Burkina Faso 20.3% compare
More education data for Sierra Leone
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 38,043 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 73,295 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 85,708 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 92,723 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.16 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.07 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.52 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.2393 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of total government spending on essential services in Sierra Leone?
- Proportion of total government spending on essential services in Sierra Leone was 20.5% in 2025, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest proportion of total government spending on essential services recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 20.5% in 2025.
- What is the lowest proportion of total government spending on essential services recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 2011.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for proportion of total government spending on essential services?
- Sierra Leone ranks 13th out of 197 countries with data for 2025.
- Is proportion of total government spending on essential services rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 136,059.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of total government spending on essential services, education [UIS methodology] (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).