Travel safety comparison · Africa
Cape Verde vs Sierra Leone: safety comparison
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Cape Verde vs Sierra Leone: side-by-side safety comparison. Risk scores, FCDO + US State advisories, drug law, women's safety, LGBTQ+ status.
Cape Verde carries a materially lower safety risk than Sierra Leone on the composite Warnely score: 23/100 against 42/100, a gap of 19 points. The biggest single category gap is in crime, where Cape Verde scores 1/5 against Sierra Leone's 3/5. Women's-safety rating differs: Cape Verde is Generally Safe and Sierra Leone is Exercise Caution. Drug law diverges sharply: Sierra Leone carries a tier-severe regime against Cape Verde's more permissive framework.
| 🇨🇻Cape Verde | 🇸🇱Sierra Leone | |
|---|---|---|
| Warnely composite (0–100, lower is safer) | 23 / 100 | 42 / 100 |
| Risk tier | Exercise Normal Caution | Exercise Increased Caution |
| UK FCDO advisory | No active advisory | No active advisory |
| US State Department advisory | Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) | Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) |
| Global Peace Index rank | n/a | #57 |
| Drug law | Strict | Severe (long sentences) |
| Women's safety rating | Generally Safe | Exercise Caution |
| LGBTQ+ legal status | legal | illegal |
| Tap water | n/a | n/a |
| Currency | CVE | SLE |
Cape Verde vs Sierra Leone: common questions
Is Cape Verde or Sierra Leone safer to visit?
Cape Verde has the lower Warnely composite risk score: 23/100 vs 42/100 (lower is safer). Both scores factor in crime, terrorism, natural disasters, health, civil unrest, and infrastructure.
Is Cape Verde or Sierra Leone safer for solo female travellers?
Cape Verde is rated Generally Safe for women's safety; Sierra Leone is rated Exercise Caution. Read the full guides for city-level detail.
What do FCDO and US State Department say about Cape Verde and Sierra Leone?
Cape Verde: No active advisory (FCDO), Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) (US State). Sierra Leone: No active advisory (FCDO), Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) (US State).