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Development in Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone’s 11-year civil war that ended in 2002 left the country devastated. Thousands were killed, with as many as 2.5 million seeking refuge in neighboring countries. The country’s economy, infrastructure and social cohesion all took severe hits.

Fortunately, the economy showed some resilience and began to rebound even before the end of the hostilities-albeit from the lowest of bases. Still, Sierra Leone remains one of the poorest countries in the world, ranked 180th out of 182 countries in the United Nations Development Program’s (UNDP) 2009 Human Development Index, and 128th out of 135 countries in the UNDP’s Poverty Index. Seventy percent of the population lives below the poverty line.

According to the African Development Bank, Sierra Leone’s current economic growth is primarily fueled by recovering agricultural production boosting consumption (agriculture is nearly 60 percent of the economy). However, much of the country is still dependent on food and oil imports in a time of global price increases.

Development in Sierra Leone is hindered by a number of other factors including high illiteracy levels, a limited electrical grid, poor transportation infrastructure, underemployment and a high cost of doing business. These same factors obstruct growth in the broadcast and information technology sectors, limiting their ability to contribute to development.