Sierra Leone Lost Over 15 Trillion Leones to Corruption Between 2016 to 2018 IMF Report

A new report from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has revealed that Sierra Leone lost an estimated 15.9 trillion old Leones (USD 698 million) to corruption between 2016 and 2018.

The amount far exceeds the country’s total revenue of 8.8 trillion Leones over the same period, severely undermining the country’s economic growth and recovery efforts following its civil war.

According to the Sierra Leone Governance and Corruption Diagnostic 2025 released by the IMF, corruption drained between 10.45 and 15.9 trillion Leones from the national economy during these three years, representing an average of 12.7% of the country’s GDP annually.
The report also highlights how this significant loss has had far-reaching consequences on the nation’s fiscal stability, economic development, and public trust in government institutions.