Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone: Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes was 26,300 trips in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
26,300 trips
Change on year
up 56.5%
World rank
160th
of 179 countries
All-time high
39,000 trips
in 2013
All-time low
4,100 trips
in 1997
Years of data
27
1995–2021

Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in Sierra Leone, 1995–2021

010.0k20.0k30.0k40.0k1995200820211995: 8.0k trips1996: 11.3k trips1997: 4.1k trips1998: 6.8k trips1999: 6.7k trips2000: 9.9k trips2001: 14.6k trips2002: 17.1k trips2003: 18.0k trips2004: 29.0k trips2005: 26.4k trips2006: 21.2k trips2007: 20.8k trips2008: 23.0k trips2009: 21.0k trips2010: 22.0k trips2011: 28.0k trips2012: 30.0k trips2013: 39.0k trips2014: 21.4k trips2015: 12.8k trips2016: 27.3k trips2017: 31.8k trips2018: 34.4k trips2019: 36.5k trips2020: 16.8k trips2021: 26.3k trips

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

Analysis

Sierra Leone recorded 26,300 trips for arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in 2021.

That represents a change of up 56.5% on the previous year and down 6.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in Sierra Leone peaked at 39,000 trips in 2013 and was at its lowest, 4,100 trips, in 1997.

Sierra Leone ranks 160th of 179 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 7,380 trips 4,100 trips 11,300 trips 5
2000s 20,100 trips 9,900 trips 29,000 trips 10
2010s 28,320 trips 12,800 trips 39,000 trips 10
2020s 21,550 trips 16,800 trips 26,300 trips 2

Countries ranked near Sierra Leone

  1. 157 Niger 42,700 trips compare
  2. 158 Central African Republic 33,400 trips compare
  3. 159 Vanuatu 28,600 trips compare
  4. 161 Comoros 24,900 trips compare
  5. 162 Saint Kitts and Nevis 18,200 trips compare
  6. 163 Palau 18,000 trips compare

See the full ranking of 179 places →

More reference data data for Sierra Leone

All data for Sierra Leone →

Frequently asked questions

What is arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in Sierra Leone?
Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in Sierra Leone was 26,300 trips in 2021, according to UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes recorded in Sierra Leone?
The highest recorded value was 39,000 trips in 2013.
What is the lowest arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes recorded in Sierra Leone?
The lowest recorded value was 4,100 trips in 1997.
How does Sierra Leone rank for arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes?
Sierra Leone ranks 160th out of 179 countries with data for 2021.
Is arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
Over the last ten years it is down 6.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
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 Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes
Unit
trips
Source
UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
179 places, 4,054 data points, 1995–2024
Last refreshed

Number of international trips where the main purpose is personal (leisure, visiting friends and relatives, health, etc.) and the visitor stays overnight.