Sierra Leone
Sub-Saharan Africa · Low income· 8.46M inhabitants
Last updated: June 1, 2025
Futures readiness profile
Key insights: Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone is significantly behind global peers in every GEFRI dimension: Governance (33, 29th percentile), Human Capital (32, 18th percentile), Innovation (23, 8th percentile), Infrastructure (23, 8th percentile), and School Access and Gender Parity (12, 31st percentile). This profile signals deep-rooted structural challenges. Urgent and comprehensive reforms, investments, and capacity building are required to leapfrog beyond its present situation and avoid falling further behind. The country’s potential for future generations has yet to be unlocked.
Composite GEFRI Score
24.55
13th percentile
Higher scores indicate greater education futures readiness
Component scores
School Access and Gender Parity12.11
Below global avg. · 31st %-tile
Infrastructure22.90
Below global avg. · 8th %-tile
Measures the availability and quality of basic digital and electrical infrastructure that supports education.
Governance32.57
Below global avg. · 29th %-tile
Captures the effectiveness and quality of policies, regulations, and governance that shape the educational environment.
Human Capital31.87
Below global avg. · 18th %-tile
Assesses the educational attainment and capacity of a country’s population, focusing on access and completion at secondary and tertiary levels as well as literacy.
Innovation23.29
Below global avg. · 8th %-tile
Reflects a country’s capacity to foster, produce, and apply new knowledge and technology in society and education.
Regional peers: Sub-Saharan Africa
| Global rank | Regional rank | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | 1 | Mauritius | 60.09 |
| 68 | 2 | South Africa | 57.27 |
| — | — | Seychelles(microstate) | 56.74 |
| 85 | 3 | Botswana | 53.72 |
| 105 | 4 | Namibia | 48.12 |
| 107 | 5 | Cabo Verde | 47.58 |
| 118 | 6 | Ghana | 41.74 |
| 119 | 7 | Equatorial Guinea | 41.28 |
| — | — | Sao Tome and Principe(microstate) | 36.12 |
| 127 | 8 | Gabon | 35.02 |
| 128 | 9 | Senegal | 34.18 |
| 129 | 10 | Kenya | 34.12 |
| 133 | 11 | Cote d'Ivoire | 33.34 |
| 134 | 12 | Rwanda | 33.10 |
| 135 | 13 | Eswatini | 33.06 |
| 139 | 14 | Lesotho | 30.97 |
| 140 | 15 | Zambia | 30.52 |
| 142 | 16 | Gambia, The | 28.72 |
| 144 | 17 | Tanzania | 28.35 |
| 145 | 18 | Benin | 27.73 |
| 146 | 19 | Angola | 27.61 |
| 147 | 20 | Togo | 27.50 |
| 148 | 21 | Cameroon | 27.15 |
| 149 | 22 | Zimbabwe | 27.07 |
| 151 | 23 | Congo, Rep. | 26.36 |
| 152 | 24 | Mauritania | 25.68 |
| 154 | 25 | Nigeria | 25.12 |
| 155 | 26 | Sierra Leone | 24.55 |
| 156 | 27 | Comoros | 23.93 |
| 157 | 28 | Mozambique | 23.92 |
| 158 | 29 | Uganda | 23.55 |
| 160 | 30 | Ethiopia | 23.25 |
| 161 | 31 | Madagascar | 23.19 |
| 162 | 32 | Malawi | 23.00 |
| 163 | 33 | Guinea-Bissau | 22.86 |
| 164 | 34 | Guinea | 22.76 |
| 165 | 35 | Burkina Faso | 22.30 |
| 166 | 36 | Mali | 22.23 |
| 167 | 37 | Congo, Dem. Rep. | 20.88 |
| 168 | 38 | Sudan | 20.00 |
| 169 | 39 | Liberia | 19.71 |
| 170 | 40 | Niger | 19.70 |
| 172 | 41 | Eritrea | 18.63 |
| 173 | 42 | Burundi | 18.41 |
| 174 | 43 | Somalia | 17.00 |
| 175 | 44 | Chad | 14.27 |
| 176 | 45 | Central African Republic | 13.09 |
| 177 | 46 | South Sudan | 11.87 |