Photo: Annabel Symington derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 11 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Sierra Leone: Risk & Resilience
How exposed is a country to crisis, and how ready is it to cope?
Sierra Leone is placed 176th of 193 countries on risk & resilience in the Country Index 2026, from 4 of its 4 key statistics. Readings behind it: World Risk Index 4.96 (2025); INFORM Risk Index 5.1 (2025).
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Risk & Resilience
176th
of 193 countries placed
Placed from 4 of 4 key statistics
- 4.96World Risk Index, 2025WorldRiskIndex score (0–100, where 100 is the most at risk)
- 5.1INFORM Risk Index, 2025INFORM Risk score (0–10, where 10 is the highest risk)
- 0.602Climate Vulnerability (ND-GAIN), 2024ND-GAIN Vulnerability (0–1, where 1 is the most vulnerable)
- 29.56Able to Raise Emergency Funds Within 30 Days, 2024Adults who could raise emergency funds within 30 days without great difficulty (% of population aged 15+)
01The evidence
The 4 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Sierra Leone on risk & resilience — 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 4
World Risk Index
Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict (IFHV), Ruhr University Bochum
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY 4.0
4.96
WorldRiskIndex score (0–100, where 100 is the most at risk)
Lower is better
Sierra Leone: 4.96. Across the 193 countries in this edition, values run from 0.18 (Monaco) to 46.56 (Philippines); the world median is 4.17.
- World median
- 4.17
- Best in Western Africa
- 1.16 Cabo Verde
- Land neighbours
- Guinea 6.92 · Liberia 3.64
Key 2 of 4
INFORM Risk Index
European Commission Joint Research Centre, with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee
2026 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY 4.0 (via the European Commission's reuse policy)
5.1
INFORM Risk score (0–10, where 10 is the highest risk)
Lower is better
Sierra Leone: 5.1. Across the 191 countries in this edition, values run from 0.7 (Singapore) to 8.5 (South Sudan); the world median is 3.7.
- World median
- 3.7
- Best in Western Africa
- 2.6 Cabo Verde
- Land neighbours
- Guinea 5.4 · Liberia 5.3
Key 3 of 4
Climate Vulnerability (ND-GAIN)
Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame
2024 edition · data for 2024 · CC BY 3.0 Unported
0.602
ND-GAIN Vulnerability (0–1, where 1 is the most vulnerable)
Lower is better
Ranked 178th of 190 by Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame
Sierra Leone: 0.602. Across the 190 countries in this edition, values run from 0.263 (Norway) to 0.655 (Mauritania); the world median is 0.45.
- World median
- 0.45
- Best in Western Africa
- 0.455 Ghana
- Land neighbours
- Guinea 0.474 · Liberia 0.582
Key 4 of 4
Able to Raise Emergency Funds Within 30 Days
World Bank Group
Latest reading per country, 2021–2024 · Sierra Leone’s is from 2024 · CC BY 4.0
29.56
Adults who could raise emergency funds within 30 days without great difficulty (% of population aged 15+)
Higher is better
Sierra Leone: 29.56. Across the 142 countries at their latest reading, values run from 16.49 (South Sudan) to 93.69 (Sweden); the world median is 53.85.
- World median
- 53.85
- Best in Western Africa
- 61.58 Burkina Faso
- Land neighbours
- Guinea 34.16 · Liberia 48.95
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.
World Risk Index
WorldRiskIndex score (0–100, where 100 is the most at risk) · lower is better
Sierra LeoneWorld median
Sierra Leone fell from 8.09 in 2000 to 4.96 in 2025; the world median went from 4.55 to 4.17.
Every year’s figures
Year Sierra Leone World median 2025 4.96 4.17 2024 4.96 4.17 2023 4.96 4.27 2022 5.43 4.08 2021 5.01 4.23 2020 5.01 4.12 2019 6.34 4.23 2018 5.79 4.14 2017 5.80 4.24 2016 5.29 4.23 2015 5.31 4.04 2014 4.71 4.07 2013 5.71 4.08 2012 5.25 4.07 2011 5.30 3.99 2010 5.35 3.86 2009 5.45 3.94 2008 5.69 4.11 2007 6.32 4.41 2006 6.30 4.51 2005 7.97 4.54 2004 6.43 4.42 2003 7.11 4.50 2002 6.81 4.65 2001 7.17 4.37 2000 8.09 4.55 INFORM Risk Index
INFORM Risk score (0–10, where 10 is the highest risk) · lower is better
Sierra LeoneWorld median
Sierra Leone rose from 5 in 2016 to 5.1 in 2025; the world median went from 3.6 to 3.7.
