Civil liberties rating in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Civil liberties rating was 3 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
3
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
97th
of 199 countries
All-time high
6
in 1992
All-time low
3
in 2003
Years of data
53
1972–2025
Civil liberties rating in Sierra Leone, 1972–2025
Source: Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, civil liberties rating in Sierra Leone stood at 3. That is the lowest value across all 53 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, civil liberties rating in Sierra Leone peaked at 6 in 1992 and was at its lowest, 3, in 2003.
Sierra Leone ranks 97th of 199 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 53 years of available data.
Civil liberties rating in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 5 | — |
| 1973 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 6 | +20.0% |
| 1993 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 5 | -16.7% |
| 1997 | 6 | +20.0% |
| 1998 | 5 | -16.7% |
| 1999 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 4 | -20.0% |
| 2003 | 3 | -25.0% |
| 2004 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 3 | +0.0% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 3 is below the median for low income countries, which is 6, 50% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 3 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5, 60% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5 | 5 | 5 | 8 |
| 1980s | 5 | 5 | 5 | 9 |
| 1990s | 5.5 | 5 | 6 | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.5 | 3 | 5 | 10 |
| 2010s | 3 | 3 | 3 | 10 |
| 2020s | 3 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 97 Albania 3 compare
- 97 Benin 3 compare
- 97 Bhutan 3 compare
- 97 Bolivia 3 compare
- 97 Bosnia and Herzegovina 3 compare
- 97 Brazil 3 compare
- 97 Colombia 3 compare
- 97 Dominican Republic 3 compare
- 97 East Timor 3 compare
- 97 Ecuador 3 compare
- 97 Hungary 3 compare
- 97 Israel 3 compare
- 97 Lesotho 3 compare
- 97 Malawi 3 compare
- 97 Moldova 3 compare
- 97 Montenegro 3 compare
- 97 Nauru 3 compare
- 97 North Macedonia 3 compare
- 97 Papua New Guinea 3 compare
- 97 Paraguay 3 compare
- 97 Peru 3 compare
- 97 Senegal 3 compare
- 97 Serbia 3 compare
More reference data data for Sierra Leone
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0238 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.4498 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.5935 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.12 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.5935 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0797 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.044 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.91 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.72 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.6534 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is civil liberties rating in Sierra Leone?
- Civil liberties rating in Sierra Leone was 3 in 2025, according to Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest civil liberties rating recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 6 in 1992.
- What is the lowest civil liberties rating recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 3 in 2003.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for civil liberties rating?
- Sierra Leone ranks 97th out of 199 countries with data for 2025.
- Is civil liberties rating rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Civil liberties rating. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Identifies the extent of freedom of expression and association, the rule of law, and personal autonomy. Lower ratings indicate more liberties.