International tourist departures in Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone: International tourist departures was 25,000 departures in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
25,000 departures
Change on year
down 34.2%
World rank
106th
of 112 countries
All-time high
122,000 departures
in 2019
All-time low
6,000 departures
in 1997
Years of data
25
1997–2021

International tourist departures in Sierra Leone, 1997–2021

025.0k50.0k75.0k100.0k125.0k1997200920211997: 6.0k departures1998: 7.0k departures1999: 13.0k departures2000: 13.0k departures2001: 20.0k departures2002: 27.0k departures2003: 13.0k departures2004: 28.0k departures2005: 63.0k departures2006: 67.0k departures2007: 71.0k departures2008: 73.0k departures2009: 72.0k departures2010: 76.0k departures2011: 99.0k departures2012: 104.0k departures2013: 111.0k departures2014: 93.0k departures2015: 61.0k departures2016: 92.0k departures2017: 110.0k departures2018: 112.0k departures2019: 122.0k departures2020: 38.0k departures2021: 25.0k departures

Source: UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in departures.

Analysis

Sierra Leone recorded 25,000 departures for international tourist departures in 2021.

The figure is down 34.2% on the previous year and down 74.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, international tourist departures in Sierra Leone peaked at 122,000 departures in 2019 and was at its lowest, 6,000 departures, in 1997.

That places Sierra Leone 106th out of 112 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 8,667 departures 6,000 departures 13,000 departures 3
2000s 44,700 departures 13,000 departures 73,000 departures 10
2010s 98,000 departures 61,000 departures 122,000 departures 10
2020s 31,500 departures 25,000 departures 38,000 departures 2

Countries ranked near Sierra Leone

  1. 103 Burundi 35,000 departures compare
  2. 104 Thailand 33,000 departures compare
  3. 105 Tajikistan 31,000 departures compare
  4. 106 Samoa 25,000 departures compare
  5. 108 Vanuatu 18,200 departures compare
  6. 109 French Polynesia 12,000 departures compare

See the full ranking of 112 places →

More reference data data for Sierra Leone

All data for Sierra Leone →

Frequently asked questions

What is international tourist departures in Sierra Leone?
International tourist departures in Sierra Leone was 25,000 departures in 2021, according to UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest international tourist departures recorded in Sierra Leone?
The highest recorded value was 122,000 departures in 2019.
What is the lowest international tourist departures recorded in Sierra Leone?
The lowest recorded value was 6,000 departures in 1997.
How does Sierra Leone rank for international tourist departures?
Sierra Leone ranks 106th out of 112 countries with data for 2021.
Is international tourist departures rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
Over the last ten years it is down 74.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
The figures come from UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of International tourist departures. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
International tourist departures
Unit
departures
Source
UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
112 places, 2,384 data points, 1995–2024
Last refreshed

Number of trips by country's residents who travel abroad and stay overnight.