Sierra Leone

Sub-Saharan Africa·Low income

Population: 8.46M; 101st of 217
GDP: $7.55B; 162nd of 214 · 2024
GDP per capita: $873; 200th of 214 · 2024
Life expectancy: 61.8; 206th of 217
Human development: 0.477; 179th of 189 · 2021

Benchmarked against

Sierra Leone

Liberia

Gambia, The

Nigeria

Guinea-Bissau

Default peers are drawn from region, income, and bloc membership — swap in any country you like. The gray tick on each strip is the world median.

low-income West African economy; primarily subsistent agriculture; key iron and diamond mining activities suspended; slow recovery from 1990s civil war; systemic corruption; high-risk debt; high youth unemployment; natural resource rich

Area: 71,740 km²
Languages: English (official, regular use limited to literate minority), Mende (principal vernacular…
Resources: diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite
Borders: Guinea; Liberia

Religion

who identifies with what, 2020

world view →

Muslim80.1%▼ 1.4pt
Christian19.8%▲ 1.7pt

Religious diversity: 3.71 / 10 · moderate · 84th of 193

Change markers show percentage-point shifts from 2010 to 2020 · Pew Research Center, Religious Composition 2010–2020.

Score card

quartile grades among all countries with data

A · Top quartileB · Above medianC · Below medianD · Bottom quartile

Topic

SLE

LBR

GMB

NGA

GDP

current US$

$7.55B–––

GDP per capita

current US$

–––

GDP per capita, PPP

international $

–––

GDP growth

annual %

–––

GNI per capita

Atlas method, US$

–––

Inflation

GDP deflator, annual %

–––

FDI inflows

current US$

$241M–––

Merchandise trade

% of GDP

43.4%–––

Agriculture value added

% of GDP

25.4%–––

Industry value added

% of GDP

27.3%–––

Unemployment

% of labor force

–––

Gini index

0–100

–––

Extreme poverty

% below $2.15/day

–––

Population

people

8.46M–––

Population density

people per km²

114.7–––

Urban population

% of total

44.3%–––

Life expectancy

years at birth

–––

Fertility rate

births per woman

3.8–––

Net migration

people

-11K–––

Population under 15

% of total

38.1%–––

Population 65+

% of total

3.2%–––

Infant mortality

per 1,000 live births

–––

Under-5 mortality

per 1,000 live births

–––

Health expenditure

% of GDP

7.9%–––

Physicians

per 1,000 people

–––

Adult literacy

% ages 15+

–––

Education expenditure

% of GDP

6.8%–––

Tertiary enrollment

% gross

–––

Safe drinking water

% of population

–––

Internet users

% of population

–––

Mobile subscriptions

per 100 people

–––

Fixed broadband

per 100 people

–––

Secure internet servers

per 1M people

–––

Access to electricity

% of population

–––

Energy use per capita

kWh

674.5–––

Electricity per capita

kWh

24.8–––

Electricity generation

TWh

0.2–––

Renewable electricity

% of generation

–––

Fossil electricity

% of generation

–––

CO₂ emissions

Mt per year

–––

CO₂ per capita

t per person

–––

Share of global CO₂

0%–––

GHG per capita

t CO₂e per person

–––

Electoral democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Liberal democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Corruption perceptions

CPI, 0–100

–––

Control of corruption

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Government effectiveness

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Rule of law

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Political stability

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Women's political empowerment

