Sierra Leone (Republic of Sierra Leone)

Sierra Leone Republic of Sierra Leone
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	165th best
Capital	Freetown
Land Area	71 620km21
Location	Africa
Population	7.7m2
Life Expectancy	60.06yrs (2017)3
GNI	$1 622 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	SL, SLE, 6945
Internet Domain	.sl6
Currency	Leone (SLL)7
Telephone	+2328

1. Overview
2. Sierra Leone National and Social Development
3. Sierra Leone's Demographics and Migration
4. Sierra Leone's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
5. Sierra Leone's Health
6. Sierra Leone's Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. Sierra Leone's Modernity and Learning
8. Sierra Leone's Culture, Peace and Inequality
9. Religion and Beliefs
10. Links

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1. Overview

“Democracy is slowly being reestablished after the civil war from 1991 to 2002 that resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of more than 2 million people (about a third of the population). The military, which took over full responsibility for security following the departure of UN peacekeepers at the end of 2005, is increasingly developing as a guarantor of the country's stability. The armed forces remained on the sideline during the 2007 and 2012 national elections but still look to the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL) - a civilian UN mission - to support efforts to consolidate peace. The new government's priorities include furthering development, creating jobs, and stamping out endemic corruption.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Sierra Leone is a country on the upswing and the resilient, friendly people have set about rebuilding their nation. Today there´s much to discover, with scarcely another tourist in sight. West Africa´s secret beach destination rises from the soft waters of the Atlantic, dressed in sun-stained hues, rainforest green and the red, red roads of the north. Sierra Leone: the land so-so-named because it´s shaped like a mountain lion. Sweet Salone, the locals say.

In Freetown, colourful stilted houses recall the days when freed slaves from the Caribbean were resettled upon these shores. Some landed on the peninsula, blanketed with sands as white and soft as cotton wool.

In the north, the Loma Mountains form the highest point west of Cameroon. Further east, streams cut national parks and mangrove swamps swathe rainforest that shelter endangered species like the shy pygmy hippo.

The curtains have been drawn on the painful past, and it´s time for a new act in Sierra Leone. Join the island-hoppers and sun-seekers, swim in the clear blue waters, explore the archipelagos and crack open fresh lobster in the shade of skinny palms and rope-strung hammocks.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Sierra Leone National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better Value11
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
178	Liberia	0.481
179	Congo, DR	0.479
180	Afghanistan	0.478
181	Sierra Leone	0.477
182	Guinea	0.465
183	Yemen	0.455
184	Burkina Faso	0.449
185	Mozambique	0.446
	Africa Avg	0.56
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $11
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
178	Guinea-Bissau	$1 908
179	Afghanistan	$1 824
180	Eritrea	$1 729
181	Sierra Leone	$1 622
182	Madagascar	$1 484
183	Malawi	$1 466
184	Chad	$1 364
185	Yemen	$1 314
	Africa Avg	$5 339
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank12
1	Denmark	27.3
2	Norway	30.5
3	Switzerland	32.2
	...
162	Micronesia	114.6
163	Swaziland	115.0
164	Libya	115.1
165	Sierra Leone	116.3
166	Turkmenistan	116.6
167	Laos	116.7
168	Congo, (Brazzaville)	117.0
169	Niger	117.3
	Africa Avg	119.0
	World Avg	88.8
q=199.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Sierra Leone's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population Datasets:

Sierra Leone's population is predicted to rise to 8.532 million by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 3.88. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₃

Population2
Pos.		2018 Population2
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
99	Switzerland	8.5m
100	Israel	8.4m
101	Togo	7.9m
102	Sierra Leone	7.7m
103	Hong Kong	7.4m
104	Laos	7.1m
105	Bulgaria	7.1m
106	Paraguay	7.0m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
175	Liberia	60.7
176	Equatorial Guinea	60.6
177	Cameroon	60.3
178	Sierra Leone	60.1
179	Benin	59.8
180	Guinea-Bissau	59.7
181	Mozambique	59.3
182	Burkina Faso	59.3
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best14
Pos.		202214
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
173	Madagascar	3.79
174	Malawi	3.85
175	Samoa	3.88
176	Sierra Leone	3.88
177	Comoros	3.91
178=	Solomon Islands	3.93
178=	Guinea-Bissau	3.93
180	Liberia	4.02
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better15
Pos.		2016 Per 10015
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
3=	Burkina Faso	04.7
5=	Sierra Leone	04.8
5=	Zambia	04.8
7=	Eritrea	04.9
7=	Gambia	04.9
9=	Angola	05.0
9=	Afghanistan	05.0
9=	Zimbabwe	05.0
12=	Nigeria	05.1
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

