Contents

Country Overview

Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a coastal country in Western Africa, bordered by Guinea, Liberia and the Atlantic Ocean. Its capital is Freetown. The area has long been home to diverse communities, and Freetown became a major settlement for freed and resettled Africans during the late eighteenth century. Sierra Leone gained independence from the United Kingdom on April 27, 1961, and became a republic in 1971. Today it is a constitutional presidential republic led by President Julius Maada Bio and Vice President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh. Agriculture, mining, commerce and services form its economy, with iron ore a major goods export. [15] [8] [9] [2] [7]

Reference status: Contemporary edition • Verified: November 5, 2026 • Statistical reference years describe the underlying source period, not the page verification date.

CapitalFreetownWestern Area
Population8,819,7942025, World Bank [1]
Total surface area72,300 km²United Nations [4]
Nominal GDPUS$7.46 billion2025, World Bank [1]
GDP per capitaUS$846.32025, current dollars [1]
CurrencyLeoneSLE (redenominated 2022)

Comparability: The official 2021 mid-term census reported 7,548,702 residents, while the World Bank’s 2025 population estimate is 8,819,794. Total surface area is 72,300 km² in UNData, against alternate institutional conventions of 71,740 and 72,180 km². Numbers from different years or definitions are identified separately throughout this entry. [3] [1] [4] [6] [5]

Identity and State Formation

Official name
Republic of Sierra Leone. [14] [4]
Common name
Sierra Leone.
Demonym
Sierra Leonean.
Capital
Freetown, on the Atlantic coast of the Western Area. [4] [15]
Continent
Africa.
United Nations subregion
Western Africa. [4]
Geographic setting
Atlantic-facing coastal republic between Guinea and Liberia. [6] [4]
Name origin
Portuguese-language historic reference to lion-like mountains near the coast; conventionally rendered “Lion Mountains”. [15]
Precolonial history
Temne, Mende, Limba, Kono, Sherbro, Vai and other communities maintained diverse political and trading networks before British colonial expansion.
Transatlantic slave-trade history
Coastal sites including Bunce Island were used in the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans. [15] [17]
Early Freetown settlement
1787: an organized settlement for freed Black people was established on the Sierra Leone Peninsula. [15]
Nova Scotian settlers
1792: Black Loyalists from Nova Scotia established a major new community at Freetown. [15]
Jamaican Maroons
1800: Maroon migrants from Jamaica joined the growing Freetown community. [15]
Crown Colony
1808: Freetown and the coastal settlement became a British Crown Colony. [15]
British protectorate
1896: Britain proclaimed a protectorate over much of the interior, distinct from the coastal Crown Colony. [15]
Independence
April 27, 1961, from the United Kingdom. [15] [22]
Independence Day
April 27, observed as the national independence anniversary. [15]
First prime minister at independence
Sir Milton Margai. [15]
Republic proclaimed
April 19, 1971; Sierra Leone replaced the monarchy with a republican head of state. [15]
Period of single-party rule
The 1978 constitution created a one-party state, subsequently superseded by multiparty constitutional arrangements. [15] [14]
Current constitutional foundation
Constitution of 1991, with subsequent legislation and amendments. [14]
Civil war
1991–2002, involving armed groups, state forces and regional intervention; the conflict had grave human consequences. [15] [2]
Formal end of civil war
January 18, 2002, when the government declared the conflict over. [15]
Ebola emergency
Sierra Leone was severely affected by the West African Ebola outbreak of 2014–2016. [25]
Recent constitutional politics
The 2023 national elections returned President Bio and an SLPP majority to office; the results were disputed by the opposition. [8] [13] [26]
National flag
Three horizontal stripes: green, white and blue. [14]
National motto
Unity, Freedom, Justice.
Contemporary state status
Sovereign multiparty presidential republic. [14] [22]

Historical milestones: Independence (1961), the republic (1971), the 1991 constitutional framework and the end of civil war (2002) are distinct historical events. [15] [14]

