GeoRealityMatch
A stunning aerial view of a coastal city with a prominent harbor and lush greenery.A vibrant aerial view of Mount Aureol and its colorful houses in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Sierra Leone

Africa · Western Africa

High safetyLow development

Incomes are low.

Safety

73rd most peaceful of 161

Global Peace Index
1.937lower is more peacefulHigh safety
#73 of 161
IEP GPI · 2026
Homicides
2.2per 100,000 people a yearModerateUNODC / World Bank · 2020
Money

Incomes below the median country

GNI per person
$830national income per person, US dollarsVery low
World Bank · 2025

Income and inflation over time

Income per person rose 46% in current dollars from 2006 to 2025, and rose 36% after inflation.

GDP per person, current US$At purchasing power parityInflation

$0$2.0K$4.0K$3,717 PPP$846Inflation, % a year50%0200620102015202020252006, $580 a person, $1,698 at PPP2007, $632 a person, $1,770 at PPP, inflation 11.6%2008, $705 a person, $1,824 at PPP, inflation 8.2%2009, $653 a person, $1,814 at PPP, inflation 7.5%2010, $685 a person, $1,900 at PPP, inflation 7.2%2011, $761 a person, $2,043 at PPP, inflation 6.8%2012, $938 a person, $2,317 at PPP, inflation 6.6%2013, $1,117 a person, $2,701 at PPP, inflation 5.5%2014, $1,118 a person, $2,762 at PPP, inflation 4.6%2015, $965 a person, $2,560 at PPP, inflation 6.7%2016, $844 a person, $2,635 at PPP, inflation 10.9%2017, $779 a person, $2,501 at PPP, inflation 18.2%2018, $846 a person, $2,640 at PPP, inflation 16%2019, $844 a person, $2,704 at PPP, inflation 14.8%2020, $845 a person, $2,719 at PPP, inflation 13.4%2021, $885 a person, $2,849 at PPP, inflation 11.9%2022, $860 a person, $3,143 at PPP, inflation 27.2%2023, $758 a person, $3,371 at PPP, inflation 47.6%2024, $807 a person, $3,527 at PPP, inflation 28.6%2025, $846 a person, $3,717 at PPP, inflation 7.5%$0$2.0K$4.0KInflation, % a year50%0200620102015202020252006, $580 a person, $1,698 at PPP2007, $632 a person, $1,770 at PPP, inflation 11.6%2008, $705 a person, $1,824 at PPP, inflation 8.2%2009, $653 a person, $1,814 at PPP, inflation 7.5%2010, $685 a person, $1,900 at PPP, inflation 7.2%2011, $761 a person, $2,043 at PPP, inflation 6.8%2012, $938 a person, $2,317 at PPP, inflation 6.6%2013, $1,117 a person, $2,701 at PPP, inflation 5.5%2014, $1,118 a person, $2,762 at PPP, inflation 4.6%2015, $965 a person, $2,560 at PPP, inflation 6.7%2016, $844 a person, $2,635 at PPP, inflation 10.9%2017, $779 a person, $2,501 at PPP, inflation 18.2%2018, $846 a person, $2,640 at PPP, inflation 16%2019, $844 a person, $2,704 at PPP, inflation 14.8%2020, $845 a person, $2,719 at PPP, inflation 13.4%2021, $885 a person, $2,849 at PPP, inflation 11.9%2022, $860 a person, $3,143 at PPP, inflation 27.2%2023, $758 a person, $3,371 at PPP, inflation 47.6%2024, $807 a person, $3,527 at PPP, inflation 28.6%2025, $846 a person, $3,717 at PPP, inflation 7.5%

World Bank: GDP per person in current US dollars and at PPP, real GDP per person, consumer price inflation. Observed years only.

Health

Among the shortest life expectancies

Life expectancy
62.0years, at birthVery low
#184 of 195
World Bank · 2024
Health coverage
48WHO universal health coverage index, 0 to 100Very lowWHO · 2023
Air pollution
35.3PM2.5, micrograms per cubic metre, national averageVery highWHO · 2023
Work and internet
Unemployment rate
3.2%share of the labour force without a jobWorld Bank · 2025
A vibrant aerial view of Mount Aureol and its colorful houses in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
How it changed

Sierra Leone's Human Development Index

0.467Low human development

185th of 193 in UNDP's 2023 ranking, 46th of 54 in Africa.

