Sierra Leone: Government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure)

Key figures

Over five years it is down 13.69 percentage points from 34.24% in 2020. Since 2000 it is down 0.18 percentage points from 20.73% in 2000. The World Bank has no value for 3 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2025, Sierra Leone's government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) rose 0.59 percentage points on 2024 (from 19.96% to 20.55%).

Across the 18 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2024), the average change was +0.39 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 4.12 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 12.84 percentage points in 2018 and the biggest yearly fall was 4.82 percentage points in 2008. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2025 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains less than 1% of the movement over 9 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2025, Sierra Leone had the 7th highest value of the 58 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Sierra Leone in the 2025 ranking

• Bhutan — 3rd of 58: 22.22%
• Senegal — 4th of 58: 20.91%
• Dominican Republic — 5th of 58: 20.87%
• Eswatini — 7th of 58: 19.21%
• South Africa — 8th of 58: 19.14%
• Benin — 9th of 58: 18.02%

What this measures

General government expenditure on education (current, capital, and transfers) is expressed as a percentage of total general government expenditure on all sectors (including health, education, social services, etc.). It includes expenditure funded by transfers from international sources to government. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.

Limitations: Data on government expenditure on education may refer to spending by the ministry of education only (excluding spending on educational activities by other ministries). In addition, definitions and methods of data on total general government expenditure may differ across countries.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a median.

All 23 values

Government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) in nearby economies

• Angola — 6.52% (2025)
• Benin — 18.02% (2025)
• Botswana — 21.47% (2020)
• Burkina Faso — 20.3% (2023)
• Burundi — 10.29% (2025)
• Cabo Verde — 13.41% (2024)
• Cameroon — 13.83% (2024)
• Central African Republic — 9.99% (2023)

More education data for Sierra Leone

• Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 12 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 7 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 2.07 million (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 162.12% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 166.35% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) — 157.95% (2024)
• Primary education, teachers — 46,575 (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Sierra Leone's government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure)?

20.55% in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2000?

It is down 0.18 percentage points from 20.73% in 2000. The highest value was 35.01% in 2019 and the lowest 12.41% in 2011.

How does Sierra Leone rank?

7th highest of 58 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) unusual for Sierra Leone?

In 2025, Sierra Leone's government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) rose 0.59 percentage points on 2024 (from 19.96% to 20.55%). Across the 18 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2024), the average change was +0.39 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 4.12 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.XPD.TOTL.GB.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources, note: The data are obtained through the UIS API. Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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