Geography and Population

Location
Western coast of Africa, fronting the North Atlantic Ocean. [6] [4]
Neighboring countries
Guinea to the north and northeast; Liberia to the southeast. [6]
Western boundary
Atlantic Ocean, including the Sierra Leone Peninsula and coastal islands. [6]
Total surface area
72,300 km² (United Nations Statistics Division convention). [4]
Alternate area convention
71,740 km² in FAO/ECOWAS background references; UNCTAD reports 72,180 km² land area for 2024. [6] [22] [5]
World Bank population—2025
8,819,794, total population estimate. [1]
World Bank population growth—2025
Approximately 2.0% annually. [1]
Government census—2021
7,548,702, 2021 mid-term population and housing census preliminary main enumeration. [3]
2015 census reference
7,092,113 in the 2015 national census, cited by FAO. [6]
Sex distribution in 2021 census
3,727,747 male (49.4%) and 3,820,955 female (50.6%). [3]
Population measurement caveat
The 2021 national census is an enumeration; the 2025 World Bank total is a later statistical estimate, not a census. [3] [1]
Main city
Freetown, the national capital and principal maritime, administrative and commercial centre. [4] [15]
Other major cities
Bo, Kenema, Makeni and Koidu.
Coastal region
Estuaries, mangroves, sandy beaches and the mountainous Sierra Leone Peninsula. [6]
Inland physical regions
Coastal plains transition to interior plateaus, forest, savanna and uplands.
Highest mountain
Mount Bintumani (Loma Mansa), commonly listed at about 1,945 metres.
Major rivers
Rokel (Seli), Sewa, Moa, Mano and Great Scarcies.
Southern river system
The Moa River borders and surrounds the Tiwai Island wildlife landscape. [18]
Offshore and coastal islands
Sherbro Island, the Turtle Islands and Banana Islands, among others.
Climate
Tropical; generally a wet season from roughly May to November and a drier season from December to April.
Rainfall
Especially heavy near Freetown and the coastal peninsula; interior rainfall also supports tropical forests.
Harmattan winds
Dry northeasterly seasonal winds may affect inland areas during the dry season.
Forest landscapes
Upper Guinean rainforest and forest–savanna mosaics, including the Gola landscape. [18]
Key forest wildlife
Western chimpanzees, pygmy hippopotamuses and African forest elephants occur in protected forest ecosystems. [18]
Land-use focus
Smallholder agriculture, plantation crops and forest-resource management are significant. [6]
Agricultural regions
Rice and other crops are grown in inland valleys, lowlands and upland farming systems. [6] [24]
Environmental pressures
Deforestation, land degradation, flooding, coastal erosion and urban slope instability.
Freetown hazard exposure
Steep slopes, intense rainfall and urban development increase localized landslide and flash-flood risks.
Protected natural heritage
Gola Rainforest National Park and Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary together form the Gola-Tiwai Complex. [18]
Time zone
Greenwich Mean Time / UTC+00:00 throughout the year.
International dialing code
+232.
Internet country code
.sl.

Area and population definitions: The UN surface-area value is used for the summary, while other institutional measurements remain visible for comparison. The 2021 census and 2025 estimated population have different dates and methods. [4] [6] [3] [1]

