Democracy Index in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Democracy Index was 7 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Democracy Index in Sierra Leone, 1961–2018
Source: Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Sierra Leone recorded 7 for democracy index in 2018. That is the highest value across all 58 years on record.
The figure is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, democracy index in Sierra Leone peaked at 7 in 2007 and was at its lowest, -7, in 1967.
Sierra Leone ranks 69th of 168 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Democracy Index in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 6 | — |
| 1962 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1967 | -7 | -216.7% |
| 1968 | 1 | -114.3% |
| 1969 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1971 | -6 | -700.0% |
| 1972 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1973 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1974 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1975 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1976 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1977 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1978 | -7 | +16.7% |
| 1979 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1980 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1981 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1982 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1983 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1984 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1985 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1986 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1987 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1988 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1989 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1990 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1991 | -6 | -14.3% |
| 1992 | -7 | +16.7% |
| 1993 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1994 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1995 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1996 | 4 | -157.1% |
| 1997 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 1998 | 0 | — |
| 1999 | 0 | — |
| 2000 | 0 | — |
| 2001 | 2 | — |
| 2002 | 5 | +150.0% |
| 2003 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 7 | +40.0% |
| 2008 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 7 | +0.0% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 7 is above the median for low income countries, which is 1, 7.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 7 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.5, 1.6× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.44 | -7 | 6 | 9 |
| 1970s | -5.5 | -7 | 1 | 10 |
| 1980s | -7 | -7 | -7 | 10 |
| 1990s | -3.7 | -7 | 4 | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.8 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| 2010s | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 69 Armenia 7 compare
- 69 Benin 7 compare
- 69 Bhutan 7 compare
- 69 Bolivia 7 compare
- 69 Colombia 7 compare
- 69 Dominican Republic 7 compare
- 69 Georgia 7 compare
- 69 Guyana 7 compare
- 69 Honduras 7 compare
- 69 Liberia 7 compare
- 69 Malaysia 7 compare
- 69 Nepal 7 compare
- 69 Nigeria 7 compare
- 69 Pakistan 7 compare
- 69 Senegal 7 compare
- 69 Tunisia 7 compare
More social development data for Sierra Leone
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 8,925 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 4 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 4 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.001 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 8,925 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is democracy index in Sierra Leone?
- Democracy index in Sierra Leone was 7 in 2018, according to Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest democracy index recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 7 in 2007.
- What is the lowest democracy index recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was -7 in 1967.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for democracy index?
- Sierra Leone ranks 69th out of 168 countries with data for 2018.
- Is democracy index rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 58 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
It combines information on the extent to which open, multi-party, and competitive elections choose a chief executive who faces comprehensive institutional constraints, and political participation is competitive. It ranges from -10 to 10 (fully democratic).