Photo: Annabel Symington derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 14 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Sierra Leone: Poverty & Inequality
How is a country’s income shared, and how many live below a line?
Sierra Leone is placed 124th of 159 countries on poverty & inequality in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 3 key statistics. Readings behind it: Gini Index 35.69 (2023); Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day 11.25 (2023).
Share
Poverty & Inequality
124th
of 159 countries placed
Placed from 3 of 3 key statistics
01The evidence
The 3 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Sierra Leone on poverty & inequality — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used — or, for a survey-based key, each country’s latest reading; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
Key 1 of 3
Gini Index
World Bank Group
Latest reading per country, 2013–2023 · Sierra Leone’s is from 2018 · CC BY 4.0
35.69
Gini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality)
Lower is better
Sierra Leone: 35.69. Across the 159 countries at their latest reading, values run from 23 (India) to 59.07 (Namibia); the world median is 33.72.
- World median
- 33.72
- Best in Western Africa
- 29.59 Guinea
- Land neighbours
- Guinea 29.59 · Liberia 35.27
Key 2 of 3
Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day
World Bank Group
Latest reading per country, 2013–2023 · Sierra Leone’s is from 2018 · CC BY 4.0
11.25
Poverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%)
Lower is better
Sierra Leone: 11.25. Across the 159 countries at their latest reading, values run from 0 (Czechia) to 48.69 (DR Congo); the world median is 0.345.
- World median
- 0.345
- Best in Western Africa
- 2.46 Guinea
- Land neighbours
- Guinea 2.46 · Liberia 9.88
Key 3 of 3
Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY 4.0
61.9
Share of the population unable to afford a healthy diet (%)
Lower is better
Sierra Leone: 61.9. Across the 145 countries in this edition, values run from 0.6 (Belarus) to 93.9 (South Sudan); the world median is 26.4.
- World median
- 26.4
- Best in Western Africa
- 43.7 Gambia
- Land neighbours
- Guinea 50.3 · Liberia 59.6
02Over time
Which way Sierra Leone is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Gini Index
Gini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality) · lower is better
Sierra LeoneWorld median
Sierra Leone fell from 40.17 in 2003 to 35.69 in 2018; the world median went from 35.46 to 35.25.
Every year’s figures
Year Sierra Leone World median 2023 — 33.72 2022 — 33.91 2021 — 34.04 2020 — 34.18 2019 — 33.51 2018 36 35.25 2017 — 34.86 2016 — 34.47 2015 — 35.52 2014 — 34.79 2013 — 36.16 2012 — 35.40 2011 34 33.96 2010 — 33.71 2009 — 34.91 2008 — 34.60 2007 — 34.26 2006 — 35.63 2005 — 36.28 2004 — 34.29 2003 40 35.46 2002 — 37.14 Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day
Poverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%) · lower is better
Sierra LeoneWorld median
Sierra Leone fell from 32 in 2003 to 11.25 in 2018; the world median went from 1.65 to 0.46.
Every year’s figures
Year Sierra Leone World median 2023 — 0.345 2022 — 0.420 2021 — 0.335 2020 — 0.280 2019 — 0.380 2018 11 0.460 2017 — 0.300 2016 — 0.440 2015 — 0.500 2014 — 0.635 2013 — 0.515 2012 — 0.640 2011 17 0.430 2010 — 0.530 2009 — 0.600 2008 — 0.350 2007 — 0.360 2006 — 0.465 2005 — 1.250 2004 — 0.790 2003 32 1.650 2002 — 3.010 Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet
Share of the population unable to afford a healthy diet (%) · lower is better
Sierra LeoneWorld median
Sierra Leone fell from 65 in 2017 to 61.9 in 2025; the world median went from 32.4 to 26.4.
Every year’s figures
Year Sierra Leone World median 2025 61.9 26.40 2024 63.6 27.10 2023 64.8 27.15 2022 63.6 27.90 2021 63.7 29.65 2020 63.1 31.80 2019 61.5 29.05 2018 65.3 29.85 2017 65.0 32.40
03In context
Sierra Leone beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 159 countries on poverty & inequality, never a place within the region.
Sierra Leone and the countries it borders
Standing among all 159; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | Gini IndexGini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality) | Poverty Gap at $3.00 a DayPoverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%) | Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy DietShare of the population unable to afford a healthy diet (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Guinea | 81st | 29.59 | 2.46 | 50.3 |
 Liberia | =119th | 35.27 | 9.88 | 59.6 |
| Sierra Leone | 124th | 35.69 | 11.25 | 61.9 |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Western Africa
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 159.
Placed either side on poverty & inequality
The countries immediately above and below Sierra Leone in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Sierra Leone is ahead of the world, and behind
17 more statistics filed under poverty & inequality, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Ahead of the world median1
Statistics on which Sierra Leone does better than the middle country measured.
Exclusion by Socio-Economic GroupV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2023 · world median 0.4130.2590.413▲ Improved since 2013
Sierra Leone: 0.259 · world median 0.413 · Exclusion by socio-economic group index (0–1; higher = more exclusion). V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.014 to 0.969; lower is better.