Economy and International Trade

Economic structure
Agriculture, mining, industry, commerce and services; resource and food-import exposure remains significant. [2] [6]
Nominal GDP—2025
US$7.46 billion, rounded World Bank current-dollar series. [1]
GDP per capita—2025
US$846.3, World Bank current-dollar series. [1]
Real GDP growth—2025
4.6%, World Bank annual growth series. [1]
Annual consumer inflation—2025
7.5%, World Bank annual average consumer-price series. [1]
Recent inflation development
The World Bank noted inflation of 15.7% in August 2026, a monthly year-on-year reading rather than the 2025 calendar-year average. [2]
Modeled unemployment—2025
3.1% of labor force in the World Bank’s ILO modeled series; this does not capture all underemployment or informal labor. [1]
Life expectancy at birth—2024
About 62 years in the World Bank series. [1]
Electricity access—2024
About 39.2% of population in the World Bank series. [1]
Agriculture
Rice, cassava, cocoa, oil palm and other food and cash crops; smallholder livelihoods are widespread. [6] [24]
Main food staple
Rice; imported rice remains an important item in domestic food supply and trade. [6] [7]
Agricultural development priority
Feed Salone, a government programme within the 2024–2030 national development agenda. [24]
Mineral resources
Iron ore, diamonds, rutile, bauxite, gold and ilmenite. [7] [2]
Principal 2024 export commodity
Iron ore, US$830.02 million in the Ministry of Finance/Bank of Sierra Leone trade series. [7]
Diamond exports—2024
US$102.33 million in the official merchandise receipts series. [7]
Rutile exports—2024
US$84.10 million in the official merchandise receipts series. [7]
Cocoa exports—2024
US$144.91 million, an agricultural merchandise export. [7]
Palm-oil exports—2024
US$95.01 million in official merchandise trade receipts. [7]
Other export goods
Fish and shrimp, coffee, timber, ilmenite, gold and other minerals. [7]
Total merchandise exports—2024
US$1,549.50 million, official Ministry of Finance / Bank of Sierra Leone series. [7]
Total merchandise imports—2024
US$2,048.62 million, same official reporting series. [7]
Goods trade deficit—2024
US$499.12 million using the bulletin’s exact import less export totals (bulletin rounds the deficit to US$499.10 million). [7]
Minerals share of 2024 goods exports
76.8% in official export category totals. [7]
Agriculture share of 2024 goods exports
18.8% in official export category totals. [7]
Leading 2024 import group
Mineral fuels and lubricants, US$747.02 million (36.5% of merchandise imports). [7]
Food imports—2024
US$446.22 million (21.8% of imports). [7]
Machinery and transport imports—2024
US$334.04 million (16.3% of imports). [7]
National currency
Leone, ISO 4217 code SLE. [4] [19]
Currency subdivision
100 cents per new leone. [19]
Currency redenomination
New leone introduced July 1, 2022, at 1 SLE = 1,000 old leones. [19]
Monetary authority
Bank of Sierra Leone. [19]
Exchange-rate regime
Currency value is not a fixed one-to-one parity with the U.S. dollar; exchange rates vary.
Leading seaport
Port of Freetown; maritime imports and exports are integral to trade.
Airport gateway
Freetown International Airport at Lungi, across the estuary from the capital.
Road connectivity
National roads and cross-border links connect Freetown to Guinea, Liberia and inland towns.
Service sectors
Trade, transportation, telecommunications, education, finance and government services contribute to output. [2]
Tourism potential
Historical coastal sites, beaches, rainforest and wildlife conservation support the tourism sector. [15] [18]
Diaspora remittances
Cross-border remittances support households; World Bank country indicators distinguish remittances from GDP and trade. [1]
External financial risks
Import costs, commodity prices, debt servicing, exchange rates and climatic impacts affect macroeconomic stability. [2]
Income classification
World Bank low-income economy; this category is not a measure of household wages. [2]
Services vs merchandise
The export and import tables below cover goods, not all tourism or other services receipts. [7] [5]
Trade-provider discrepancy
UNCTAD 2024 merchandise exports of about US$1.535 billion differ modestly from official receipts of US$1.54950 billion; datasets should not be merged silently. [5] [7]

Selected merchandise export categories (official receipts, 2024)

Values in US$ millions, from Sierra Leone Ministry of Finance, Annual Economic Bulletin 2024, table 5.1, drawing on Bank of Sierra Leone returns. Categories are selected components and should not be added to larger umbrella totals. [7]

Export category2024 value (US$ million)Share of total exports
All merchandise exports1,549.50100.0%
Mineral exports, combined1,189.6976.8%
Iron ore830.0253.6%
Diamonds102.336.6%
Rutile84.105.4%
Agricultural exports, combined291.1118.8%
Cocoa144.919.4%
Palm oil95.016.1%
Fish and shrimp32.792.1%
Other exports / residual category53.923.5%

Merchandise imports and trade balance (official receipts, 2024)

Import categories and totals use the same national annual bulletin, table 5.2. Values in US$ millions. [7]

Import category or trade measure2024 value (US$ million)Share / explanation
Total merchandise imports2,048.62100.0% of goods imports
Mineral fuels and lubricants747.0236.5% of goods imports
Food446.2221.8% of goods imports
Machinery and transport equipment334.0416.3% of goods imports
Manufactured goods classified by materials190.669.3% of goods imports
Chemicals124.596.1% of goods imports
Total merchandise exports1,549.50Reported in table 5.1
Merchandise trade balance−499.12Exports minus imports, calculated from two unrounded totals

Trade method: The official national returns for 2024 give goods exports of US$1,549.50 million and goods imports of US$2,048.62 million. UNCTAD’s separate harmonized series gives approximately US$1,535 million and US$2,049 million; the values are not interchangeable. The WTO’s online product-level tariff profile often shows a much older reporting year for Sierra Leone and is not used as if it were 2024 trade. [7] [5]

