Freetown, 6th November, 2026 — Sierra Leone has passed the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) FY2027 scorecard, meeting 11 of 22 indicators, up from nine last year.
According to a Press Release issued by the Ministry of Information and Civic Education on Thursday 6th November, 2026, the country also satisfied the mandatory requirements on personal freedom and control of corruption and accountability.
The result, the release says, reflects continued progress under President Julius Maada Bio’s leadership in strengthening governance, stabilizing the economy and improving conditions for investment.
The MCC Scorecard is an annual assessment used by the United States Government agency, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, to measure a country’s commitment to good governance, economic freedom and investment in its people. Passing the scorecard is a key requirement for eligibility for MCC’s large-scale grant assistance, known as a Compact.
Last year, MCC expanded its scorecard from 20 to 22 indicators and introduced new measures across economic freedom, investment in people and governance. Sierra Leone’s improved overall result marks progress under this revised framework.
Key highlights from the FY2027 scorecard:
– Two new passes – Inflation and Business Start-Up:* The Ministry said the inflation figure used in the scorecard fell from over 28% to 7.6%, while Sierra Leone passed the recently introduced measure of business registration and the wider business environment.
– Sustained governance performance: Sierra Leone passed five of six Ruling Justly indicators — Personal Freedom, Government Accountability, Control of Corruption, Rule of Law and Freedom of Information.
– Strong education and inclusion results: The country ranked at the 97th percentile for Girls’ Primary Education Completion and the 88th percentile for Women in the Economy among countries in its income group.
– Improved government effectiveness: The country’s score increased, although it remains below the passing threshold.
The Government acknowledged that more work needs to be done in the areas of health, natural resource protection, access to credit, and employment opportunities.
The Ministry noted that Workforce Development was unscored because country data were unavailable for this assessment cycle, but added that MCC also confirms that information received after its data were finalized shows Sierra Leone passes Health Expenditures.
Government says it will use these findings to guide further reforms and turn progress into better services, jobs and opportunities. It thanked MCC and the United States for their continued partnership, including through the implementation of the $494 million Energy Compact to deliver more reliable electricity.
The $494 million Energy Compact, signed last year, is one of the largest U.S. investments in Sierra Leone and is aimed at transforming the country’s energy sector, improving access and financial viability of the sector.
Sierra Leone passed 9 indicators in the FY2026 scorecard, and had passed 8 the previous year, indicating a steady upward trajectory.
