Business Working Capital Financing Statistics in Sierra Leone (2026)
9% of firms in Sierra Leone used banks to finance working capital in 2023, World Bank World Development Indicators data show. Up from 8.6% in 2017 to 9% in 2023 (+0.4 percentage points). Sierra Leone ranks #38 of 45 economies in Sub-Saharan Africa on this measure, and #128 of 145 globally.
Key Statistics
- Latest value (2023)
- 9% (2023)
- Business Working Capital Financing in Sierra Leone as of 2023, the most recent observation in World Bank World Development Indicators data.
- Change since 2017
- +0.4 pp (2023)
- Up from 8.6% in 2017 to 9% in 2023 (+0.4 percentage points).
- Earliest value in this dataset (2009)
- 24.7% (2009)
- Earliest observation in this dataset, which covers 1990 onward (the source series may begin earlier). Down from 24.7% in 2009 to 9% in 2023.
- Peak value (2009)
- 24.7% (2009)
- Highest value in the available series; the 2023 value is 9%.
- Rank in Sub-Saharan Africa
- #38 of 45 (2023)
- Sierra Leone ranks 38 of 45 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with data, based on each country's latest value.
- Global rank
- #128 of 145 (2023)
- Sierra Leone ranks 128 of 145 countries with data globally.
- Sub-Saharan Africa average
- 20.6% (2023)
- Sierra Leone (9%) is below the average of 20.6% across the 45 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with data.
- Firms with a bank loan/line of credit (% of firms) (2023)
- 17.6% (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 | 9% | +0.4 pp |
| 2017 | 8.6% | −16.0 pp |
| 2009 | 24.7% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What share of firms in Sierra Leone used banks to finance working capital?
9% of firms in Sierra Leone used banks to finance working capital in 2023, according to World Bank World Development Indicators data.
Where does Sierra Leone rank globally on business working capital financing?
Sierra Leone ranks 128 of 145 countries with data globally, based on the latest World Bank World Development Indicators value for each country.
When did business working capital financing in Sierra Leone peak?
The highest value in the available series was 24.7% in 2009; the latest (2023) value is 9%.
Source & methodology
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator
IC.FRM.BKWC.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 .