Country profile

Sierra Leone

Sub-Saharan Africa Low income8.64M inhabitants

Last updated March 1, 2026

Composite GEFRI Score

Critically unprepared

Sierra Leone is critically unprepared for education futures (14th 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.

25.44Composite score

Global percentile: 14th
Global rank: #153
Regional rank: #25
Viewing data for

Infrastructure

23.35

7th percentileGlobal avg. 56.44

Human Capital

25.10

8th percentileGlobal avg. 47.03

Innovation

23.16

10th percentileGlobal avg. 42.60

Governance

33.88

29th percentileGlobal avg. 47.71

Access & Parity

21.73

35th percentileGlobal avg. 49.62

Country profile

Sierra Leone trails global peers in Governance (34, 29th percentile), Human Capital (25, 8th percentile), Infrastructure (23, 7th percentile), and Innovation (23, 10th 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 14th percentile.
Places 153rd worldwide.
Holds a regional position of 25th 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
68	1	South Africa	57.14
69	2	Mauritius	56.87
—	—	SeychellesMicrostate	55.72
75	3	Botswana	55.44
107	4	Namibia	43.86
110	5	Ghana	40.92
112	6	Cabo Verde	39.81
116	7	Eswatini	37.54
124	8	Senegal	35.31
125	9	Gabon	34.39
127	10	Rwanda	33.46
128	11	Kenya	33.03
—	—	Sao Tome and PrincipeFCSMicrostate	32.63
135	12	Cote d'Ivoire	31.71
136	13	Gambia, The	31.33
139	14	Lesotho	29.76
140	15	Equatorial Guinea	29.48
141	16	Benin	29.14
142	17	Zambia	28.93
143	18	ZimbabweFCS	28.92
145	19	Tanzania	28.51
146	20	Togo	28.14
147	21	CameroonFCS	27.69
149	22	Mauritania	25.98
150	23	Angola	25.95
151	24	ComorosFCS	25.84
153	25	Sierra Leone	25.44
154	26	EthiopiaFCS	24.75
155	27	Congo, Rep.FCS	24.74
156	28	MozambiqueFCS	24.40
157	29	NigeriaFCS	24.09
158	30	Madagascar	23.66
159	31	MaliFCS	23.09
160	32	Malawi	23.03
161	33	Burkina FasoFCS	22.80
162	34	Uganda	22.59
164	35	Guinea	22.13
166	36	Liberia	21.08
167	37	NigerFCS	20.37
168	38	SudanFCS	19.85
169	39	BurundiFCS	18.87
170	40	Guinea-BissauFCS	18.68
171	41	EritreaFCS	18.19
172	42	Congo, Dem. Rep.FCS	17.22
174	43	ChadFCS	15.73
175	44	Somalia, Fed. Rep.FCS	14.74
176	45	South SudanFCS	14.63
177	46	Central African RepublicFCS	13.32