By: Mohamed J. Bangura
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has projected Sierra Leone’s economy to grow by 4.8 percent in 2025, 4.0 percent in 2026 and 4.4 percent in 2027, as Sub-Saharan Africa is expected to maintain annual economic growth of 4.5 percent over the same period.
The projections are contained in the IMF’s October 2026 World Economic Outlook database, which provides economic forecasts for countries across the world.
According to the database, Sub-Saharan Africa’s economic growth is projected to remain steady at 4.5 percent in 2025, 2026 and 2027, despite global economic challenges.
Sierra Leone’s projected growth places the country close to the regional average, although its economic performance is expected to fluctuate slightly over the three-year period.
Across West Africa, Côte d’Ivoire is projected to grow by 6.5 percent in 2025 and 6.0 percent in 2026, while Benin is forecast to record growth of 8.1 percent and 7.0 percent, respectively.
Guinea’s economy is projected to expand by 6.9 percent in 2025 and 7.2 percent in 2026. Ghana is expected to record growth of 6.0 percent and 5.7 percent over the same period, while Niger is forecast to grow by 6.9 percent in 2025 and 7.0 percent in 2026.
The IMF did not publish projections for Senegal because of ongoing programme discussions. Eritrea was also excluded due to data-reporting constraints.
Elsewhere on the continent, Ethiopia and Rwanda are among the economies recording strong projected growth, at 9.2 percent and 9.4 percent, respectively, in 2025. Zimbabwe is projected to grow by 8.3 percent, while Uganda is forecast at 6.7 percent.
South Sudan, which recorded projected growth of 41.4 percent in 2025 following a sharp rebound, is expected to see growth moderate to 10.5 percent in 2026 and 3.9 percent in 2027.
Africa’s larger economies are projected to record more modest growth. Nigeria is forecast to grow by 4.0 percent in 2025 and 4.2 percent in 2026, while South Africa is projected at 1.1 percent and 1.0 percent, respectively. Angola’s economy is expected to expand by 3.1 percent in 2025 and 4.4 percent in 2026.
For Sierra Leone, the projections point to continued economic growth, although the forecast decline from 4.8 percent in 2025 to 4.0 percent in 2026 suggests that growth will not be uniform throughout the period.
The country’s economic outlook comes as the government pursues domestic revenue mobilization, fiscal consolidation and private sector-led growth to strengthen the economy.
Overall, the IMF’s projections indicate that Sub-Saharan Africa is expected to sustain growth at 4.5 percent through 2027, while Sierra Leone’s economy is forecast to expand by 4.4 percent in that year.