Democracy is a complex concept with numerous intricacies involved in its assessment. Using International IDEA’s Democracy Assessment framework as a foundation, the State of Democracy Assessment 2025 Report was conducted in Sierra Leone, a country that has conducted five successive elections since the end of civil war in 2002. This report benchmarks Sierra Leone’s democracy-building efforts and contains a body of evidence that reflects the local realities and experiences of Sierra Leoneans. The aim is to provide evidence that can support informed public debate and interventions regarding the quality of democracy in the country.

This assessment seeks to provide a clear picture of primary strengths and weaknesses related to 10 core democratic benchmarks: Nationhood and citizenship; political participation; the media in a democratic society; political parties and democracy; free and fair elections; parliamentary effectiveness; civil and political liberties; rule of law and justice; civilian control of the armed forces and the police; and economic and social rights. The report concludes with some policy relevant questions for key state and non-state institutions, and are meant to stimulate public discourse on how to improve on the gains made in democratization and improve on the pitfalls while contributing to overall democratic consolidation in Sierra Leone.