Business Bank Credit Access Statistics in Sierra Leone (2026)
According to World Bank World Development Indicators data, 17.6% of firms in Sierra Leone had a bank loan or line of credit in 2023. Up from 9% in 2017 to 17.6% in 2023 (+8.5 percentage points). Sierra Leone ranks #27 of 45 economies in Sub-Saharan Africa on this measure, and #112 of 145 globally.
Key Statistics
- Latest value (2023)
- 17.6% (2023)
- Business Bank Credit Access in Sierra Leone as of 2023, the most recent observation in World Bank World Development Indicators data.
- Change since 2017
- +8.5 pp (2023)
- Up from 9% in 2017 to 17.6% in 2023 (+8.5 percentage points).
- Earliest value in this dataset (2009)
- 17.4% (2009)
- Earliest observation in this dataset, which covers 1990 onward (the source series may begin earlier). Up from 17.4% in 2009 to 17.6% in 2023.
- Record high (2023)
- 17.6% (2023)
- The 2023 value is the highest in the available World Bank World Development Indicators series for Sierra Leone.
- Rank in Sub-Saharan Africa
- #27 of 45 (2023)
- Sierra Leone ranks 27 of 45 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with data, based on each country's latest value.
- Global rank
- #112 of 145 (2023)
- Sierra Leone ranks 112 of 145 countries with data globally.
- Sub-Saharan Africa average
- 23% (2023)
- Sierra Leone (17.6%) is below the average of 23% across the 45 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with data.
- Firms using banks to finance working capital (% of firms) (2023)
- 9% (2023)
- Related indicator from World Bank World Development Indicators.
- Firms using banks to finance investment (% of firms) (2023)
- 10.7% (2023)
- Related indicator from World Bank World Development Indicators.
- Internet use in Sierra Leone (2024)
- 25.1% (2024)
- 25.1% of the population in Sierra Leone used the internet in 2024 (World Bank); shown for context only.
- Population (2024)
- 8.6 million (2024)
- Sierra Leone had a population of 8.6 million in 2024 (World Bank); shown for scale only.
Trend, 2009–2023
| Year | % of firms | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 17.6% | +8.5 pp |
| 2017 | 9% | −8.3 pp |
| 2009 | 17.4% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What share of firms in Sierra Leone had a bank loan or line of credit?
17.6% of firms in Sierra Leone had a bank loan or line of credit in 2023, according to World Bank World Development Indicators data.
How recent is the business bank credit access data for Sierra Leone?
The most recent observation is from 2023. World Bank World Development Indicators data is reported with a lag, so 2023 is the latest available year for Sierra Leone.
Where does the business bank credit access data for Sierra Leone come from?
The data comes from the World Bank World Development Indicators (indicator IC.FRM.BNKL.ZS). The latest observation for Sierra Leone is from 2023; the snapshot was retrieved on 2026-06-10.
How has business bank credit access in Sierra Leone changed over time?
World Bank World Development Indicators data show a rise from 17.4% in 2009 to 17.6% in 2023.
Source & methodology
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator
IC.FRM.BNKL.ZS, retrieved .
Figures are shown exactly as published in the source dataset; only the change column of the trend table is computed from adjacent published values.Read more on the methodology page. All figures are estimates and projections; this is not financial advice.
Last updated .