Economic interpretation: Sierra Leone’s iron ore and mining trade is important, but GDP also includes agriculture and services. Export and import amounts below are national merchandise data for 2024; they are not the World Bank’s 2025 GDP or services-account figures. [2] [7] [1]

People and Society

Population composition
A multilingual society with numerous ethnolinguistic communities. [16] [3]
Official language
English, used in constitutional, administrative, legal and formal education contexts. [22] [14]
Widely spoken lingua franca
Krio, an English-lexifier Creole widely understood across ethnic and regional lines. [15]
Major indigenous languages
Mende, Temne, Limba, Kono, Kuranko, Loko, Fula, Mandinka, Kissi, Sherbro and others. [16]
Mende
Major ethnolinguistic group, especially in southern and eastern areas. [16]
Temne
Major ethnolinguistic group, especially in northern and northwestern areas. [16]
Krio community
Creole cultural heritage is strongly associated with Freetown and histories of liberated and resettled Africans. [15]
Other ethnic communities
Include Limba, Kono, Fula, Loko, Koranko, Mandinka, Kissi, Sherbro and Vai. [16]
Religion—Muslim
About 77%, government estimate reported in the 2023 U.S. religious-freedom report. [16]
Religion—Christian
About 22%, same government-estimate reporting period. [16]
Religion—traditional and other beliefs
Approximately 2% reported under animist/traditional or other categories; approximate religious proportions are rounded and need not sum to 100%. [16]
Islamic communities
Predominantly Sunni Muslim; other Muslim traditions also present. [16]
Christian communities
Includes Methodist, Pentecostal, other Protestant and Catholic traditions. [16]
Interfaith relations
Muslim and Christian communities and inter-religious institutions cooperate in civic life. [16]
Constitutional religious freedoms
Freedom of conscience and religion is provided for by the constitutional and legal framework. [14] [16]
Historical education institution
Fourah Bay College was founded in 1827 and became a major centre of higher learning in West Africa. [15]
Education system
Primary, junior-secondary, senior-secondary, technical and tertiary education are principal levels.
Education policy
Free Quality School Education is a major programme of the Bio administration. [8]
University and tertiary centres
University of Sierra Leone and Njala University are major institutions.
Healthcare
Public health services operate alongside private, faith-based and community providers.
Public health history
The 2014–2016 Ebola epidemic sharply tested health institutions and shaped subsequent surveillance priorities. [25]
Staple foods
Rice, cassava, palm-oil sauces, fish and leafy vegetables feature in everyday cuisine.
Music traditions
Traditional drumming, dance, palm-wine music and contemporary popular styles.
National celebration
Independence Day, April 27. [15]
Sport
Football is widely followed; athletics and other sports also have national associations.
Cultural history
Freetown’s settlement history intersects with Black Atlantic histories, abolition and the transatlantic slave trade. [15]
Cultural landmarks
Bunce Island, historic Freetown and Fourah Bay College are significant historical reference sites. [15] [17]
Social development priorities
Food security, education, health systems, youth opportunity and women’s participation. [24] [8] [12]
Labor-market interpretation
Informal work, household farming and underemployment are not fully conveyed by the modeled unemployment figure. [1] [6]
Heritage and biodiversity
The Gola-Tiwai natural property was recognized in 2025 for globally important forest biodiversity. [18]

Religion methodology: The 2023 religious-freedom report cites government approximations for religious groups, not a 2026 census; percentages are rounded. [16]

