Human Development & Quality of Life in Sierra Leone
HDI 0.467 · UNDP rank 185 · latest published data
In UNDP's 2023 index data, Sierra Leone has HDI 0.467 and rank 185, which corresponds to low human development. Two details sharpen that picture. The GDI of 0.830 (group 5) shows a pronounced female-male development gap within the UNDP framework. The GII reading of 0.566 (rank 152) is an important counterpoint to the aggregate HDI.
What sits inside Sierra Leone's HDI
Sierra Leone's HDI can be read through four underlying inputs for 2023: 61.8 life expectancy, 9.1 expected schooling, 3.5 mean schooling and GNI per capita of $1,714 in 2021 PPP dollars. The components are inputs to HDI, not independent country league tables.
Inequality changes the headline
In Sierra Leone's profile, IHDI shows the effect of inequality on health, education and income achievements. The page keeps this distribution measure distinct from broader quality-of-life evidence. For a like-for-like reading, retain the original indicator definition because the surrounding measures answer different questions.
Gender and planetary-pressure adjustments
The broader UNDP dashboard for Sierra Leone adds GDI 0.830, GII 0.566, PHDI 0.459 to the HDI result. These measures answer different questions, so they are kept separate.
Quality-of-life coverage is conditional
The OECD comparison used here does not provide a life-satisfaction observation that this Sierra Leone page can reproduce. Missing source coverage is shown as a limitation, not filled with an estimate. When the indicator is reused, treat the value as the published measure so the source year is not silently treated as the publication year.
What Sierra Leone's numbers say together
Sierra Leone's additional indicators read as IHDI 0.281 with a 39.8% loss; PHDI 0.459 after a 1.7% adjustment; GDI 0.830. These measures answer different questions, so they are kept separate.
HDI for Sierra Leone stands at 0.467 in 2023, with UNDP rank 185. It is a development benchmark based on three dimensions, not an all-purpose national score.
The IHDI is 0.281, and UNDP reports an overall loss of 39.8% relative to the headline index.
The GDI value is 0.830 in group 5; it should be read alongside, not merged into, HDI.
The PHDI is 0.459, with a 1.7% adjustment from the HDI value in UNDP's 2023 table.
Frequently asked questions
What is Sierra Leone's HDI?
Sierra Leone's 2023 Human Development Index is 0.467, corresponding to UNDP rank 185 in the 2025 report. For the evidence on this page, keep missing fields explicitly missing before comparing it with a quality-of-life observation.
How does inequality affect Sierra Leone's HDI?
IHDI for Sierra Leone is 0.281 in the 2023 table. That represents a 39.8% reduction from the headline development index. When using this figure elsewhere, separate the measure from subjective well-being before drawing conclusions from small differences.
Why is there no life satisfaction score on this page?
Quality-of-life data for Sierra Leone appear only when the page can tie the value to a comparable source and year. The absence of a published observation is preserved explicitly.
Is HDI the same as quality of life?
No. HDI combines health, education and income. Life satisfaction adds a different perspective and is therefore not folded into HDI. For the profile as a whole, retain the original indicator definition so the limitation remains visible to the reader.
Sources & methodology
Sources for the development indicators and definitions shown above.
View sources used for this page
Primary source for 2023 HDI and its components, plus IHDI, GDI, GII and PHDI where reported.
Report edition underlying the 2023 human-development indices and ranking.
Data note: Reference years are shown with each indicator; unavailable observations remain unfilled.