Sierra Leone
Last updated December 1, 2025
Composite GEFRI Score
Critically unprepared
Sierra Leone is critically unprepared for education futures (15th percentile worldwide). Core capabilities are weak across most dimensions, and essential systems face significant constraints. Higher scores indicate a system that is better prepared to anticipate and shape the future of learning.
- Global percentile
- 15th
- Global rank
- #152
- Regional rank
- #24
- Viewing data for
Country profile
Sierra Leone trails global peers in Governance (34, 29th percentile), Human Capital (25, 10th percentile), Innovation (24, 8th percentile), and Infrastructure (23, 7th percentile). A coordinated reform effort is needed to strengthen education futures readiness.
Dimension scores cluster tightly, showing the system operates with balanced readiness. Limited electricity or internet coverage still constrains classrooms, preventing large-scale digital instruction. Literacy or tertiary enrollment gaps thin the talent pipeline and limit the country’s capacity to develop future-ready skills.
Sparse R&D investment and a small research workforce slow experimentation and delay new ideas from reaching learners. Policy execution and regulatory capacity remain weak, leaving reforms fragmented and hard to sustain. Gender parity leans toward boys in secondary pathways, signalling persistent barriers for girls.
Note: Several indicators use imputed values. Policymakers and planners should validate results further before committing to major initiatives.
Key insights
- Falls below many peers at the 15th percentile.
- Places 152nd worldwide.
- Holds a regional position of 24th within Sub-Saharan Africa .
- Scores range from Governance (33.9) to Access & Parity (21.7), reflecting variation across dimensions.
- Trails regional peers most clearly in Infrastructure.
Regional peers: Sub-Saharan Africa
Composite GEFRI score
| Global rank | Regional rank | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 64 | 1 | South Africa | 57.14 |
| 65 | 2 | Mauritius | 56.84 |
| — | — | SeychellesMicrostate | 55.82 |
| 72 | 3 | Botswana | 55.57 |
| 108 | 4 | Namibia | 43.84 |
| 110 | 5 | Ghana | 41.23 |
| 114 | 6 | Cabo Verde | 39.72 |
| 120 | 7 | Eswatini | 37.49 |
| 127 | 8 | Gabon | 34.54 |
| 128 | 9 | Equatorial Guinea | 34.53 |
| 130 | 10 | Senegal | 33.52 |
| 131 | 11 | Rwanda | 33.46 |
| 133 | 12 | Kenya | 32.24 |
| 135 | 13 | Cote d'Ivoire | 31.84 |
| 137 | 14 | Lesotho | 31.43 |
| 139 | 15 | Gambia, The | 30.95 |
| — | — | Sao Tome and PrincipeFCSMicrostate | 29.38 |
| 142 | 16 | Zambia | 28.60 |
| 143 | 17 | Tanzania | 28.42 |
| 144 | 18 | Benin | 28.31 |
| 146 | 19 | Togo | 28.16 |
| 147 | 20 | Angola | 27.99 |
| 148 | 21 | ZimbabweFCS | 27.68 |
| 150 | 22 | CameroonFCS | 27.47 |
| 151 | 23 | Mauritania | 25.86 |
| 152 | 24 | Sierra Leone | 25.59 |
| 153 | 25 | ComorosFCS | 25.31 |
| 154 | 26 | MozambiqueFCS | 24.91 |
| 155 | 27 | Congo, Rep.FCS | 24.74 |
| 157 | 28 | NigeriaFCS | 24.13 |
| 158 | 29 | Madagascar | 23.50 |
| 159 | 30 | Malawi | 23.45 |
| 160 | 31 | EthiopiaFCS | 23.38 |
| 161 | 32 | Burkina FasoFCS | 23.24 |
| 163 | 33 | MaliFCS | 23.05 |
| 164 | 34 | Guinea | 22.80 |
| 165 | 35 | Uganda | 22.62 |
| 166 | 36 | Guinea-BissauFCS | 21.96 |
| 167 | 37 | Liberia | 21.24 |
| 168 | 38 | NigerFCS | 20.29 |
| 169 | 39 | SudanFCS | 20.02 |
| 170 | 40 | BurundiFCS | 18.76 |
| 171 | 41 | EritreaFCS | 18.47 |
| 172 | 42 | Congo, Dem. Rep.FCS | 18.44 |
| 174 | 43 | ChadFCS | 15.58 |
| 175 | 44 | South SudanFCS | 15.30 |
| 176 | 45 | Somalia, Fed. Rep.FCS | 14.87 |
| 177 | 46 | Central African RepublicFCS | 13.56 |