Every year’s figures
Year Sierra Leone World median 2025 5.1 3.7 2024 5.1 3.5 2023 5.1 3.6 2022 5.1 3.6 2021 5.3 3.6 2020 4.9 3.6 2019 4.9 3.6 2018 4.8 3.5 2017 4.9 3.5 2016 5.0 3.6 Climate Vulnerability (ND-GAIN)
ND-GAIN Vulnerability (0–1, where 1 is the most vulnerable) · lower is better
Sierra LeoneWorld median
Sierra Leone fell from 0.609 in 2000 to 0.602 in 2024; the world median went from 0.476 to 0.45.
Every year’s figures
Year Sierra Leone World median 2024 0.60197 0.449649 2023 0.60262 0.449167 2022 0.60121 0.447422 2021 0.60216 0.447831 2020 0.60677 0.447902 2019 0.60653 0.447883 2018 0.60789 0.449652 2017 0.60972 0.450532 2016 0.60671 0.451843 2015 0.60166 0.451496 2014 0.59532 0.451502 2013 0.59651 0.454946 2012 0.58956 0.454269 2011 0.60764 0.458012 2010 0.61432 0.460715 2009 0.61126 0.464712 2008 0.60790 0.463801 2007 0.60831 0.466738 2006 0.61398 0.468701 2005 0.61109 0.470646 2004 0.61037 0.472029 2003 0.60462 0.471635 2002 0.61343 0.472031 2001 0.61191 0.476366 2000 0.60903 0.475585
03In context
Sierra Leone beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 193 countries on risk & resilience, never a place within the region.
Sierra Leone and the countries it borders
Standing among all 193; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | World Risk IndexWorldRiskIndex score (0–100, where 100 is the most at risk) | INFORM Risk IndexINFORM Risk score (0–10, where 10 is the highest risk) | Climate Vulnerability (ND-GAIN)ND-GAIN Vulnerability (0–1, where 1 is the most vulnerable) | Able to Raise Emergency Funds Within 30 DaysAdults who could raise emergency funds within 30 days without great difficulty (% of population aged 15+) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Liberia | 153rd | 3.64 | 5.3 | 0.582 | 48.95 |
 Guinea | 158th | 6.92 | 5.4 | 0.474 | 34.16 |
| Sierra Leone | 176th | 4.96 | 5.1 | 0.602 | 29.56 |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Western Africa
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 193.
Placed either side on risk & resilience
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
21 more statistics filed under risk & resilience, 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 median5
Statistics on which Sierra Leone does better than the middle country measured.
Baseline Water Stress (Aqueduct)WRI · 2019 · world median 1.66301.663No earlier reading
Sierra Leone: 0 · world median 1.663 · Baseline water stress score (0–5). World Resources Institute (WRI), 2023 edition, data for 2019.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 5; lower is better.
Water StressFAO · 2023 · world median 100.510No real change since 2013
Sierra Leone: 0.5 · world median 10 · Freshwater withdrawal as a share of available resources (%). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.03 to 3,851; lower is better.
Position 164th of 177 · derived, 1st = worst.
Drought Risk (Aqueduct)WRI · 2019 · world median 2.6231.6972.623No earlier reading
Sierra Leone: 1.697 · world median 2.623 · Drought risk score (0–5). World Resources Institute (WRI), 2023 edition, data for 2019.
Published values in that edition run from 0.553 to 4.081; lower is better.
Ranked 124th of 138 by WRI (1st = worst).
Renewable Internal Freshwater Resources per CapitaFAO · 2022 · world median 2,52819,3312,528No real change since 2012
Sierra Leone: 19,331 · world median 2,528 · Renewable internal freshwater (cubic metres per person). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2022 edition, data for 2022.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 445,023; higher is better.
Position 30th of 181 · derived.
Global Report on Food CrisesFSIN · 2024 · world median 2220.422▼ Worsened since 2016
Sierra Leone: 20.4 · world median 22 · In IPC Phase 3+ (% of analysed population). Food Security Information Network (FSIN), 2025 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 3 to 56; lower is better.
Position 24th of 44 · derived, 1st = worst.