Position 116th of 174 · derived, 1st = worst.
Behind the world median13
Statistics on which Sierra Leone does worse than the middle country measured.
Wealth Parity Index, Lower Secondary CompletionUIS · 2024 · world median 0.5290.2120.529No earlier reading
Sierra Leone: 0.212 · world median 0.529 · Adjusted wealth parity index, lower secondary completion (poorest vs richest fifth; 1 = parity). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.032 to 1.022; higher is better.
Working Poverty RateILO · 2025 · world median 4.88535.474.885▲ Improved since 2015
Sierra Leone: 35.47 · world median 4.885 · Employed people living in extreme poverty (%). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.007 to 86.02; lower is better.
Poverty Headcount at $3.00 a Day, Line-up EstimatesWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 2.135.462.1▲ Improved since 2014
Sierra Leone: 35.46 · world median 2.1 · Population below $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP, World Bank line-up estimate (%). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 89.54; lower is better.
Intergenerational Persistence in EducationWorld Bank Group · 2017 · world median 0.4460.5430.446No earlier reading
Sierra Leone: 0.543 · world median 0.446 · Correlation between own and parents' years of schooling, born 1980–89 (0–1). World Bank Group, 2017 edition, data for 2017.
Published values in that edition run from 0.123 to 0.66; lower is better.
Position 26th of 153 · derived, 1st = worst.
Global Multidimensional Poverty IndexOPHI · 2025 · world median 0.0390.2930.039▲ Improved since 2018
Sierra Leone: 0.293 · world median 0.039 · MPI (0–1). Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 0.517; lower is better.
Position 15th of 109 · derived, 1st = worst.
Multidimensional Poverty MeasureWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 4.25257.824.252No earlier reading
Sierra Leone: 57.82 · world median 4.252 · Multidimensional poverty headcount ratio (%). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 87.96; lower is better.
Position 16th of 157 · derived, 1st = worst.
Coefficient of Variation of Habitual Caloric ConsumptionFAO · 2024 · world median 0.250.360.25No real change since 2014
Sierra Leone: 0.36 · world median 0.25 · Coefficient of variation of habitual calorie consumption across the population (standard deviation ÷ mean). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.17 to 0.4; lower is better.
Actual Individual Consumption per Capita (PPP)World Bank Group · 2021 · world median 12,8001,87512,800No real change since 2017
Sierra Leone: 1,875 · world median 12,800 · Actual individual consumption per capita (PPP, current international $). World Bank Group, 2021 edition, data for 2021.
Published values in that edition run from 688.7 to 52,654; higher is better.
Position 161st of 173 · derived.
Severe Child Food Poverty, Children Aged 6–23 MonthsUNICEF · 2024 · world median 21.2646.4921.26No earlier reading
Sierra Leone: 46.49 · world median 21.26 · Children aged 6-23 months fed from at most 2 of 8 food groups (%). UNICEF, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 1.169 to 63.08; lower is better.
Position 6th of 113 · derived, 1st = worst.
Inequality-adjusted Human Development IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.6090.2810.609No real change since 2013
Sierra Leone: 0.281 · world median 0.609 · IHDI (0–1). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.226 to 0.923; higher is better.
Position 162nd of 169 · derived.
Coefficient of Human InequalityUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 17.0539.5217.05No real change since 2013
Sierra Leone: 39.52 · world median 17.05 · Coefficient of Human Inequality (%). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 4.865 to 43.08; lower is better.
Position 7th of 169 · derived, 1st = worst.
Adequacy of Social Protection and Labour BenefitsWorld Bank Group · 2023 · world median 18.652.2718.65No earlier reading
Sierra Leone: 2.27 · world median 18.65 · Benefits received as a share of beneficiaries' total income or consumption (%). World Bank Group, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.455 to 90.86; higher is better.
Prevalence of Moderate or Severe Food InsecurityFAO · 2024 · world median 20.988.120.9No real change since 2015
Sierra Leone: 88.1 · world median 20.9 · Population in moderate or severe food insecurity (%). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 1 to 88.8; lower is better.
Position 2nd of 135 · derived, 1st = worst.
No better end3
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Poverty Headcount at National Poverty LinesWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 21.856.821.8No earlier reading
Sierra Leone: 56.8 · world median 21.8 · Population below the national poverty line (%). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 82.3.
Catastrophic Out-of-Pocket Health SpendingWorld Bank Group · 2019 · world median 6.8815.916.88No earlier reading
Sierra Leone: 15.91 · world median 6.88 · Population in households spending more than 10% of their budget on health out of pocket (%). World Bank Group, 2019 edition, data for 2019.
Published values in that edition run from 0.133 to 31.21.
Cost of a Healthy DietFAO · 2025 · world median 4.553.894.55Moved since 2017
Sierra Leone: 3.89 · world median 4.55 · Cost of the cheapest locally available healthy diet, PPP dollars per person per day. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 2.66 to 8.27.
