Natural resources of Sierra Leone
Oil, gas, minerals, forests and water in Sierra Leone: what it produces, how it ranks in the world, who mines it and what it earns. Every figure is from an official source and is updated when the source is.
Resource rents, share of GDP (2021)
9.0 %
Resources, share of goods exports (2024)
80.5 %
Forest, share of land (2024)
34.0 %
Source: World Bank; UN Comtrade; U.S. Energy Information Administration. Last checked 24 October 2026.
| Titanium Mineral Concentrates (rutile) | 110 | thousand metric tons | 2 | Not published | 1 | 2,900 thousand metric tons |
| Zirconium | 25 | thousand metric tons | 9 | 2.1 | 5 | 290 thousand metric tons |
Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026. Last checked 24 October 2026.
Mining and minerals
The U.S. Geological Survey records 9 mineral commodities with published production in Sierra Leone between 2017 and 2021, from metals and gemstones to industrial minerals and fuels. The table includes processed products such as cement and steel, which USGS reports alongside raw minerals.
Showing 9 of 9
| Bauxite | Metals | thousand metric tons | 1,788 | 1,938 | 1,884 | 1,342 | 1,397 | Not published |
| Gold, mine, Au content | Metals | kilograms | 140 | 446 | 76 | 120 | 60 | 2019: r |
| Iron ore, mine, gross weight | Metals | thousand metric tons | 6,985 | 923 | 171 | 6,100 | 6,100 | 2020: e, 3; 2021: e |
| Iron ore, mine, fe content | Metals | thousand metric tons | 4,050 | 535 | 97 | 3,500 | 3,500 | 2020: e, 3; 2021: e |
| Ilmenite and leucoxene | Metals | Not published | 58,000 | 54,500 | 59,200 | 45,800 | 52,100 | Not published |
| Rutile | Metals | Not published | 168,000 | 121,500 | 137,200 | 120,200 | 129,300 | Not published |
| Zirconium, zircon concentrate | Metals | Not published | 3,000 | 11,400 | 9,000 | 6,600 | 4,100 | 2019: e |
| Cement, hydraulic | Industrial Minerals | Not published | 310,000 | 310,000 | 340,000 | 345,000 | 360,000 | 2017: r; 2018: r; 2019: r |
| Diamond, gem and industrial | Industrial Minerals | carats | 289,141 | 741,586 | 811,604 | 641,000 | 839,000 | Not published |
Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Minerals Yearbook, country tables. Last checked 24 October 2026.
Showing 9 of 9
| Bauxite | Sierra Mineral Holdings I Ltd. (Vimetco N.V., 100%) | Sierra Minerals Mine, 150 kilometers southeast of Freetown | 2,000 | Not published |
| Cement | Sierra Leone Cement Corp. Ltd. (HeidelbergCement AG, 100%) | Leocem cement plant, Freetown | 600 | Not published |
| Diamond | OCTÉA Diamond Group (BSG Resources Ltd. 100%) | Koidu kimberlite project, 2 kilometers from the district capital of Koidu | 540 | thousand carats |
| Gold | Artisanal miners | Various locations throughout the country | Not published | kilograms |
| Iron ore | Tonkolili Iron Ore (SL) Ltd. (Shandong Iron and Steel Group 100%) | Tonkolili Mine, 190 kilometers northeast of Freetown | 20,000 | Not published |
| Iron ore | Timis Corp. (Gerald Group 100%) | Marampa Mine, 150 kilometers northeast of Freetown | 5,400 | Not published |
| Titanium, mineral concentrates, ilmenite | Sierra Rutile Ltd. (Iluka Resources Ltd., 100%) | Lanti Dry and Gangama Mines. Moyamba and Bonthe Districts | 60 | Not published |
| Titanium, mineral concentrates, rutile | Sierra Rutile Ltd. (Iluka Resources Ltd., 100%) | Lanti Dry and Gangama Mines. Moyamba and Bonthe Districts | 200 | Not published |
| Zirconium, zircon concentrate | Sierra Rutile Ltd. (Iluka Resources Ltd., 100%) | Lanti Dry and Gangama Mines. Moyamba and Bonthe Districts | 10 | Not published |
Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Minerals Yearbook 2019, Sierra Leone. Last checked 24 October 2026.
What natural resources earn
Natural resource rents were 9% of GDP in 2021, with forests and timber the largest part. That ranks Sierra Leone 24th of 54 African countries. See all 54.
View the data as a table
| Period | Minerals | Forests |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 0.8 % | 9.7 % |
| 2011 | 1.2 % | 9.8 % |
| 2012 | 1.0 % | 8.8 % |
| 2013 | 0.2 % | 7.0 % |
| 2014 | 0.3 % | 7.7 % |
| 2015 | 0.8 % | 9.8 % |
| 2016 | 2.8 % | 11.9 % |
| 2017 | 3.7 % | 11.3 % |
| 2018 | 0.9 % | 7.7 % |
| 2019 | 0.0 % | 7.5 % |
| 2020 | 0.0 % | 8.2 % |
| 2021 | 0.2 % | 8.8 % |
| 2022 | Not published | Not published |
| 2023 | Not published | Not published |
| 2024 | Not published | Not published |
| 2025 | Not published | Not published |
| 2026 | Not published | Not published |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators. Last checked 24 October 2026.
Forest, share of land (2024)
34.0 %
Arable land, share of land (2024)
21.9 %
Renewable fresh water per person (2022)
19,331 m³
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators. Last checked 24 October 2026.
Method and sources
Oil, gas and coal output and coal reserves are from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Oil and gas proved reserves are the EIA figures republished by Our World in Data; oil is converted from cubic metres to barrels at the standard factor. World production, reserves and ranks are from the U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries, ranked among the countries USGS names. The full list of commodities and the companies that mine them are from the USGS Minerals Yearbook country tables, which run a few years behind. Rents, land and water are from the World Bank, and export shares from UN Comtrade. Nothing is estimated by us. Figures last checked on 24 October 2026.
USGS country page for Sierra Leone. EIA international energy data. World Bank resource rents.
Frequently asked questions
What natural resources does Sierra Leone have?
Sierra Leone's main natural resources are titanium mineral concentrates, zirconium and timber. Metal ores made up 72% of its goods exports in 2024, and all resources together 80.5%. The World Bank puts natural resource rents at 9% of GDP in 2021, mostly from forests and timber. The U.S. Geological Survey also records production of bauxite, gold, iron ore, ilmenite and leucoxene, rutile and diamond.
Does Sierra Leone produce oil?
The U.S. Energy Information Administration records no meaningful crude oil production for Sierra Leone in 2025.
What is Sierra Leone's most valuable natural resource?
By export earnings, metal ores: 72% of goods exports in 2024, according to UN Comtrade (figures reported by Sierra Leone's trading partners).
How much do natural resources contribute to Sierra Leone's economy?
Natural resource rents, the value of resources extracted minus the cost of extracting them, were 9% of GDP in 2021. That ranks Sierra Leone 24th of 54 African countries.
Which companies mine in Sierra Leone?
The U.S. Geological Survey's 2019 list of Sierra Leone's mineral industry names 6 operating companies, including Sierra Mineral Holdings I Ltd., Sierra Leone Cement Corp. Ltd., OCTÉA Diamond Group, Tonkolili Iron Ore and Timis Corp.. The full list is on this page.
Where does Sierra Leone rank in world mineral production?
In 2025, Sierra Leone ranked 2nd for titanium mineral concentrates (rutile) and 9th for zirconium among the producers the U.S. Geological Survey lists.