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The Government of Sierra Leone fully implemented the salary increases announced in the April 2025 Budget, bringing relief to thousands of public sector workers, even as official data shows a gradual decline in the overall government workforce during the first half of the year.
Workforce data for January to June 2025 reveals that the total government workforce reduced from 95,202 in January to 94,636 in June — a net drop of 566 employees.
According to the analysis, the monthly changes were not drastic, though there was a slight increase in March. The overall decline was mainly attributed to retirements and disciplinary actions, including suspensions affecting certain categories such as teachers and police officers.
Teachers, who remain one of the largest groups on the payroll, saw their numbers decrease slightly from 38,038 in January to 37,834 in June . The police force also recorded a steady decline during the period, while the military workforce saw a gradual reduction from 6,928 in January to 6,789 in June.
Health workers maintained relatively stable figures, hovering around 16,500 throughout the period.
Despite the workforce reductions, thousands of public sector employees received significant pay increases as promised in the April 2025 Budget.
Among the key adjustments implemented was a 15 percent salary increment for health workers and employees of tertiary education institutions . Civil servants in Grades 8 to 14 received a substantial 30 percent increase — the first major review for that category since 2018 . Core Local Council staff also benefited from a 30 percent raise.
The security sector, including the military, police, correctional service, and fire force, each received a 15 percent increment . Additionally, a 5 percent cost-of-living adjustment was granted to the Judiciary and Foreign Missions .
The only proposed increase not implemented in April 2025 related to government pensioners. Budget wording complications reportedly made it difficult for the Accountant General’s Department to execute the planned 25 percent adjustment for pensioners .
Despite the salary increases, the government’s wage bill remained relatively stable. In April 2025, it stood at NLe598.1 million and slightly decreased to NLe597.8 million in May. By June, the wage bill dropped further to NLe568.9 million, largely due to lower leave allowances paid across most categories .
The data reflects a government balancing salary improvements with workforce adjustments, as efforts continue to manage public expenditure while supporting essential service delivery.