• The Population of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants16
Pos.		2017 %16
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
145	Bolivia	1.3%
146	Tuvalu	1.3%
147	Malawi	1.3%
148	Sierra Leone	1.3%
149	Guinea-Bissau	1.3%
150	Vanuatu	1.2%
151	Ethiopia	1.2%
152	Sao Tome & Principe	1.1%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants17
Pos.		2010 %17
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
115	Yemen	4.7%
116	Hungary	4.6%
117	Colombia	4.6%
118	Sierra Leone	4.6%
119	Philippines	4.6%
120	Egypt	4.4%
121	Germany	4.3%
122	S. Korea	4.3%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Sierra Leone's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #freethought #gender #gender_equality #homosexuality #human_rights #international_law #mass_media #misogyny #morals #politics #prejudice #religious_tolerance #sierra_leone #slavery #tolerance #women

Compared to Africa (2025)18
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank18
1	Mauritius	60.0
2	S. Africa	60.4
3	Cape Verde	64.6
	...
14	Sao Tome & Principe	101.2
15	Mozambique	101.6
16	Tanzania	102.4
17	Sierra Leone	103.7
18	Kenya	104.3
19	Madagascar	104.4
20	Morocco	105.3
21	Zambia	108.3
22	Uganda	108.6
	Africa Avg	110.04
q=54.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)18
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank18
1	Sweden	5.9
2	Norway	8.0
3	Denmark	8.1
	...
121	Mozambique	101.6
122	Tanzania	102.4
123	Russia	103.5
124	Sierra Leone	103.7
125	Lebanon	104.1
126	Belarus	104.3
127	Kenya	104.3
128	Madagascar	104.4
	World Avg	86.35
q=198.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Norway and Denmark₁₉. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are N. Korea, Somalia and Eritrea₁₉.

25 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, combatting modern slavery, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₁₉, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia₁₉.

For more, see:

• " Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets:

Press Freedom Higher is better20
Pos.		202520
1	Norway	92.31
2	Estonia	89.46
3	Netherlands	88.64
	...
52	Panama	66.75
53	Liberia	66.61
54	Romania	66.42
55	Sierra Leone	66.36
56	USA	65.49
57	Gambia	65.49
58	Uruguay	65.18
59	Croatia	64.20
	Africa Avg	52.30
	World Avg	54.65
q=179.

Slavery in the 2020s Lower is better21
Pos.		Total Per 100021
1=	Switzerland	0.50
1=	Norway	0.50
3=	Germany	0.60
	...
40=	Italy	3.30
40=	USA	3.30
42=	Latvia	3.40
42=	Sierra Leone	3.40
44	S. Korea	3.50
45	Swaziland	3.60
46	Burkina Faso	3.70
47=	Portugal	3.80
	Africa Avg	6.90
	World Avg	7.15
q=160.

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom Lower is better22
Pos.		2014 Rank22
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
	...
130	Sri Lanka	130
131	Morocco	131
132	Niger	132
133	Sierra Leone	133
134	Swaziland	134
135	Gabon	135
136	Togo	136
137	Bangladesh	137
	Africa Avg	114.2
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
106=	Kosovo	5.5
106=	Benin	3.5
106=	Sri Lanka	3.5
106=	Sierra Leone	3.5
110=	Gambia	4.0
110=	Georgia	4.0
110=	Guatemala	4.0
110=	Zambia	4.0
	Africa Avg	4.8
	World Avg	3.7
q=205.

