Freedom in Sierra Leone
Where Sierra Leone sits on every statistic this site carries, each against the countries the same source covers. Sierra Leone has a figure for 50 of 60 indicators.
Personal
What a person may say, believe, publish, join and where they may go.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom of expression | 0.823 | 2025 | 50 of 163 |
| Freedom of association | 0.837 | 2025 | 58 of 163 |
| Civil liberties | 0.792 | 2025 | 73 of 163 |
| Freedom from political violence | 0.705 | 2025 | 92 of 163 |
| Equal protection of rights | 0.711 | 2025 | 59 of 163 |
| Academic freedom | 0.862 | 2025 | 28 of 163 |
| Media censorship effort | 1.867 | 2025 | 29 of 163 |
| Harassment of journalists | 0.821 | 2025 | 64 of 163 |
| Media self-censorship | 0.866 | 2025 | 58 of 163 |
| Universal right to vote | 1.000 | 2025 | 110 of 167 |
| Legal rights for women | 92.5 | 2023 | 36 of 164 |
| Women can get a passport as men do | 1.000 | 2023 | 116 of 164 |
| Access to justice for women | 0.000 | 2025 | 137 of 163 |
| Access to justice for men | 1.000 | 2025 | 43 of 163 |
| Civil liberties score | 38.0 | 2025 | 71 of 167 |
| Political rights score | 23.0 | 2025 | 82 of 167 |
Economic
What a person may own, trade, earn and keep.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trade openness | 49.1% | 2025 | 96 of 125 |
| Regulatory quality | 38.2 | 2024 | 144 of 169 |
| GDP per capita | $3,176 | 2025 | 137 of 157 |
| GDP growth | 4.6% | 2025 | — |
| Inflation | 7.5% | 2025 | — |
| Unemployment | 3.2% | 2025 | 39 of 163 |
Digital
What a person may read, send and encrypt online, and who is watching.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet use | 25.1% | 2024 | 141 of 154 |
Government
How power is held, checked and abused.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electoral democracy | 0.471 | 2025 | 84 of 163 |
| Liberal democracy | 0.348 | 2025 | 81 of 163 |
| Rule of law | 0.535 | 2025 | 83 of 163 |
| Judicial checks on government | 0.650 | 2025 | 85 of 163 |
| Legislative checks on government | 0.622 | 2025 | 77 of 157 |
| Political corruption | 0.571 | 2025 | 85 of 163 |
| Civil society participation | 0.902 | 2025 | 18 of 163 |
| Women’s political empowerment | 0.801 | 2025 | 72 of 163 |
| Voice and accountability | 47.9 | 2024 | 96 of 170 |
| Control of corruption | 33.6 | 2024 | 114 of 170 |
| Government effectiveness | 32.5 | 2024 | 141 of 169 |
| Political stability | 58.2 | 2024 | 107 of 170 |
Society
Health, schooling, safety and who takes part.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human Development Index | 0.467 | 2023 | 157 of 165 |
| Life expectancy | 62.0 | 2024 | 159 of 170 |
| Government spending on education | 2.6% | 2023 | — |
| Health spending | 4.7% | 2023 | — |
| Health costs paid out of pocket | 54.5% | 2023 | 141 of 164 |
| Maternal mortality | 354.0 | 2023 | 149 of 167 |
| Women in parliament | 29.5% | 2025 | 70 of 156 |
| Women in the workforce | 51.6% | 2025 | — |
| Fertility rate | 3.70 | 2024 | — |
| Urban population | 45.9% | 2025 | — |
| Refugees who left | 93.1 | 2024 | 115 of 168 |
| Population | 8.8M | 2025 | — |
Environment
Energy, emissions and access to power.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| CO₂ emissions per person | 0.17 | 2024 | 13 of 165 |
| Renewable energy use | 71.1% | 2021 | 29 of 169 |
| Access to electricity | 39.2% | 2024 | 159 of 169 |
What is missing
10 of the 60 statistics here have no figure for Sierra Leone in the year they were last ranked. Coverage differs by source: an indicator missing here is one its producer does not publish for Sierra Leone, not a zero. Who publishes what