World Factbook
Sierra Leone
Republic of Sierra Leone
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Literacy
male
54.6% (2019 est.)
female
33.9% (2019 est.)
total population
43.6% (2019 est.)
Languages
English (official, regular use limited to literate minority), Mende (principal vernacular in the south), Temne (principal vernacular in the north), Krio (English-based Creole, spoken by the descendants of freed Jamaican slaves; a first language for 10% of the population but understood by 95%)
Religions
Muslim 77.1%, Christian 22.9% (2019 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years
1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years
0.96 male(s)/female
total population
0.98 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
65 years and over
0.97 male(s)/female
Birth rate
30.04 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate
8.8 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Median age
male
19 years
total
19.7 years (2025 est.)
female
19.9 years
Population
male
4,620,638
total
9,331,203 (2025 est.)
female
4,710,565
Nationality
noun
Sierra Leonean(s)
adjective
Sierra Leonean
Tobacco use
male
14.8% (2025 est.)
total
9.8% (2025 est.)
female
4.9% (2025 est.)
Urbanization
urban population
44.3% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization
3.02% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
40.1% (male 1,843,606/female 1,812,304)
15-64 years
57.4% (male 2,557,715/female 2,675,418)
65 years and over
2.5% (2024 est.) (male 114,405/female 117,601)
Ethnic groups
Temne 35.4%, Mende 30.8%, Limba 8.8%, Kono 4.3%, Korankoh 4%, Fullah 3.8%, Mandingo 2.8%, Loko 2%, Sherbro 1.9%, Creole 1.2% (descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area in the late-18th century; also known as Krio), other 5% (2019 est.)
Child marriage
men married by age 18
4.1% (2019)
women married by age 15
8.6% (2019)
women married by age 18
29.6% (2019)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio
72.7 (2025 est.)
youth dependency ratio
68.4 (2025 est.)
potential support ratio
22.9 (2025 est.)
elderly dependency ratio
4.4 (2025 est.)
Physician density
0.13 physicians/1,000 population (2022)
Health expenditure
Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
8.6% of GDP (2021)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
5.2% of national budget (2022 est.)
Net migration rate
1.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Total fertility rate
3.52 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Drinking water source
improved: rural
rural: 54.1% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total
total: 65.3% of population (2022 est.)
improved: urban
urban: 79.8% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: rural
rural: 45.9% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total
total: 34.7% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban
urban: 20.2% of population (2022 est.)
Education expenditure
Education expenditure (% GDP)
2.6% of GDP (2023 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget)
20.5% national budget (2025 est.)
Infant mortality rate
male
76 deaths/1,000 live births
total
70.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
female
66.2 deaths/1,000 live births
Population growth rate
2.24% (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate
1.73 (2025 est.)
Population distribution
population clusters are found in the lower elevations of the south and west; the northern third of the country is less populated, as shown on this population distribution map
Life expectancy at birth
male
57.8 years
female
61 years
total population
59.4 years (2024 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio
354 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Sanitation facility access
improved: rural
rural: 37.9% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total
total: 57.2% of population (2022 est.)
improved: urban
urban: 81.9% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: rural
rural: 62.1% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total
total: 42.8% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban
urban: 18.1% of population (2022 est.)
Alcohol consumption per capita
beer
0.17 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine
0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
total
3.22 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits
0.15 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols
2.9 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Major urban areas - population
1.309 million FREETOWN (capital) (2023)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
8.7% (2016)
Mother's mean age at first birth
19.6 years (2019 est.)
note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
61.5% (2019 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
12% (2021 est.)