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better23
Pos.		2009 Treaties23
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
98=	Gabon	16
98=	San Marino	16
98=	Cambodia	16
101=	Sierra Leone	15
101=	Chad	15
101=	Tanzania	15
101=	St Vincent & Grenadines	15
101=	Liberia	15
	Africa Avg	14.8
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better24
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty24
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
77	Bosnia & Herzegovina	9.17
78	India	9.18
79	Bangladesh	9.18
80	Sierra Leone	9.33
81	China	9.36
82	Lesotho	9.44
83	Gabon	9.47
84	Turkey	9.48
	Africa Avg	9.88
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

Amnesty International's 2023-23 summary on human rights in Sierra Leone stated:

“The right to freedom of peaceful assembly continued to be restricted and the use of excessive force by law enforcement officers was under investigation. The right to freedom of expression for government critics and opponents was repressed. [...] While efforts were made to decongest prisons, there were allegations of torture in one detention centre. Levels of food insecurity worsened. Legal regulation of the mining sector was strengthened.”

"The State of the World's Human Rights 2022/23" by Amnesty International (2023)₂₅

Gender Equality Datasets:

Sierra Leone is an unequal country, with male rights dominating those of women. Traditional Islamic beliefs are the cause.

In 2022-3, women's rights were improved after several laws were adopted₂₅. This included the Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment Act (GEWE), which allows women to take 14-weeks of maternity leave, equal access to bank credit and training opportunities, and 30% of public and private jobs must be reserved for women; President Julius Maada Bio has been in power since 2018, and made an apology to women for their poor treatment in the past: "For so long we haven't been fair to you," he said₂₆.

See:

• "Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)
• "Islam and Women" by Vexen Crabtree (2011)

Gender Inequality Lower is better27
Pos.		202227
1	Denmark	0.01
2	Norway	0.01
3	Switzerland	0.02
	...
150	Congo, DR	0.61
151	Mali	0.61
152	Burkina Faso	0.61
153	Sierra Leone	0.61
154	Ivory Coast	0.62
155	Niger	0.62
156	Haiti	0.62
157	Guinea	0.63
	Africa Avg	0.53
	World Avg	0.34
q=166.

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Total Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
131=	Burundi	1961
131=	Malawi	1961
131=	Paraguay	1961
131=	Sierra Leone	1961
135=	Zambia	1962
135=	Uganda	1962
135=	Monaco	1962
135=	Algeria	1962
	Africa Avg	1961
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Prejudice Datasets:

LGBT Equality Higher is better28
Pos.		2017 Score28
1	Netherlands	103
2	Belgium	90
3	Sweden	86
	...
121=	Benin	1
121=	Niger	1
123	Bahrain	-2
124	Sierra Leone	-3
125=	Grenada	-5
125=	Dominica	-5
125=	Namibia	-5
125=	Kiribati	-5
	Africa Avg	-10.4
	World Avg	12.6
q=196.

Freedom of Thought Lower is better29
Pos.		202129
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
27=	Barbados	2.0
27=	Gabon	2.0
27=	New Zealand	2.0
27=	Sierra Leone	2.0
27=	Luxembourg	2.0
27=	S. Sudan	2.0
33=	Greece	2.3
33=	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.3
	Africa Avg	3.1
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

5. Sierra Leone's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #sierra_leone #smoking #vaccines

Compared to Africa (2025)30
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank30
1	Mauritius	72.2
2	Tunisia	80.2
3	Seychelles	84.8
	...
41	Burkina Faso	138.1
42	Liberia	138.2
43	Niger	140.0
44	Sierra Leone	140.2
45	Ivory Coast	140.3
46	Nigeria	142.0
47	Mali	142.1
48	Guinea	143.2
49	Central African Rep.	145.1
	Africa Avg	111.13
q=54.

Health (2025)30
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank30
1	Monaco	12.4
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	San Marino	30.6
	...
187	Burkina Faso	138.1
188	Liberia	138.2
189	Niger	140.0
190	Sierra Leone	140.2
191	Ivory Coast	140.3
192	Nauru	141.8
193	Nigeria	142.0
194	Mali	142.1
	World Avg	96.86
q=204.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and San Marino₃₁. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₃₁.