Behind the world median10
Statistics on which Sierra Leone does worse than the middle country measured.
Political Stability and Absence of ViolenceWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 0.171-0.3890.171▼ Worsened since 2015
Sierra Leone: -0.389 · world median 0.171 · Political Stability estimate (−2.5 to 2.5). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from -2.506 to 1.563; higher is better.
Position 148th of 211 · derived.
Adults Who Experienced a Natural Disaster or Severe WeatherWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 20.4631.8920.46No earlier reading
Sierra Leone: 31.89 · world median 20.46 · Adults who experienced a natural disaster or severe weather in the past three years (% of population aged 15+). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 2.738 to 77.54; lower is better.
Position 24th of 98 · derived, 1st = worst.
Days Above 35°CECMWF · 2025 · world median 3.4871.123.48▼ Worsened since 2015
Sierra Leone: 71.12 · world median 3.48 · Days a year with a maximum temperature above 35°C, averaged over the country’s land. World Bank Group (Climate Change Knowledge Portal), from Copernicus ERA5 (ECMWF), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 222.89; lower is better.
Children's Climate Risk IndexUNICEF · 2020 · world median 57.45No earlier reading
Sierra Leone: 7.4 · world median 5 · Children's Climate Risk Index (0–10, higher is more risk). UNICEF, 2021 edition, data for 2020.
Published values in that edition run from 1 to 8.7; lower is better.
Ranked 26th of 163 by UNICEF (1st = worst).
Riverine Flood Risk (Aqueduct)WRI · 2019 · world median 2.4034.0492.403No earlier reading
Sierra Leone: 4.049 · world median 2.403 · Riverine flood risk score (0–5). World Resources Institute (WRI), 2023 edition, data for 2019.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 5; lower is better.
Ranked 24th of 163 by WRI (1st = worst).
Climate Readiness (ND-GAIN)Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame · 2024 · world median 0.3870.2660.387▼ Worsened since 2014
Sierra Leone: 0.266 · world median 0.387 · ND-GAIN Readiness (0–1, where 1 is the most ready). Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.137 to 0.749; higher is better.
Ranked 167th of 192 by Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame.
Firms Whose Assets Were Damaged by Extreme WeatherWorld Bank Group · 2026 · world median 9.48519.89.485No earlier reading
Sierra Leone: 19.8 · world median 9.485 · Firms whose physical assets were damaged by extreme weather (%). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 59.21; lower is better.
Position 17th of 163 · derived, 1st = worst.
World Risk Poll Resilience IndexLloyd's Register Foundation · 2023 · world median 534353No earlier reading
Sierra Leone: 43 · world median 53 · Resilience Index, 0–100 (higher = more reported capacity to cope with a shock; the mean of individual, household, community and societal sub-indices). Lloyd's Register Foundation, 2024 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 29 to 74; higher is better.
Per Capita Food Supply VariabilityFAO · 2024 · world median 296629▼ Worsened since 2014
Sierra Leone: 66 · world median 29 · Year-to-year variability of the food supply (kcal per person per day). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 4 to 227; lower is better.
ND-GAIN Country IndexNotre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame · 2024 · world median 47.4433.1947.44▼ Worsened since 2014
Sierra Leone: 33.19 · world median 47.44 · ND-GAIN Index (0–100, where 100 is best placed to adapt). Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 26.42 to 71.85; higher is better.
Ranked 179th of 190 by Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame.
No better end6
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Burned AreaGWIS · 2025 · world median 13,824582,45513,824No real change since 2015
Sierra Leone: 582,455 · world median 13,824 · Burned area (hectares). European Commission Joint Research Centre — Global Wildfire Information System (GWIS), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 50,562,035.
Refugees by Country of OriginUNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency · 2025 · world median 1,2728,9251,272No real change since 2015
Sierra Leone: 8,925 · world median 1,272 · Refugees under UNHCR's mandate from this country, end of year (people). UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 5,224,131.
Population Living Below 5 m ElevationCenter for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), Columbia University · 2015 · world median 2.9543.5362.954Moved since 1990
Sierra Leone: 3.536 · world median 2.954 · Population living below 5 m elevation (% of total population). Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), Columbia University, 2015 edition, data for 2015.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 78.48.
Temperature Change on LandFAO · 2025 · world median 1.4741.2821.474Moved since 2015
Sierra Leone: 1.282 · world median 1.474 · Change in mean land-surface temperature against the country's own 1951–1980 average, °C. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.34 to 3.294.
