Military spending per armed forces personnel in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Military spending per armed forces personnel was 4,236 constant 2024 US$ in 2020. ▼ Falling
Military spending per armed forces personnel in Sierra Leone, 1985–2020
Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026); The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in constant 2024 US$.
Analysis
The most recent figure for military spending per armed forces personnel in Sierra Leone is 4,236 constant 2024 US$, measured in 2020.
That represents a change of up 27.4% on the previous year and up 40.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending per armed forces personnel in Sierra Leone peaked at 8,988 constant 2024 US$ in 2000 and was at its lowest, 745.92 constant 2024 US$, in 1997.
Sierra Leone ranks 148th of 160 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.
Military spending per armed forces personnel in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | constant 2024 US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 2,713 constant 2024 US$ | — |
| 1989 | 5,198 constant 2024 US$ | +91.6% |
| 1990 | 4,295 constant 2024 US$ | -17.4% |
| 1991 | 7,733 constant 2024 US$ | +80.0% |
| 1992 | 5,681 constant 2024 US$ | -26.5% |
| 1993 | 7,397 constant 2024 US$ | +30.2% |
| 1994 | 6,991 constant 2024 US$ | -5.5% |
| 1995 | 4,818 constant 2024 US$ | -31.1% |
| 1996 | 1,654 constant 2024 US$ | -65.7% |
| 1997 | 745.92 constant 2024 US$ | -54.9% |
| 1998 | 2,522 constant 2024 US$ | +238.1% |
| 1999 | 5,601 constant 2024 US$ | +122.1% |
| 2000 | 8,988 constant 2024 US$ | +60.5% |
| 2001 | 6,760 constant 2024 US$ | -24.8% |
| 2002 | 2,988 constant 2024 US$ | -55.8% |
| 2003 | 3,372 constant 2024 US$ | +12.8% |
| 2004 | 2,771 constant 2024 US$ | -17.8% |
| 2005 | 2,674 constant 2024 US$ | -3.5% |
| 2006 | 3,487 constant 2024 US$ | +30.4% |
| 2007 | 3,117 constant 2024 US$ | -10.6% |
| 2008 | 2,340 constant 2024 US$ | -24.9% |
| 2009 | 2,892 constant 2024 US$ | +23.6% |
| 2010 | 3,009 constant 2024 US$ | +4.0% |
| 2011 | 3,131 constant 2024 US$ | +4.1% |
| 2012 | 3,428 constant 2024 US$ | +9.5% |
| 2013 | 3,449 constant 2024 US$ | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 6,550 constant 2024 US$ | +89.9% |
| 2015 | 5,541 constant 2024 US$ | -15.4% |
| 2016 | 6,798 constant 2024 US$ | +22.7% |
| 2017 | 5,830 constant 2024 US$ | -14.3% |
| 2018 | 4,315 constant 2024 US$ | -26.0% |
| 2019 | 3,326 constant 2024 US$ | -22.9% |
| 2020 | 4,236 constant 2024 US$ | +27.4% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 4,236 constant 2024 US$ is below the median for low income countries, which is 7,109 constant 2024 US$, 60% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 4,236 constant 2024 US$ is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 13,391 constant 2024 US$, 32% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Military spending per armed forces personnel in Sierra Leone changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | +238.1% | 745.92 constant 2024 US$ | 2,522 constant 2024 US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 3,955 constant 2024 US$ | 2,713 constant 2024 US$ | 5,198 constant 2024 US$ | 2 |
| 1990s | 4,744 constant 2024 US$ | 745.92 constant 2024 US$ | 7,733 constant 2024 US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 3,939 constant 2024 US$ | 2,340 constant 2024 US$ | 8,988 constant 2024 US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 4,538 constant 2024 US$ | 3,009 constant 2024 US$ | 6,798 constant 2024 US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 4,236 constant 2024 US$ | 4,236 constant 2024 US$ | 4,236 constant 2024 US$ | 1 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
More reference data data for Sierra Leone
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0238 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.4498 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.5935 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.12 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.5935 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0797 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.044 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.91 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.72 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.6534 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending per armed forces personnel in Sierra Leone?
- Military spending per armed forces personnel in Sierra Leone was 4,236 constant 2024 US$ in 2020, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026); The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest military spending per armed forces personnel recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 8,988 constant 2024 US$ in 2000.
- What is the lowest military spending per armed forces personnel recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 745.92 constant 2024 US$ in 1997.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for military spending per armed forces personnel?
- Sierra Leone ranks 148th out of 160 countries with data for 2020.
- Is military spending per armed forces personnel rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 40.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026); The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military spending per armed forces personnel. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 33 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Total military expenditure divided by armed forces personnel. This data is expressed in US dollars. It is adjusted for inflation but does not account for differences in the cost of living between countries.