Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone consistently ranks as one of the poorest countries in the world, scoring extremely low on health and life expectancy indicators and only slightly better on economics and education. The civil war from 1991 to 2002 damaged the country’s efforts to overcome rural poverty, destroyed public infrastructure, and exacerbated problems of food insecurity. Urban residents are particularly affected by inflation, which hinders their ability to purchase food. The current president is focusing on improving health indicators and encouraging multinational businesses to alleviate poverty and raise the level of development.