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Sierra Leone Poverty Rate

Poverty headcount ratio at $2.15/day  SI.POV.DDAY

Sierra Leone's poverty rate was 41.50% in 2018, ranked 89th globally. This represents a 22.7% decrease from 2017. Data from World Bank, covering 2003–2018.

41.50% −12.20pp (-22.7%)
Year 2018 Rank #89 Global Peak 72.40% (2003) Source World Bank

Sierra Leone Poverty Rate (2003–2018)

Overview

Sierra Leone's poverty rate stood at 41.50% in 2018, a decline of +12.20pp from 2011. Sierra Leone ranked 89th globally.

Sierra Leone's poverty rate has exhibited a significant decline since 2003, when it peaked at 72.40%. The country's poverty rate has been steadily decreasing, with a notable reduction to 41.50% by 2018, marking a substantial decrease of 30.90 percentage points over this period. This improvement places Sierra Leone's poverty rate below that of its peer country Chad, which ranked #91 globally in 2018 with a poverty rate of 41.90%. The country's progress in reducing poverty rate is a notable achievement, positioning it as one of the countries with the most significant improvement in poverty reduction globally. With ongoing efforts to strengthen its economy and improve living standards, Sierra Leone continues to trend in a positive direction, but further investments in education, healthcare, and infrastructure are crucial to sustain this momentum and accelerate poverty reduction, particularly in rural areas where poverty rates remain high.

Data & projection

Year Poverty Rate YoY change Rank
2018 41.50% −12.20pp #89
2011 53.70% −18.70pp #79
2003 72.40% – #68

Detected Pattern

Currency Crisis Pattern
Rapid currency depreciation (>30% YoY) combined with reserve drawdown and inflation surge. Often precedes emergency rate hikes.
Inflation 47.6% Reserves YoY -20.6% FX YoY +51.7%
Occurred 128 times, 35 successful
Inflation
133.5%
Reserves YoY
-48.5%
FX YoY
+126.8%
Inflation
38.1%
Reserves YoY
-30.4%
FX YoY
+33.2%
Inflation
221.3%
Reserves YoY
-15.4%
FX YoY
+820.4%
Inflation
47.6%
Reserves YoY
-20.6%
FX YoY
+51.7%
Inflation
667.4%
Reserves YoY
-80.7%
FX YoY
+835.9%
Inflation
31.3%
Reserves YoY
-47.5%
FX YoY
+42.5%
24 mo later
22.8%

Analysis

Sierra Leone matched the Currency Crisis Pattern pattern in 2023. Historically, 27% of countries showing this pattern (35 out of 128) saw poverty rate improve within 24 months. View full analysis →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Sierra Leone's poverty rate?▾

Sierra Leone's poverty rate was 41.50% in 2018. Ranked 89th globally. This represents a 22.7% decrease from the previous year.

What was the highest poverty rate in Sierra Leone?▾

Sierra Leone's poverty rate peaked at 72.40% in 2003.

What was the lowest poverty rate in Sierra Leone?▾

The lowest poverty rate in Sierra Leone was 41.50% in 2018.

How does Sierra Leone rank in poverty rate?▾

Sierra Leone ranks 89th globally in poverty rate as of 2018.

What is the World Bank indicator code for poverty rate?▾

The World Bank indicator code is SI.POV.DDAY. Data sourced from World Bank.

What is the poverty rate of Sierra Leone in 2018?▾

The poverty rate of Sierra Leone in 2018 was 41.50%. This ranks 89th in the world.

Cite this page

APA
Sierra Leone Poverty Rate. HistorySaid. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://historysaid.com/sierra-leone/poverty-rate/
BibTeX
@misc{historysaid_sierra-leone_poverty-rate, title = {Sierra Leone Poverty Rate}, url = {https://historysaid.com/sierra-leone/poverty-rate/}, publisher = {HistorySaid}, year = {2026} }
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