No current reading for Sierra Leone
Gini Index (last 2018), Gini Index of Disposable Income (SWIID) (last 2018), Gini Index of Monthly Earnings (last 2018), Income Growth of the Poorest 40% (last 2021), Income Share Held by Lowest 20% (last 2018), Income Share Held by Richest 10% (last 2018), Low Pay Rate (last 2018), Median Daily Income or Consumption per Person (last 2018), Palma Ratio (last 2018), Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day (last 2018), Poverty Headcount Ratio at $3.00 a Day (last 2018), Poverty Headcount Ratio at $4.20 a Day (last 2018), Poverty Headcount Ratio at $8.30 a Day (last 2018), Poverty Severity (Squared Poverty Gap) at $3.00 a Day (last 2018), Prosperity Gap (last 2018) and Societal Poverty Rate (last 2018). Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Poverty & Inequality among Sierra Leone’s 16 topics
Poverty & Inequality is Sierra Leone’s 8th best-placed topic of 16. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Environment & Sustainability3rd of 1864/4 keys
- Energy4th of 1652/3 keys
- Peace & Securityjoint 91st of 1774/4 keys
- Gender & Equality112th of 1834/4 keys
- Mobility & Tradejoint 117th of 1772/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties132nd of 1984/4 keys
- Governance & Institutions146th of 1944/4 keys
- Poverty & Inequality124th of 1593/3 keys
- Education & Knowledge155th of 1984/4 keys
- Food & Agriculture154th of 1844/4 keys
- Digital & Technology169th of 1983/4 keys
- Work & Labour156th of 1824/4 keys
- Risk & Resilience176th of 1934/4 keys
- Economy & Innovation163rd of 1763/4 keys
- Health & Wellbeing191st of 2004/4 keys
- Development & Human Capital188th of 1963/3 keys
06The top of the list
Who leads on poverty & inequality
The three countries placed highest of 159, and the leaders Sierra Leone can most readily be measured against.
1
BelarusEastern Europe
1st of 159 · 3 of 3 keys
Photo: zedlik , cropped by Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2
SloveniaSouthern Europe
2nd of 159 · 3 of 3 keys
Photo: Z.K. derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY 3.0, greyscale
=3
UkraineEastern Europe
Joint 3rd of 159 · 2 of 3 keys
Photo: uploaded by Chern038 · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest in Africa
Tunisia43rd3/3 keysHighest in Western Africa
Guinea81st3/3 keysThis page
Sierra Leone124th3/3 keys
Positions out of 159 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Questions
Sierra Leone on poverty & inequality: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does Sierra Leone rank on poverty & inequality?
Sierra Leone is placed 124th of 159 countries on Poverty & Inequality in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 3 key statistics (Gini Index, Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day and Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest Gini Index figure for Sierra Leone?
35.69 in 2023 (gini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality)), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 33.72.
What is the latest Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day figure for Sierra Leone?
11.25 in 2023 (poverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%)), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 0.345.
How does Sierra Leone compare with Guinea on poverty & inequality?
Guinea is placed 81st of 159, and Sierra Leone 124th. Gini Index: Guinea 29.59, Sierra Leone 35.69; Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day: Guinea 2.46, Sierra Leone 11.25; Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet: Guinea 50.3, Sierra Leone 61.9.
How have Sierra Leone’s poverty & inequality figures changed?
Gini Index fell from 40.17 in 2003 to 35.69 in 2018; Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day fell from 32 in 2003 to 11.25 in 2018; Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet fell from 65 in 2017 to 61.9 in 2025.
Which poverty & inequality statistics are missing for Sierra Leone?
No current reading is published for Sierra Leone on Gini Index, Gini Index of Disposable Income (SWIID), Gini Index of Monthly Earnings, Income Growth of the Poorest 40%, Income Share Held by Lowest 20%, Income Share Held by Richest 10%, Low Pay Rate, Median Daily Income or Consumption per Person, Palma Ratio, Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $3.00 a Day, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $4.20 a Day, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $8.30 a Day, Poverty Severity (Squared Poverty Gap) at $3.00 a Day, Prosperity Gap and Societal Poverty Rate. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
08Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
These figures come from household surveys, which most countries run every few years rather than every year. So the subject's standing is read from each country's most recent survey of the last decade, with the year of every reading shown, rather than from one year in which only a minority of countries were surveyed. Two readings decide it — how unequally income is shared and how deep extreme poverty runs — because the other poverty and inequality measures here largely repeat one of those two or repeat average income, which already counts under Economy and Development. Countries with no survey in the last decade have no standing here. What work pays is under Work & Labour; wealth, as opposed to income, has no global source this site is permitted to republish.
How the Poverty & Inequality standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 3 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 3 keys to be placed.
The poverty & inequality method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- Gini Index — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), CC BY 4.0
The other 17 statistics on this page come from 8 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
Sierra Leone’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Sierra Leone (banner) — Annabel Symington derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY 2.0
- Belarus — zedlik , cropped by Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Slovenia — Z.K. derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY 3.0
- Ukraine — uploaded by Chern038, CC BY-SA 3.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Sierra Leone: Poverty & Inequality — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/sierra-leone/poverty