UNDP builds the index from three dimensions: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable, and a decent standard of living. They are measured by life expectancy at birth, mean and expected years of schooling, and gross national income per capita. UNDP Human Development Report 2025.

Nearest countries by HDI

  1. #183Madagascar0.487
  2. #184Yemen0.470
  3. #185Sierra Leone0.467
  4. #186Burkina Faso0.459
  5. #187Burundi0.439
Full HDI ranking, all 193 countries

HDI since 1990

Year by year

Human development rose from 0.313 in 1990 to 0.467 in 2023.

0.250.380.500.46719902000201020231990: 0.3131991: 0.3031992: 0.3051993: 0.3121994: 0.3121995: 0.3141996: 0.3111997: 0.3071998: 0.3041999: 0.3012000: 0.3182001: 0.3302002: 0.3452003: 0.3542004: 0.3632005: 0.3702006: 0.3722007: 0.3912008: 0.4002009: 0.4062010: 0.4102011: 0.4162012: 0.4182013: 0.4362014: 0.4382015: 0.4322016: 0.4412017: 0.4452018: 0.4512019: 0.4552020: 0.4542021: 0.4582022: 0.4632023: 0.4670.250.380.5019902000201020231990: 0.3131991: 0.3031992: 0.3051993: 0.3121994: 0.3121995: 0.3141996: 0.3111997: 0.3071998: 0.3041999: 0.3012000: 0.3182001: 0.3302002: 0.3452003: 0.3542004: 0.3632005: 0.3702006: 0.3722007: 0.3912008: 0.4002009: 0.4062010: 0.4102011: 0.4162012: 0.4182013: 0.4362014: 0.4382015: 0.4322016: 0.4412017: 0.4452018: 0.4512019: 0.4552020: 0.4542021: 0.4582022: 0.4632023: 0.467

UNDP Human Development Report, 2025 edition. 34 annual values, none interpolated.

Twenty years here

Year by yearThe world report
Life expectancy at birth
62 years2024at birthUp 13.6 years from 48.3 years in 2005
Internet users
25%2024of people onlineUp 25 points from 0% in 2006
Urban population
46%2025of people in towns and citiesUp 9 points from 37% in 2006
Births per woman
3.702024births per womanDown 2.11 from 5.81 in 2005
Renewable share of energy
72%2022of energy usedDown 15 points from 87% in 2004
Access to electricity
39%2024of people with electricityUp 28 points from 11% in 2005
Infant mortality
552024deaths before age one, per 1,000 birthsDown 55 from 109 in 2005
CO2 emissions per person
0.2 t2024of CO2 per person a yearUp 0.1 t from 0.1 t in 2005
Forest area
34%2023of land under forestDown 5 points from 39% in 2004

World Bank, from the first to the last observed year of each indicator; each has its own window.

Our take

Recovering post-civil war: diamonds, Atlantic beaches, extremely low income. The case against is low incomes, short lives and patchy access to essential health services.

About Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone is a West African country with a stunning Atlantic coastline of near-empty beaches, a capital in Freetown set on a peninsula of lush hills, and a culture of music, dance, and community warmth that has survived enormous challenges. The country is undervisited and genuinely hospitable, with a natural beauty that surprises most who arrive. It suits adventurous travellers who want a West African coastal experience without the tourist infrastructure of the Gambia or Senegal.

Practical facts

  • CapitalFreetown
  • LanguagesEnglish
  • CurrencyLeone (SLE)
  • Area72,180 km²
  • Plug typeType G
  • Drives on theright
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Quick answers

What is Sierra Leone's Human Development Index?

Sierra Leone's Human Development Index is 0.467 for 2023 (UNDP Human Development Report 2025), ranked #185 of 193 by UNDP.

Is Sierra Leone safe?

Sierra Leone scores 1.94 on the Global Peace Index (lower is more peaceful), ranked #73 of 161 countries by the Institute for Economics & Peace. That measures national-level peace, not street crime; both are covered below.

What is life expectancy in Sierra Leone?

Life expectancy at birth in Sierra Leone is 62.0 yrs (World Bank), ranked #184 of 195 countries.