The poverty situation in the country has worsened in recent years as millions of people struggle to meet their basic needs amid high inflation and limited job opportunities, according to the latest World Bank Sierra Leone Economic Update.
Before COVID-19, 24% of the population lived in poverty at the international poverty baseline of US$2.15 per day. But by 2024, poverty had climbed to 32.7%, based on new economic projections that consider both inflation and slow growth. The bank says these figures provide a more realistic picture of living conditions in the country.
Food insecurity is also extremely high. A February 2024 World Food Program report found that 82% of Sierra Leoneans do not have reliable access to food, and 18% of households are facing severe hunger.
A major problem in understanding the full scale of poverty, the report notes, is the lack of updated household survey data. The last official poverty study was done in 2018. Since then, the country has faced several major shocks, including COVID-19 and surge in commodity prices. Without fresh data, it is difficult for policymakers to design effective programs to support the most vulnerable families.
Traditional methods of estimating poverty usually depend on real GDP per capita, but these often underestimate hardship because they do not account for rising prices or differences across sectors of the economy. To address this, the bank used a more advanced “microsimulation” model that includes inflation and sector-specific income patterns. This method shows higher poverty levels, suggesting that many more people are struggling than older models indicate.
The Sierra Leone Integrated Household Survey being carried out by Statistics Sierra Leone, the bank says, will give the country a clearer picture of poverty once completed. The new data will help the government monitor progress under its 2024-2030 national development plan and improve future poverty projections.
For now, the bank says that poverty remains a serious challenge, and better data and stronger policies are urgently needed to protect households from the growing cost-of-living crisis.