Asylum-Seekers by Country of AsylumUNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency · 2025 · world median 1,83601,836Moved since 2015
Sierra Leone: 0 · world median 1,836 · Asylum-seekers awaiting a decision, end of year (people). UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 3,718,945.
Refugee Population by Country of AsylumUNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency · 2025 · world median 12,269012,269Moved since 2015
Sierra Leone: 0 · world median 12,269 · Refugees under UNHCR's mandate hosted, end of year (people). UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 2,655,191.
No current reading for Sierra Leone
INFORM Severity Index, Internally Displaced People of Concern to UNHCR (last 2000) and Stateless Persons by Country of Residence. 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
Risk & Resilience among Sierra Leone’s 16 topics
Risk & Resilience is Sierra Leone’s 13th 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 risk & resilience
The three countries placed highest of 193, and the leaders Sierra Leone can most readily be measured against.
1
LiechtensteinWestern Europe
1st of 193 · 2 of 4 keys
Photo: Guido Radig,Inkey · CC BY 3.0, greyscale
2
LuxembourgWestern Europe
2nd of 193 · 3 of 4 keys
Photo: Michal Osmenda from Brussels, Belgium · CC BY-SA 2.0, greyscale
3
DenmarkNorthern Europe
3rd of 193 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: User:Aconcagua · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest in Africa
Seychelles=27th3/4 keysHighest in Western Africa
Cabo Verde54th3/4 keysThis page
Sierra Leone176th4/4 keys
Positions out of 193 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 risk & resilience: 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 risk & resilience?
Sierra Leone is placed 176th of 193 countries on Risk & Resilience in the Country Index 2026, from 4 of its 4 key statistics (World Risk Index, INFORM Risk Index, Climate Vulnerability (ND-GAIN) and Able to Raise Emergency Funds Within 30 Days). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest World Risk Index figure for Sierra Leone?
4.96 in 2025 (worldRiskIndex score (0–100, where 100 is the most at risk)), according to Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict (IFHV), Ruhr University Bochum. The world median in the same edition was 4.17.
What is the latest INFORM Risk Index figure for Sierra Leone?
5.1 in 2025 (iNFORM Risk score (0–10, where 10 is the highest risk)), according to European Commission Joint Research Centre, with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee. The world median in the same edition was 3.7.
How does Sierra Leone compare with Guinea on risk & resilience?
Guinea is placed 158th of 193, and Sierra Leone 176th. World Risk Index: Guinea 6.92, Sierra Leone 4.96; INFORM Risk Index: Guinea 5.4, Sierra Leone 5.1; Climate Vulnerability (ND-GAIN): Guinea 0.474, Sierra Leone 0.602; Able to Raise Emergency Funds Within 30 Days: Guinea 34.16, Sierra Leone 29.56.
How have Sierra Leone’s risk & resilience figures changed?
World Risk Index fell from 8.09 in 2000 to 4.96 in 2025; INFORM Risk Index rose from 5 in 2016 to 5.1 in 2025; Climate Vulnerability (ND-GAIN) fell from 0.609 in 2000 to 0.602 in 2024.
Which risk & resilience statistics are missing for Sierra Leone?
No current reading is published for Sierra Leone on INFORM Severity Index, Internally Displaced People of Concern to UNHCR and Stateless Persons by Country of Residence. 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
This topic does not forecast when a disaster will strike, and it does not measure financial or economic risk. Water stress is measured under Environment & Sustainability. Displacement caused by disasters and the severity of crises already under way are published here as context.
How the Risk & Resilience standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 4 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 4 keys to be placed.
The risk & resilience method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- World Risk Index — Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict (IFHV), Ruhr University Bochum, CC BY 4.0
- INFORM Risk Index — European Commission Joint Research Centre, with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, CC BY 4.0 (via the European Commission's reuse policy)
- Climate Vulnerability (ND-GAIN) — Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame, CC BY 3.0 Unported
- Able to Raise Emergency Funds Within 30 Days — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
The other 21 statistics on this page come from 11 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
- Liechtenstein — Guido Radig,Inkey, CC BY 3.0
- Luxembourg — Michal Osmenda from Brussels, Belgium, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Denmark — User:Aconcagua, CC BY-SA 3.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Sierra Leone: Risk & Resilience — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/sierra-leone/risk