Government and Institutions

Government type
Unitary presidential constitutional republic. [14] [22]
Constitution
1991 Constitution, with amendments and subsequent laws. [14]
Head of state
President Julius Maada Bio. [8]
Head of government
The president leads the executive government; Sierra Leone has no separate serving prime minister. [14] [8]
President in office since
April 2018; reelected in June 2023. [8]
Vice president
Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh. [9]
Chief minister
Moinina David Sengeh, head of executive delivery coordination (not a prime minister). [10]
President’s party
Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP). [8] [13]
Principal opposition party
All People’s Congress (APC). [13]
2023 presidential election
Julius Maada Bio was declared reelected with 56.17% of valid votes; the opposition disputed the result. [8] [26]
Election controversy
Domestic and international observers raised questions concerning aspects of vote tabulation and transparency. [26]
Legislature
Unicameral Parliament. [14] [12]
Statutory parliamentary membership
149 seats total. [12]
Directly elected MPs
135 seats. [12]
Paramount chief representatives
14 indirectly elected seats for provincial chiefdom representation. [12]
2023 elected-party distribution
SLPP 81 and APC 54 of the 135 directly elected seats; 14 chief seats are additional. [13] [12]
2023 electoral system
District-based list proportional representation for the 135 directly elected seats. [13]
Women’s political participation
Gender equality legislation and 2022 electoral rules include women-candidate participation requirements. [12] [13]
Constitutional executive institutions
The president, vice president, Cabinet and ministries exercise national executive responsibilities. [14] [9] [11]
Judicial institutions
Supreme Court and other superior and subordinate courts under the constitutional framework. [14]
Local government
Local councils and chiefdom authorities form parts of subnational governance.
Administrative framework
Four provinces (Eastern, Northern, North Western, Southern) and the Western Area. [6]
District organization
Sixteen administrative districts in the post-2017 arrangement; chiefdom representation uses 14 provincial districts. [12] [6]
Chiefdom governance
Paramount chiefs are traditional local authorities, and fourteen hold indirect parliamentary seats. [12]
Primary policy programme
Feed Salone is a central agriculture, food-security and import-substitution initiative. [24]
Government data-date policy
Officeholders verified for November 5, 2026; election figures refer to 2023, not a new election in 2026. [8] [9] [13]

Parliamentary composition: The 81 SLPP and 54 APC elected seats add to 135; fourteen additional members represent paramount chiefs. The reported 2023 presidential result is documented alongside the opposition’s challenge, not presented as undisputed. [12] [13] [26]

International Profile

United Nations membership
September 27, 1961. [4]
African Union
Member of the African Union and its predecessor regional framework. [20]
Economic Community of West African States
ECOWAS member state. [22] [20]
ECOWAS chairmanship in 2025–2026
Julius Maada Bio chaired the ECOWAS Authority before the July 2026 handover. [23]
ECOWAS chairmanship after July 2026
Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye succeeded Bio as Authority chair. [23]
Mano River Union
Member alongside Liberia, Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire. [20]
African Continental Free Trade Area
Sierra Leone participates in the AfCFTA agreement. [20]
World Trade Organization
Member since July 23, 1995. [21]
Commonwealth of Nations
Member, reflecting historical ties and international cooperation.
United Nations regional designation
Western Africa. [4]
UNESCO World Heritage Convention
Convention ratified January 7, 2005. [17]
Inscribed UNESCO World Heritage property
Gola-Tiwai Complex, inscribed in 2025 as a natural property. [17] [18]
World Heritage property count
One inscription as of November 2026; older sources listing none are outdated. [17]
Gola-Tiwai components
Gola Rainforest National Park and Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary. [18]
World Heritage tentative sites
Four in UNESCO’s State Party profile, including Bunce Island and Western Area Peninsula National Park. [17]
Biodiversity cooperation
Upper Guinean Forest conservation is important to transboundary environmental collaboration. [18]
Regional security
Cross-border peacekeeping history and ECOWAS diplomacy are important foreign-policy areas. [15] [23]
Humanitarian and public health cooperation
International collaboration responded to the civil war and later Ebola emergency. [15] [25]
Major trade relationships
China, European and regional West African markets participate in mineral, agricultural and merchandise exchange. [7] [20]
Trade and industrial diplomacy
Policy seeks diversified trade, value addition and participation in African integration frameworks. [20] [24]
International development partnerships
World Bank and other multilateral partners support public services, fiscal programmes and infrastructure. [2]
Migration and diaspora
A transnational Sierra Leonean diaspora maintains family, cultural and economic links to the country.
Contemporary reference cutoff
Political and international status checked November 5, 2026; dated data series remain identified by their own years.

2026 regional leadership: The ECOWAS Authority chairmanship transferred from Sierra Leone’s President Bio to Senegal’s President Faye in July 2026. [23]

Sources and Methodology

Statistical method: World Bank country indicators provide internationally comparable population and macroeconomic data for 2025. Statistics Sierra Leone supplies the 2021 mid-term census, and UNData supplies the 72,300 km² surface-area convention. National official 2024 trade receipts are from the Ministry of Finance/Bank of Sierra Leone annual bulletin. These values refer to different statistical years and are not assumed to describe a single moment.

