Health spending as a share of total government spending in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Health spending as a share of total government spending was 4.5% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Health spending as a share of total government spending in Sierra Leone, 2000–2023
Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Sierra Leone recorded 4.5% for health spending as a share of total government spending in 2023.
The figure is down 13.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, health spending as a share of total government spending in Sierra Leone peaked at 7.6% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 3.6%, in 2018.
Sierra Leone ranks 178th of 195 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Health spending as a share of total government spending in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 5.5% | — |
| 2001 | 5.5% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 5.5% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 5.5% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 5.5% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 5.5% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 5.5% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 5.5% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 4.4% | -19.0% |
| 2009 | 5.6% | +27.0% |
| 2010 | 6.5% | +16.2% |
| 2011 | 5.4% | -17.8% |
| 2012 | 4.8% | -11.2% |
| 2013 | 5.2% | +8.4% |
| 2014 | 7.6% | +47.2% |
| 2015 | 6.2% | -18.1% |
| 2016 | 4.4% | -28.4% |
| 2017 | 3.6% | -18.3% |
| 2018 | 3.6% | -0.9% |
| 2019 | 5.8% | +62.3% |
| 2020 | 5.3% | -9.2% |
| 2021 | 5.7% | +6.9% |
| 2022 | 4.5% | -21.1% |
| 2023 | 4.5% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5.4% | 4.4% | 5.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.3% | 3.6% | 7.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.0% | 4.5% | 5.7% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 175 Pakistan 4.7% compare
- 176 India 4.6% compare
- 177 Haiti 4.6% compare
- 179 Guinea-Bissau 4.3% compare
- 180 Azerbaijan 4.3% compare
- 181 Democratic Republic of Congo 4.0% compare
More health data for Sierra Leone
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.34 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.773 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,199 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 4,209 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 75-79, female, annual growth rate 0.8934 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, female, per capita 0.0031 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, annual growth rate 0.3437 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, per capita 0.0023 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is health spending as a share of total government spending in Sierra Leone?
- Health spending as a share of total government spending in Sierra Leone was 4.5% in 2023, according to World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest health spending as a share of total government spending recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 7.6% in 2014.
- What is the lowest health spending as a share of total government spending recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.6% in 2018.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for health spending as a share of total government spending?
- Sierra Leone ranks 178th out of 195 countries with data for 2023.
- Is health spending as a share of total government spending rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Health spending as a share of total government spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Domestic general government health expenditure expressed as a percentage of total expenditure of the general government.