Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Government spending on education overall vs. primary education was 2.6% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Sierra Leone, 2000–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Sierra Leone is 2.6%, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 46.5% on the previous year and up 68.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Sierra Leone peaked at 5.6% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 1.5%, in 2008.
That places Sierra Leone 163rd out of 199 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2.2% | 1.5% | 4.9% | 9 |
| 2010s | 2.5% | 1.6% | 4.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.6% | 2.6% | 5.6% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
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)
- Human Development Index 0.467 (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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Sierra Leone?
- Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Sierra Leone was 2.6% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest government spending on education overall vs. primary education recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 5.6% in 2021.
- What is the lowest government spending on education overall vs. primary education recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.5% in 2008.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for government spending on education overall vs. primary education?
- Sierra Leone ranks 163rd out of 199 countries with data for 2023.
- Is government spending on education overall vs. primary education rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 68.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Government spending on education overall vs. primary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Total annual general government spending on all levels of education, expressed as a percentage of GDP.