Data qualifications: The census and the World Bank population series are different measures; published area conventions vary by organization. GDP per capita is not mean or median personal income. Religion percentages are approximations from an earlier reporting period and may exceed 100% when rounded. The 2025 annual inflation rate must not be confused with an August 2026 point-in-time inflation reading. Trade tables exclude international services and use the ministry’s own reporting series; other international data compilers may differ. Current officeholders and memberships were checked against institutional sources available by November 5, 2026.

  1. World Bank — Sierra Leone country data — 2025 population, nominal GDP, GDP per capita, GDP growth, inflation and modeled unemployment; 2024 life expectancy and electricity access.
  2. World Bank — Sierra Leone country overview — Economic structure, the 2023 election, 2025 fiscal situation and August 2026 inflation update.
  3. Statistics Sierra Leone — 2021 Mid-Term Population and Housing Census, preliminary report — 2021 mid-term census count of 7,548,702, sex distribution and earlier census comparison; the count is not a 2025 estimate.
  4. United Nations Statistics Division — Sierra Leone profile — West Africa classification, surface area of 72,300 km², capital, currency and United Nations admission on September 27, 1961.
  5. UNCTAD — Sierra Leone general profile, 2024 — Different area convention, 2024 merchandise exports and imports and the methodological distinction from domestic trade returns.
  6. FAO — Sierra Leone at a Glance — Border countries, 2021 official census, land use and agricultural livelihoods; FAO area differs from UN surface area.
  7. Ministry of Finance, Sierra Leone — Annual Economic Bulletin 2024 — Pages 14–15, Bank of Sierra Leone figures: 2024 merchandise exports and imports, mineral and agricultural receipts, commodity groups and trade balance.
  8. Office of the President — Presidential Press Kit — Julius Maada Bio, president, and official description of his 2023 reelection.
  9. Office of the President — Office of the Vice President — Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, vice president, with the office’s constitutional role.
  10. Office of the President — Office of the Chief Minister — Moinina David Sengeh, chief minister, serving as an executive coordinator rather than a separately elected prime minister.
  11. Office of the President — Cabinet — Official roster of government ministers for the 2026 reference snapshot.
  12. Inter-Parliamentary Union — Sierra Leone Parliament — 149 statutory National Assembly seats: 135 directly elected and 14 paramount-chief representatives.
  13. Inter-Parliamentary Union — Sierra Leone June 2023 parliamentary election — 2023 parliamentary election, 81 SLPP and 54 APC elected seats, electoral method and gender rules.
  14. Parliament of Sierra Leone — Constitution of Sierra Leone (1991) — 1991 constitutional framework, sovereign republic, president, Parliament, institutions and rights.
  15. United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office — History of Sierra Leone — Freetown settlement, Crown Colony, protectorate, independence, republican status, civil war and end in January 2002.
  16. U.S. Department of State — 2023 International Religious Freedom Report: Sierra Leone — Government religion estimates of 77% Muslim, 22% Christian and approximately 2% traditional/other; figures are approximate and overlap due to rounding.
  17. UNESCO World Heritage Centre — Sierra Leone State Party — One inscribed World Heritage property (Gola-Tiwai Complex, 2025) and four tentative properties.
  18. UNESCO World Heritage Centre — Gola-Tiwai Complex — 2025 inscription, site components, Upper Guinean Forest biodiversity and conservation.
  19. Bank of Sierra Leone — Redenomination of the Leone — Currency redenomination of 1 new leone to 1,000 old leones.
  20. U.S. International Trade Administration — Sierra Leone Trade Agreements — ECOWAS, Mano River Union, AfCFTA and external trade arrangements, January 2026.
  21. World Trade Organization — Sierra Leone member information — WTO membership starting July 23, 1995.
  22. ECOWAS — Sierra Leone country profile — Membership, official English, independence, and geographic background; its legacy currency code is not used as a contemporary code.
  23. ECOWAS — 69th Heads of State and Government summit, July 2026 — July 2026 ECOWAS leadership handover from Julius Maada Bio to Bassirou Diomaye Faye.
  24. Office of the President — Feed Salone — Current 2024–2030 agriculture and food-security development strategy.
  25. World Health Organization — Ebola outbreak 2014–2016, West Africa — Regional Ebola epidemic and public health effects on Sierra Leone.
  26. Centre for Democracy and Development — Sierra Leone 2023 election assessment — 2023 presidential and parliamentary election dispute, observation concerns and political context.