Human Development Index in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Human Development Index was 0.467 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Human Development Index in Sierra Leone, 1990–2023
Source: UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2023, human development index in Sierra Leone stood at 0.467. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
The figure is up 0.9% on the previous year and up 7.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, human development index in Sierra Leone peaked at 0.467 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.301, in 1999.
Sierra Leone ranks 185th of 192 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.3082 | 0.301 | 0.314 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.3649 | 0.318 | 0.406 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.4342 | 0.41 | 0.455 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.4605 | 0.454 | 0.467 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 182 Mozambique 0.493 compare
- 183 Madagascar 0.487 compare
- 184 Yemen 0.47 compare
- 186 Burkina Faso 0.459 compare
- 187 Burundi 0.439 compare
- 188 Mali 0.419 compare
- 188 Niger 0.419 compare
More reference data data for Sierra Leone
- Number of child deaths per woman 0.3376 under-five deaths per woman (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. Human Development Index 3.79 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 3.79 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 3.79 live births per woman (2023)
- Rule of Law - Governance estimate -0.8386 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Rule of Law - Governance score 42.53 0-100 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance score 47.87 0-100 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance estimate -0.5129 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Political Stability - Governance estimate -0.4502 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Political Stability - Governance score 58.2 0-100 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is human development index in Sierra Leone?
- Human development index in Sierra Leone was 0.467 in 2023, according to UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest human development index recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 0.467 in 2023.
- What is the lowest human development index recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.301 in 1999.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for human development index?
- Sierra Leone ranks 185th out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is human development index rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Human Development Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The Human Development Index (HDI) is a summary measure of key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, a good education, and a decent standard of living. Higher values indicate higher human development.