36 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate, its immunizations take-up and childhood mortality in the 2020s (so far). The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₃₁, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Melanesia₃₁.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Health Datasets:

Sierra Leone is a pretty unhealthy country. Sierra Leone does better than average when it comes to the prevalence of overweight adults₃₂, its smoking rate₃₃, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₄ and in its alcohol consumption rate₃₅ (but high for Africa). Sierra Leone does not succeed in everything, however. Sierra Leone does worse than average for its immunizations take-up₃₆, its adolescent birth rate₃₇ and in its fertility rate₁₄. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 when it comes to its average life expectancy₁₁ and in childhood mortality in the 2020s (so far)₃₈. The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the past 40 years. Life expectancy in Sierra Leone in 1990 was the sixth lowest in the world, at 44.1yrs, and in 1999 it was the worst, at 42.1yrs. But it improved by +16.2yrs in the 30 years from then, over double the global average improvement of +7.9yrs. Sierra Leone's peak fertility rate was 6.61 in 1987.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
175	Liberia	60.7
176	Equatorial Guinea	60.6
177	Cameroon	60.3
178	Sierra Leone	60.1
179	Benin	59.8
180	Guinea-Bissau	59.7
181	Mozambique	59.3
182	Burkina Faso	59.3
	Africa Avg	62.79
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better35
Pos.		2016 Per Capita35
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
83	Turkmenistan	5.4
84	Armenia	5.5
85	Venezuela	5.6
86=	Sierra Leone	5.7
86=	India	5.7
86=	Cape Verde	5.7
89=	Liberia	5.8
89=	Haiti	5.8
	Africa Avg	4.8
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best14
Pos.		202214
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
173	Madagascar	3.79
174	Malawi	3.85
175	Samoa	3.88
176	Sierra Leone	3.88
177	Comoros	3.91
178=	Solomon Islands	3.93
178=	Guinea-Bissau	3.93
180	Liberia	4.02
	Africa Avg	3.97
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking in the 2020s Lower is better33
Pos.		Total %33
1	Nigeria	3.3%
2	Ghana	3.4%
3	Panama	5.2%
	...
48	Honduras	12.4%
49	Bolivia	12.4%
50	Qatar	12.5%
51	Sierra Leone	12.9%
52	Morocco	13.0%
53	Australia	13.1%
54	Iran	13.3%
55	St Lucia	13.9%
	Africa Avg	12.4%
	World Avg	20.0%
q=165.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better34
Pos.		2017 Rank34
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
58	Morocco	58
59	Cyprus	59
60	Guinea	60
61	Sierra Leone	61
62	Honduras	62
63	Lebanon	63
64	Lithuania	64
65	Cambodia	65
	Africa Avg	117.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better32
Pos.		1976 %32
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
40	Cape Verde	10.1
41	China	10.2
42	Central African Rep.	10.3
43	Sierra Leone	10.4
44	Equatorial Guinea	10.5
45	Comoros	10.8
46	Somalia	10.9
47	Senegal	11.1
	Africa Avg	13.4
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better39
Pos.		2022 %39
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
13	Congo, DR	5.8%
14	Burkina Faso	6.1%
15	Malawi	6.4%
16	Sierra Leone	6.5%
17	Nepal	6.6%
18	S. Korea	6.7%
19	Uganda	6.9%
20	India	7.2%
	Africa Avg	13.7%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199.

Children's Health Datasets:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better37
Pos.		2022 Per 100037
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
171	Benin	90.8
172	Zimbabwe	92.6
173	S. Sudan	97.4
174	Sierra Leone	97.9
175	Nigeria	99.6
176	Congo, (Brazzaville)	101.2
177	Ivory Coast	103.3
178	Uganda	105.7
	Africa Avg	84.6
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better36
Pos.		2015 Avg %36
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
131	Netherlands	88.1
132	Paraguay	88.1
133	Bosnia & Herzegovina	88.0
134	Sierra Leone	87.7
135	Suriname	87.2
136	Ecuador	86.8
137	Cambodia	86.5
138	Namibia	86.5
	Africa Avg	81.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better38
Pos.		Total Per 100038
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
	...
188	Mali	117.79
189	Nigeria	126.78
190	Niger	127.65
191	Chad	131.11
192	Sierra Leone	133.17
193	Central African Rep.	146.86
194	Somalia	168.16
195	S. Sudan	174.03
	Africa Avg	71.63
	World Avg	32.19
q=195.

Sierra Leone has struggled for decades with its harrowing infant mortality rate, but from the 2000s to the 2020s it finally began to make meaninfgul improvements₃₈. It still has worrying problems, but the trends are finally going in the right direction.

