Sierra Leone heads eight other countries, including the Gambia, Ethiopia and Guinea-Bissau that have shown the most improvement in Social Progress, according to the 2022 Social Progress Index.

The Social Progress Index focuses on the non-economic aspects of social performance.

A total of 169 countries were analyzed based on complete data under the 12 following indicators: nutrition and basic medical care, water and sanitation, shelter, personal safety, access to basic knowledge, access to information and communications, health and wellness, environmental quality, personal rights, personal freedom and choice, inclusiveness and access to advanced education.

A further 27 countries, which only had partially completed data, such as Ukraine and Afghanistan, were also analyzed.

By contrast, the eight countries on the chart showing the most improvement have all also moved up the ranks. As the report details, these have all been low and lower middle-income countries, including The Gambia, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone. Richer countries have generally improved at a slower rate.

See Chart below: