Self-reported life satisfaction in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Self-reported life satisfaction was 3.25 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Self-reported life satisfaction in Sierra Leone, 2011–2025
Source: Wellbeing Research Centre (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for self-reported life satisfaction in Sierra Leone is 3.25, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 8.4% on the previous year and down 29.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, self-reported life satisfaction in Sierra Leone peaked at 4.71 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 3, in 2024.
That places Sierra Leone 155th out of 157 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 14 years of available data.
Self-reported life satisfaction in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 3.59 | — |
| 2012 | 4.32 | +20.4% |
| 2014 | 4.51 | +4.4% |
| 2015 | 4.63 | +2.8% |
| 2016 | 4.71 | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 4.57 | -2.9% |
| 2018 | 4.37 | -4.3% |
| 2019 | 3.93 | -10.2% |
| 2020 | 3.85 | -2.0% |
| 2021 | 3.57 | -7.1% |
| 2022 | 3.14 | -12.2% |
| 2023 | 3.25 | +3.4% |
| 2024 | 3 | -7.6% |
| 2025 | 3.25 | +8.4% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 3.25 is below the median for low income countries, which is 4.06, 80% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 3.25 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.38, 74% of the median. (42 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 4.33 | 3.59 | 4.71 | 8 |
| 2020s | 3.34 | 3 | 3.85 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 152 Zimbabwe 3.35 compare
- 153 Malawi 3.28 compare
- 154 Rwanda 3.27 compare
- 156 South Sudan 2.82 compare
- 157 Afghanistan 1.45 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 self-reported life satisfaction in Sierra Leone?
- Self-reported life satisfaction in Sierra Leone was 3.25 in 2025, according to Wellbeing Research Centre (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest self-reported life satisfaction recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 4.71 in 2016.
- What is the lowest self-reported life satisfaction recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 3 in 2024.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for self-reported life satisfaction?
- Sierra Leone ranks 155th out of 157 countries with data for 2025.
- Is self-reported life satisfaction rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 29.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from Wellbeing Research Centre (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Self-reported life satisfaction. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 14 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Average of survey responses. The survey question asks respondents their current position on a hypothetical ladder, where the best possible life for them is a 10, and the worst possible life is a 0.