Sierra Leone was amongst 49 countries in the 1990s who had an adolescent birth rate of over 100 (per 1000 girls aged 15-19), and only saw slight improvements in the 2000s. Things are consistently improving, but, in the 2010s it was still amongst only 27 countries that fell into the same grouping.

6. Sierra Leone's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #environmentalism #food #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #sierra_leone #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Africa (2025)40
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank40
1	Morocco	46.5
2	Burundi	47.8
3	Mali	51.0
	...
30	Congo, (Brazzaville)	77.6
31	Egypt	78.0
32	Algeria	79.7
33	Sierra Leone	83.6
34	Guinea-Bissau	83.7
35	Namibia	83.9
36	Central African Rep.	84.2
37	Djibouti	84.5
38	Zambia	85.4
	Africa Avg	80.07
q=53.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)40
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank40
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
98	Panama	82.5
99	Singapore	83.3
100	Georgia	83.6
101	Sierra Leone	83.6
102	Guinea-Bissau	83.7
103	Namibia	83.9
104	S. Korea	84.0
105	Cambodia	84.0
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

We have known for a long term that we must protect the environment from habitation destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, and the emissions that cause climate change. In 1998, Greenpeace wrote that "Environment can no longer be meaningfully separated from health, quality of life, democracy, education, economy or trade"₄₁. What countries have been doing the right thing, via legislation and national culture? All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

• " Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

In terms of its responsibility towards the environment, Sierra Leone comes 101st in the world. This is calculated from 21 data sets. Sierra Leone comes in the best 20 in terms of energy to GDP efficiency₄₂ and in reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₃. It does better than average in the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₄. But, things still need to improve in Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone does worse than average for its environmental performance₄₅, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₆.

Environmental Performance Higher is better45
Pos.		201845
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
152	Iraq	43.2
153	Laos	42.9
154	Burkina Faso	42.8
155	Sierra Leone	42.5
156	Gambia	42.4
157	Congo, (Brazzaville)	42.4
158	Bosnia & Herzegovina	41.8
159	Togo	41.8
	Africa Avg	46.4
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better42
Pos.		2022 Avg42
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
4	Uganda	0.37
5	Sierra Leone	0.37
6	Malawi	0.37
7	Madagascar	0.38
8	Sri Lanka	0.39
9	Burundi	0.41
10	Central African Rep.	0.41
11	Ethiopia	0.42
12	Afghanistan	0.43
	Africa Avg	0.83
	World Avg	1.23
q=165.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
168	Laos	44%
169	Myanmar	44%
170	N. Korea	44%
171	Sierra Leone	43%
172	Eritrea	43%
173	Somalia	43%
174	Tonga	43%
175	Kiribati	42%
	Africa Avg	56.4%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better44
Pos.		2011 %44
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
68	Moldova	40.4%
69	Cameroon	39.0%
70	Uganda	38.6%
71	Sierra Leone	38.6%
72	France	38.4%
73	Mongolia	38.4%
74	Hungary	38.0%
75	Mauritania	38.0%
	Africa Avg	38.3%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better43
Pos.		2021 kg43
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
13	Togo	09.4
14	Kenya	10.3
15	Mozambique	10.4
16	Sierra Leone	11.7
17	Sri Lanka	12.0
18	Tanzania	12.1
19	Ivory Coast	12.6
20	Cambodia	12.6
	Africa Avg	24.9
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

In the 2010s, Sierra Leone had the 10th-lowest meat consumption per person in the world.₄₃

7. Sierra Leone's Modernity and Learning

#education #intelligence #modernity #technology #the_internet

Compared to Africa (2020)47
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank47
1	S. Africa	56.9
2	Tunisia	70.8
3=	Mauritius	79.6
	...
45=	Gambia	155.6
46	Equatorial Guinea	156.7
47	Central African Rep.	160.3
48	Chad	162.1
49	Niger	164.1
50	Guinea	164.6
51	Sierra Leone	167.6
52	S. Sudan	171.7
53	Eritrea	179.4
	Africa Avg	120.19
q=53.

