Which has higher human development index, Burundi or Sierra Leone?

Burundi, at 0.352 HDI against 0.348 HDI in Sierra Leone as of 2011.

How many years of comparable data are there for Burundi and Sierra Leone?

10 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2011.

Where does this data come from?

http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/data/, published as Human development index (HDI). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Burundi vs Sierra Leone: Human development index

Burundi

0.352 HDI

in 2011

Sierra Leone

0.348 HDI

in 2011

Burundi rank

41st

Sierra Leone rank

43rd

Human development index over time

Burundi
Sierra Leone

How they compare

Burundi currently reports 0.352 HDI against 0.348 HDI in Sierra Leone, a difference of 0.004 HDI.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 10 shared years of data; in 1980 it was Sierra Leone ahead.

Burundi ranks 41st and Sierra Leone ranks 43rd of 50 countries.

Across the 4 decades both report, Burundi averaged higher in 2 and Sierra Leone in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Burundi	Sierra Leone	Difference	Ahead
1980s	0.217 HDI	0.255 HDI	0.038 HDI	Sierra Leone
1990s	0.272 HDI	0.247 HDI	0.025 HDI	Burundi
2000s	0.3125 HDI	0.3152 HDI	0.0027 HDI	Sierra Leone
2010s	0.35 HDI	0.347 HDI	0.003 HDI	Burundi

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher human development index, Burundi or Sierra Leone?: Burundi, at 0.352 HDI against 0.348 HDI in Sierra Leone as of 2011.
What is the difference in human development index between Burundi and Sierra Leone?: 0.004 HDI, with Burundi ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Burundi and Sierra Leone?: 10 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2011.
How do Burundi and Sierra Leone rank globally for human development index?: Burundi ranks 41st and Sierra Leone ranks 43rd of 50 countries.
Where does this data come from?: http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/data/, published as Human development index (HDI). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Burundi vs Sierra Leone: Human development index. Statizoid, drawing on http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/data/. Retrieved 24 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/human-development-index-hdi/burundi/sierra-leone/

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About this data

Indicator: Human development index (HDI)
Unit: HDI
Source: http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/data/
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage: 50 places, 459 data points, 1980–2011
Last refreshed: 18 September 2026

The Human Development Index (HDI) is a summary measure of human development. It measures the average achievements in a country in three basic dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, access to knowledge and a decent standard of living. The HDI is the geometric mean of normalized indices measuring achievements in each dimension. The HDI is the geometric mean of the three dimension indices and embodies imperfect substitutability across all HDI dimensions. It thus addresses one of the most serious criticisms of the linear aggregation formula, which allowed for perfect substitution across dimensions. Some substitutability is inherent in the definition of any index that increases with the values of its components. Data sources: Life expectancy at birth: UNDESA; Mean years of schooling: Barro and Lee; Expected years of schooling: UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Gross national income (GNI) per capita: World Bank.