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Religious diversity

Pew RDI, 0–10

3.71–––

Religiously unaffiliated

% of population

0%–––

Human Development Index

UNDP, 0–1

–––

Gender inequality

GII, 0–1

–––

Happiness

Cantril ladder, 0–10

–––

Global Peace Index

1–5

–––

Military expenditure

% of GDP

0.6%–––

Economy & Trade

Output, growth, prices, and openness

theme overview →

GDP

current US$

#162/214

$7.55B2024

GDP per capita

current US$

#200/214

$8732024

GDP per capita, PPP

international $

#178/203

$3,371latest

GDP growth

annual %

#73/214

4%2024

GNI per capita

Atlas method, US$

#193/207

$8402024

Inflation

GDP deflator, annual %

#197/213

20%2024

FDI inflows

current US$

#127/201

$241M2023

Merchandise trade

% of GDP

#142/205

43.4%2024

Agriculture value added

% of GDP

#18/206

25.4%2024

Industry value added

% of GDP

#73/208

27.3%2024

Unemployment

% of labor force

#47/187

3.2%latest

Gini index

0–100

#88/168

35.7latest

Extreme poverty

% below $2.15/day

#149/168

41.5%latest

People & Society

Population structure, urbanization, and migration

theme overview →

Population

people

#101/217

8.46Mlatest

Population density

people per km²

#91/216

114.7latest

Urban population

% of total

#160/215

44.3%latest

Life expectancy

years at birth

#206/217

61.8latest

Fertility rate

births per woman

#35/217

3.8latest

Net migration

people

#158/217

-11K2024

Population under 15

% of total

#37/217

38.1%2024

Population 65+

% of total

#183/217

3.2%2024

Health & Education

Longevity, mortality, learning, and public spending

theme overview →

Infant mortality

per 1,000 live births

#188/196

56.2latest

Under-5 mortality

per 1,000 live births

#190/196

94.3latest

Health expenditure

% of GDP

#63/192

7.9%latest

Physicians

per 1,000 people

#190/195

0latest

Adult literacy

% ages 15+

#150/160

48.6%latest

Education expenditure

% of GDP

#18/199

6.8%latest

Tertiary enrollment

% gross

#192/194

1.9%latest

Safe drinking water

% of population

#136/139

10.3%latest

Connectivity

Internet, mobile, and digital infrastructure

theme overview →

Internet users

% of population

#196/210

20.6%latest

Mobile subscriptions

per 100 people

#123/214

107.92022

Fixed broadband

per 100 people

#206/208

02021

Secure internet servers

per 1M people

#204/215

11.32024

Access to electricity

% of population

#205/215

35.5%latest

Energy & Climate

Energy use, electricity mix, and emissions

theme overview →

Energy use per capita

kWh

#185/198

674.52023

Electricity per capita

kWh

#199/202

24.82023

Electricity generation

TWh

#187/202

0.22023

Renewable electricity

% of generation

#15/202

95.2%2023

Fossil electricity

% of generation

#17/202

4.8%2023

CO₂ emissions

Mt per year

#44/204

1.42024

CO₂ per capita

t per person

#15/204

0.22024

Share of global CO₂

#161/204

0%2024

GHG per capita

t CO₂e per person

#30/193

22023

Governance & Democracy

Democratic institutions, corruption, and rule of law

theme overview →

Electoral democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

#78/172

0.5592022

Liberal democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

#77/172

0.4242022

Corruption perceptions

CPI, 0–100

#110/178

342022

Control of corruption

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#125/193

-0.5642022

Government effectiveness

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#168/193

-1.162022

Rule of law

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#144/193

-0.8292022

Political stability

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#104/193

-0.08952022

Women's political empowerment

V-Dem, 0–1

#84/172

0.792022

Values & Beliefs

What people hold sacred, permit, and pass on — from 40 years of World Values Survey interviews

theme overview →

Religious diversity

Pew RDI, 0–10

#84/193

3.712020

Religiously unaffiliated

% of population

#185/193

0%2020

Development & Wellbeing

Composite measures of how life is going

theme overview →

Human Development Index

UNDP, 0–1

#179/189

0.4772021

Gender inequality

GII, 0–1

#162/170

0.6332021

Happiness

Cantril ladder, 0–10

#162/164

3.252025

Global Peace Index

1–5

#46/158

1.792023

Military expenditure

% of GDP

#146/161

0.6%latest

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