Out-of-pocket expenditure in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Out-of-pocket expenditure was 54.5% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Out-of-pocket expenditure in Sierra Leone, 2000–2023
Source: Global Health Expenditure Database, updated December 12th, 2025, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in % of current health expenditure.
Analysis
Sierra Leone recorded 54.5% for out-of-pocket expenditure in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 13.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-pocket expenditure in Sierra Leone peaked at 85.7% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 35.0%, in 2014.
That places Sierra Leone 25th out of 193 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Out-of-pocket expenditure in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | % of current health expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 85.7% | — |
| 2001 | 77.8% | -9.3% |
| 2002 | 73.0% | -6.1% |
| 2003 | 78.8% | +7.9% |
| 2004 | 72.8% | -7.5% |
| 2005 | 70.3% | -3.4% |
| 2006 | 67.1% | -4.6% |
| 2007 | 72.2% | +7.6% |
| 2008 | 71.6% | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 65.3% | -8.7% |
| 2010 | 56.2% | -14.0% |
| 2011 | 60.2% | +7.1% |
| 2012 | 67.7% | +12.4% |
| 2013 | 62.8% | -7.3% |
| 2014 | 35.0% | -44.2% |
| 2015 | 35.6% | +1.6% |
| 2016 | 43.7% | +22.8% |
| 2017 | 54.5% | +24.7% |
| 2018 | 61.0% | +11.9% |
| 2019 | 52.9% | -13.3% |
| 2020 | 52.3% | -1.0% |
| 2021 | 51.4% | -1.8% |
| 2022 | 54.9% | +6.8% |
| 2023 | 54.5% | -0.8% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 54.5% is above the median for low income countries, which is 45.6%, 1.2× the median. (24 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 54.5% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 32.4%, 1.7× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 73.5% | 65.3% | 85.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 53.0% | 35.0% | 67.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 53.3% | 51.4% | 54.9% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
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)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 38 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.6447 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0663 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.6611 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is out-of-pocket expenditure in Sierra Leone?
- Out-of-pocket expenditure in Sierra Leone was 54.5% in 2023, according to Global Health Expenditure Database, updated December 12th, 2025, World Health Organization (WHO).
- What is the highest out-of-pocket expenditure recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 85.7% in 2000.
- What is the lowest out-of-pocket expenditure recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 35.0% in 2014.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for out-of-pocket expenditure?
- Sierra Leone ranks 25th out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is out-of-pocket expenditure 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 Global Health Expenditure Database, updated December 12th, 2025, World Health Organization (WHO), published as part of Out-of-pocket expenditure (% of current health expenditure). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of out-of-pocket payments of total current health expenditures. Out-of-pocket payments are spending on health directly out-of-pocket by households.