Lending Interest Rates Statistics in Sierra Leone (2026)
According to World Bank World Development Indicators data, the average lending interest rate in Sierra Leone came to 20.6% in 2024. Up from 19.6% in 2023 to 20.6% in 2024 (+0.9 percentage points). Sierra Leone ranks #21 of 27 economies in Sub-Saharan Africa on this measure, and #102 of 112 globally.
Key Statistics
- Latest value (2024)
- 20.6% (2024)
- Lending Interest Rates in Sierra Leone as of 2024, the most recent observation in World Bank World Development Indicators data.
- Change since 2023
- +0.9 pp (2024)
- Up from 19.6% in 2023 to 20.6% in 2024 (+0.9 percentage points).
- Earliest value in this dataset (1990)
- 52.5% (1990)
- Earliest observation in this dataset, which covers 1990 onward (the source series may begin earlier). Down from 52.5% in 1990 to 20.6% in 2024.
- Peak value (1992)
- 62.8% (1992)
- Highest value in the available series; the 2024 value is 20.6%.
- Rank in Sub-Saharan Africa (lower is better; rank 1 = lowest)
- #21 of 27 (2024)
- Sierra Leone ranks 21 of 27 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with data, based on each country's latest value. Ranked ascending because lower values are better for this metric.
- Global rank (lower is better; rank 1 = lowest)
- #102 of 112 (2024)
- Sierra Leone ranks 102 of 112 countries with data globally. Ranked ascending because lower values are better for this metric.
- Sub-Saharan Africa average
- 18.1% (2024)
- Sierra Leone (20.6%) is above the average of 18.1% across the 27 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with data.
- Risk premium on lending (lending rate minus treasury bill rate, %) (2024)
- 11.8% (2024)
- 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, 1990–2024
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 20.6% | +0.9 pp |
| 2023 | 19.6% | +0.3 pp |
| 2022 | 19.3% | +0.5 pp |
| 2021 | 18.9% | +0.9 pp |
| 2020 | 17.9% | −0.0 pp |
| 2019 | 18% | +2.0 pp |
| 2018 | 16% | +0.3 pp |
| 2017 | 15.7% | −0.6 pp |
| 2016 | 16.2% | −2.5 pp |
| 2015 | 18.7% | −0.7 pp |
| 2014 | 19.4% | −1.1 pp |
| 2013 | 20.6% | −0.4 pp |
| 2012 | 21% | +0.0 pp |
| 2011 | 21% | −0.3 pp |
| 2010 | 21.3% | −0.9 pp |
| 2009 | 22.2% | −2.3 pp |
| 2008 | 24.5% | −0.5 pp |
| 2007 | 25% | +1.0 pp |
| 2006 | 24% | −0.6 pp |
| 2005 | 24.6% | +2.5 pp |
| 2004 | 22.1% | +2.1 pp |
| 2003 | 20% | −2.2 pp |
| 2002 | 22.2% | −2.1 pp |
| 2001 | 24.3% | −2.0 pp |
| 2000 | 26.3% | −0.6 pp |
| 1999 | 26.8% | +3.0 pp |
| 1998 | 23.8% | −0.0 pp |
| 1997 | 23.9% | −8.3 pp |
| 1996 | 32.1% | +3.3 pp |
| 1995 | 28.8% | +1.5 pp |
| 1994 | 27.3% | −23.1 pp |
| 1993 | 50.5% | −12.4 pp |
| 1992 | 62.8% | +6.6 pp |
| 1991 | 56.3% | +3.8 pp |
| 1990 | 52.5% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What is the latest figure for average lending interest rate in Sierra Leone?
The average lending interest rate in Sierra Leone stood at 20.6% in 2024, according to World Bank World Development Indicators data.
How does Sierra Leone compare with other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa?
Sierra Leone ranks 21 of 27 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with data (ranked ascending; lower is better), with 20.6% versus a regional average of 18.1% (latest values per country).
Where does Sierra Leone rank globally on lending interest rates?
Sierra Leone ranks 102 of 112 countries with data globally (ranked ascending; lower is better), based on the latest World Bank World Development Indicators value for each country.
When did lending interest rates in Sierra Leone peak?
The highest value in the available series was 62.8% in 1992; the latest (2024) value is 20.6%.
How recent is the lending interest rates data for Sierra Leone?
The most recent observation is from 2024. World Bank World Development Indicators data is reported with a lag, so 2024 is the latest available year for Sierra Leone.
Source & methodology
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator
FR.INR.LEND, 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 .