Modernity & Learning (2020)47
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank47
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
183	Papua New Guinea	158.4
184	Central African Rep.	160.3
185	Chad	162.1
186	Niger	164.1
187	Guinea	164.6
188	Sierra Leone	167.6
189	S. Sudan	171.7
190	Eritrea	179.4
	World Avg	86.31
q=190.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Belgium and Denmark₄₈. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone₄₈. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₉.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”

Bill Emmott (2017)₅₀

15 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Intellectual Endeavours, Maths, Science & Reading, Religiosity, IQ, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₄₈, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₈.

For more, see:

• "Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Modernity and Education Datasets:

Secondary Education Higher is better51
Pos.		201851
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
145	Liberia	29.0%
146	Yemen	28.0%
147	Benin	26.5%
148	Sierra Leone	26.3%
149	Ivory Coast	26.1%
150	Afghanistan	26.1%
151	Myanmar	25.8%
152	Central African Rep.	22.1%
	Africa Avg	34.4%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better52
Pos.		2021 Years52
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
173	Equatorial Guinea	9.7
174	Haiti	9.7
175	Ethiopia	9.7
176	Sierra Leone	9.6
177	Gambia	9.4
178	Tuvalu	9.4
179	Mauritania	9.4
180	Tanzania	9.2
	Africa Avg	11.0
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better34
Pos.		2017 Rank34
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
149	Venezuela	149
150	Libya	150
151	Gabon	151
152	Sierra Leone	152
153	Cambodia	153
154	Zambia	154
155	Paraguay	155
156	Tanzania	156
	Africa Avg	106.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

IQ Higher is better53
Pos.		200653
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
130=	Gambia	66
130=	Zimbabwe	66
130=	Senegal	66
133=	Sierra Leone	64
133=	Mozambique	64
133=	Ethiopia	64
133=	Central African Rep.	64
133=	Congo, (Brazzaville)	64
	Africa Avg	70.6
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information Datasets:

Internet Users Higher is better54
Pos.		201654
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
192	Guinea-Bissau	4%
193	Chad	3%
194	Myanmar	3%
195	Sierra Leone	2%
196	Niger	2%
197	Guinea	2%
198	Somalia	2%
199	Burundi	2%
	Africa Avg	18.4%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

8. Sierra Leone's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#afghanistan #capitalism #charitability #charity #corruption #culture #economics #equality #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #internationalism #life_expectancy #morals #peace #politics #poverty #religious_violence #sierra_leone #social_development #terrorism

Compared to Africa (2020)55
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank55
1	Mauritius	50.2
2	Seychelles	66.3
3	Tunisia	76.3
	...
17	Kenya	99.8
18	Tanzania	99.9
19	Lesotho	100.7
20	Sierra Leone	100.8
21	Burkina Faso	102.7
22	Guinea	103.7
23	Uganda	104.0
24	Gabon	104.3
25	Ivory Coast	104.6
	Africa Avg	101.84
q=54.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2020)55
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank55
1	Denmark	11.3
2	Netherlands	13.7
3	Finland	13.7
	...
133	Kenya	99.8
134	Tanzania	99.9
135	Lesotho	100.7
136	Sierra Leone	100.8
137	Palestine	101.4
138	Venezuela	102.4
139	Burkina Faso	102.7
140	Guinea	103.7
	World Avg	80.34
q=186.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 32 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, passport utility in the 2020s (so far), Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, poverty in the 2020s (so far), Inequality in Life Expectancy, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

• "Which are the Countries for International Contributions, Creativity, Peace and Inequality?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

National Culture Datasets:

World Giving Index Higher is better56
Pos.		2022 %56
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
4	Australia	55.0
5	New Zealand	54.0
6	Myanmar	52.0
7=	Sierra Leone	51.0
7=	Canada	51.0
9	Zambia	50.0
10=	Ukraine	49.0
10=	Ireland	49.0
12=	Czechia	48.0
	Africa Avg	38.2
	World Avg	39.6
q=125.

Corruption Higher is better57
Pos.		2022 Points57
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
108=	Kazakhstan	36.0
108=	Thailand	36.0
110=	Gambia	34.0
110=	Sierra Leone	34.0
110=	Malawi	34.0
110=	Indonesia	34.0
110=	Bosnia & Herzegovina	34.0
110=	Nepal	34.0
	Africa Avg	32.31
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Happiness Higher is better58
Pos.		2024 Score58
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
140	Yemen	3.6
141	Congo, DR	3.5
142	Botswana	3.4
143	Zimbabwe	3.4
144	Malawi	3.3
145	Lebanon	3.2
146	Sierra Leone	3.0
147	Afghanistan	1.4
	Africa Avg	4.42
	World Avg	5.58
q=147.

