What is freedom of expression index in Sierra Leone?

Freedom of expression index in Sierra Leone was 0.823 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest freedom of expression index recorded in Sierra Leone?

The highest recorded value was 0.851 in 2022.

What is the lowest freedom of expression index recorded in Sierra Leone?

The lowest recorded value was 0.335 in 1981.

How does Sierra Leone rank for freedom of expression index?

Sierra Leone ranks 55th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Sierra Leone?

Over the last ten years it is up 7.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?

The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Freedom of Expression Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Freedom of Expression Index in Sierra Leone

Name: Freedom of Expression Index in Sierra Leone
Creator: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Sierra Leone: Freedom of Expression Index was 0.823 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)

0.823

Change on year

unchanged

World rank

55th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.851

in 2022

All-time low

0.335

in 1981

Years of data

126

1900–2025

Freedom of Expression Index in Sierra Leone, 1900–2025

Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2025, freedom of expression index in Sierra Leone stood at 0.823.

That represents a change of up 7.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, freedom of expression index in Sierra Leone peaked at 0.851 in 2022 and was at its lowest, 0.335, in 1981.

Sierra Leone ranks 55th of 176 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 126 years of available data.

Freedom of Expression Index in Sierra Leone, year by year

Annual values for Freedom of Expression Index in Sierra Leone, 1900 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1900	0.388	—
1901	0.388	+0.0%
1902	0.388	+0.0%
1903	0.388	+0.0%
1904	0.388	+0.0%
1905	0.388	+0.0%
1906	0.388	+0.0%
1907	0.388	+0.0%
1908	0.388	+0.0%
1909	0.388	+0.0%
1910	0.388	+0.0%
1911	0.388	+0.0%
1912	0.388	+0.0%
1913	0.388	+0.0%
1914	0.388	+0.0%
1915	0.388	+0.0%
1916	0.388	+0.0%
1917	0.388	+0.0%
1918	0.388	+0.0%
1919	0.388	+0.0%
1920	0.388	+0.0%
1921	0.388	+0.0%
1922	0.388	+0.0%
1923	0.388	+0.0%
1924	0.388	+0.0%
1925	0.388	+0.0%
1926	0.388	+0.0%
1927	0.388	+0.0%
1928	0.388	+0.0%
1929	0.388	+0.0%
1930	0.388	+0.0%
1931	0.388	+0.0%
1932	0.388	+0.0%
1933	0.388	+0.0%
1934	0.388	+0.0%
1935	0.388	+0.0%
1936	0.388	+0.0%
1937	0.388	+0.0%
1938	0.388	+0.0%
1939	0.388	+0.0%
1940	0.388	+0.0%
1941	0.388	+0.0%
1942	0.388	+0.0%
1943	0.388	+0.0%
1944	0.388	+0.0%
1945	0.388	+0.0%
1946	0.388	+0.0%
1947	0.388	+0.0%
1948	0.388	+0.0%
1949	0.388	+0.0%
1950	0.388	+0.0%
1951	0.413	+6.4%
1952	0.426	+3.1%
1953	0.447	+4.9%
1954	0.447	+0.0%
1955	0.447	+0.0%
1956	0.447	+0.0%
1957	0.452	+1.1%
1958	0.447	-1.1%
1959	0.447	+0.0%
1960	0.471	+5.4%
1961	0.554	+17.6%
1962	0.6	+8.3%
1963	0.6	+0.0%
1964	0.6	+0.0%
1965	0.578	-3.7%
1966	0.578	+0.0%
1967	0.571	-1.2%
1968	0.441	-22.8%
1969	0.398	-9.8%
1970	0.398	+0.0%
1971	0.427	+7.3%
1972	0.398	-6.8%
1973	0.398	+0.0%
1974	0.398	+0.0%
1975	0.398	+0.0%
1976	0.398	+0.0%
1977	0.399	+0.3%
1978	0.383	-4.0%
1979	0.359	-6.3%
1980	0.337	-6.1%
1981	0.335	-0.6%
1982	0.335	+0.0%
1983	0.335	+0.0%
1984	0.335	+0.0%
1985	0.342	+2.1%
1986	0.399	+16.7%
1987	0.399	+0.0%
1988	0.399	+0.0%
1989	0.402	+0.8%
1990	0.402	+0.0%
1991	0.412	+2.5%
1992	0.473	+14.8%
1993	0.49	+3.6%
1994	0.497	+1.4%
1995	0.505	+1.6%
1996	0.613	+21.4%
1997	0.66	+7.7%
1998	0.668	+1.2%
1999	0.696	+4.2%
2000	0.706	+1.4%
2001	0.706	+0.0%
2002	0.772	+9.3%
2003	0.778	+0.8%
2004	0.776	-0.3%
2005	0.776	+0.0%
2006	0.776	+0.0%
2007	0.776	+0.0%
2008	0.787	+1.4%
2009	0.785	-0.3%
2010	0.785	+0.0%
2011	0.785	+0.0%
2012	0.76	-3.2%
2013	0.763	+0.4%
2014	0.763	+0.0%
2015	0.763	+0.0%
2016	0.763	+0.0%
2017	0.803	+5.2%
2018	0.821	+2.2%
2019	0.816	-0.6%
2020	0.834	+2.2%
2021	0.836	+0.2%
2022	0.851	+1.8%
2023	0.815	-4.2%
2024	0.823	+1.0%
2025	0.823	+0.0%

Sierra Leone compared with similar countries

Sierra Leone's 0.823 is above the median for low income countries, which is 0.432, 1.9× the median. (25 countries reporting)
Sierra Leone's 0.823 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.616, 1.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1900s	0.388	0.388	0.388	10
1910s	0.388	0.388	0.388	10
1920s	0.388	0.388	0.388	10
1930s	0.388	0.388	0.388	10
1940s	0.388	0.388	0.388	10
1950s	0.4361	0.388	0.452	10
1960s	0.5391	0.398	0.6	10
1970s	0.3956	0.359	0.427	10
1980s	0.3618	0.335	0.402	10
1990s	0.5416	0.402	0.696	10
2000s	0.7638	0.706	0.787	10
2010s	0.7822	0.76	0.821	10
2020s	0.8303	0.815	0.851	6

Countries ranked near Sierra Leone

52 Liberia 0.836 compare
53 United Kingdom 0.833 compare
54 Malta 0.829 compare
56 Israel 0.822 compare
57 Senegal 0.82 compare
58 Gambia 0.814 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

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)

All data for Sierra Leone →

Frequently asked questions

What is freedom of expression index in Sierra Leone?: Freedom of expression index in Sierra Leone was 0.823 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest freedom of expression index recorded in Sierra Leone?: The highest recorded value was 0.851 in 2022.
What is the lowest freedom of expression index recorded in Sierra Leone?: The lowest recorded value was 0.335 in 1981.
How does Sierra Leone rank for freedom of expression index?: Sierra Leone ranks 55th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Sierra Leone?: Over the last ten years it is up 7.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?: The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Freedom of Expression Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Freedom of Expression Index in Sierra Leone. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 07 November 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/freedom-of-expression-index/sierra-leone/

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About this data

Indicator: Freedom of Expression Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 30,035 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 30 October 2026

Central estimate of the extent to which people can discuss political matters at home and in the public sphere, the press, and media are free and can present different political perspectives, and the freedom of academic and cultural expression.