After a few years of steady decline, Sierra Leone became the 2^nd unhappiest country in the world in 2024, after Afghanistan.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better34
Pos.		2017 Rank34
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
126	Oman	126
127	Mozambique	127
128	Niger	128
129	Sierra Leone	129
130	Bangladesh	130
131	Kazakhstan	131
132	Guinea	132
133	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	133
	Africa Avg	117.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Passport Reach (2020s) Higher is better59
Pos.		Total Q59
1	Singapore	192.2
2	Japan	192.0
3	S. Korea	190.7
	...
131	Armenia	65.7
132	Ghana	65.3
133	Zimbabwe	65.2
134	Sierra Leone	64.2
135=	Kyrgyzstan	63.3
135=	Cuba	63.3
137=	Benin	62.5
137=	Mongolia	62.5
	Africa Avg	62.9
	World Avg	108.8
q=195.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better34
Pos.		2017 Rank34
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
126	Chad	126
127	Bahamas	127
128	Liberia	128
129	Sierra Leone	129
130	Kenya	130
131	Kazakhstan	131
132	Bangladesh	132
133	Indonesia	133
	Africa Avg	96.7
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Peace Versus Instability Datasets:

Global Peace Index Lower is better60
Pos.		2023 Score60
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
44	Mongolia	1.77
45	Montenegro	1.77
46	Laos	1.78
47	Sierra Leone	1.79
48	Oman	1.79
49	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	1.80
50	Uruguay	1.80
51	Ghana	1.80
	Africa Avg	2.29
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better34
Pos.		2017 Rank34
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
148	Central African Rep.	148
149	Bosnia & Herzegovina	149
150	Seychelles	150
151	Sierra Leone	151
152	Afghanistan	152
153	Lebanon	153
154	Liberia	154
155	Mali	155
	Africa Avg	83.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better34
Pos.		2017 Rank34
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
80	Ecuador	80
81	Kuwait	81
82	Paraguay	82
83	Sierra Leone	83
84	Israel	84
85	Tanzania	85
86	Jamaica	86
87	Nicaragua	87
	Africa Avg	104.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better61
Pos.		2019 Score61
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
40=	Albania	0.42
40=	Cyprus	0.42
42=	Lithuania	0.46
42=	Sierra Leone	0.46
44	Jamaica	0.47
45	Poland	0.48
46	Gabon	0.55
47	Malawi	0.66
	Africa Avg	3.41
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets:

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better62
Pos.		201962
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
177	Congo, DR	36.10
178	S. Sudan	36.20
179	Mali	36.70
180	Nigeria	37.10
181	Somalia	38.90
182	Sierra Leone	39.00
183	Central African Rep.	40.10
184	Chad	40.90
	Africa Avg	26.10
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better63
Pos.		2023 %63
1	Slovakia	24.1%64
2	Slovenia	24.3%64
3	Belarus	24.4%65
	...
88=	Ivory Coast	35.3%64
89	Marshall Islands	35.5%66
90=	China	35.7%64
90=	Sierra Leone	35.7%67
90=	Mali	35.7%64
93=	Vietnam	36.1%68
93=	Indonesia	36.1%69
95	Senegal	36.2%64
	Africa Avg	40.7%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

Income inequality data is rarely available for Sierra Leone - only for 3 years between 1980 and 2019.

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better70
Pos.		2018 Severity70
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
	...
83	Gambia	.286
84	Senegal	.288
85	Nigeria	.291
86	Sierra Leone	.297
87	Liberia	.320
88	Guinea	.336
89	Benin	.368
90	Guinea-Bissau	.372
	Africa Avg	.264
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₇₁:

	2010	2020
Muslim	81.6%	80.1%
Christian	18.1%	19.8%
Unaffiliated	<0.1%	<0.1%
Hindu	<0.1%	<0.1%
Other	0.214%	<0.1%
Jewish	None	None
Buddhist	None	None

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states simply: Muslim 60%, Christian 10%, indigenous beliefs 30%₇₂.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?