Sierra Leone Population (LIVE)

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Sierra Leone Population (1950 - 2024)
Yearly Population Growth Rate (%)
  • The current population of Sierra Leone is 8,725,428 as of Saturday, December 21, 2024, based on Worldometer's elaboration of the latest United Nations data1.
  • Sierra Leone 2024 population is estimated at 8,642,022 people at mid year.
  • Sierra Leone population is equivalent to 0.11% of the total world population.
  • Sierra Leone ranks number 102 in the list of countries (and dependencies) by population.
  • The population density in Sierra Leone is 120 per Km2 (310 people per mi2).
  • The total land area is 72,180 Km2 (27,869 sq. miles).
  • 45.1 % of the population is urban (3,898,920 people in 2024).
  • The median age in Sierra Leone is 19.5 years.
1. U.N. Dept. of Economic and Social Affairs - Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).

Population of Sierra Leone (2024 and historical)

YearPopulationYearly %
Change
Yearly
Change
Migrants (net)Median AgeFertility RateDensity (P/Km²)Urban
Pop %
Urban PopulationCountry's Share of
World Pop
World PopulationSierra Leone
Global Rank
2024 8,642,022 2.15 % 181,510 -11,000 19.5 3.70 120 45.1 % 3,898,920 0.11 % 8,161,972,572 102
2023 8,460,512 2.22 % 183,705 -4,000 19.3 3.79 117 44.7 % 3,783,663 0.10 % 8,091,734,930 102
2022 8,276,807 2.25 % 182,205 -4,000 19.0 3.88 115 44.4 % 3,671,170 0.10 % 8,021,407,192 102
2020 7,912,558 2.34 % 180,567 1,292 18.6 4.08 110 43.7 % 3,453,971 0.10 % 7,887,001,292 102
2015 7,037,655 2.49 % 162,988 -356 17.7 4.55 98 42.0 % 2,954,791 0.09 % 7,470,491,872 105
2010 6,222,714 2.49 % 144,200 7,983 17.1 5.33 86 40.3 % 2,509,605 0.09 % 7,021,732,148 107
2005 5,501,712 4.46 % 215,620 -1,805 16.9 5.81 76 38.0 % 2,089,028 0.08 % 6,586,970,132 107
2000 4,423,611 1.14 % 48,88683,013 16.9 6.36 61 36.8 % 1,626,055 0.07 % 6,171,702,993 115
1995 4,179,179 -0.08 % -3,530 -112,857 17.2 6.56 58 35.2 % 1,471,764 0.07 % 5,758,878,982 118
1990 4,196,828 2.90 % 111,678 131,587 17.4 6.57 58 34.2 % 1,433,891 0.08 % 5,327,803,110 113
1985 3,638,438 2.15 % 73,270 -7,873 17.7 6.59 50 33.4 % 1,215,725 0.07 % 4,868,943,465 114
1980 3,272,089 1.92 % 59,486 -11,641 18.1 6.56 45 30.7 % 1,003,558 0.07 % 4,447,606,236 115
1975 2,974,657 1.86 % 52,474 -13,058 18.6 6.55 41 27.9 % 830,173 0.07 % 4,070,735,277 115
1970 2,712,286 1.90 % 48,724 -4,957 19.4 6.41 38 23.8 % 645,306 0.07 % 3,694,683,794 116
1965 2,468,666 1.71 % 40,062 -1,851 19.9 6.31 34 20.4 % 504,032 0.07 % 3,334,533,703 111
1960 2,268,356 1.35 % 29,493 -3,528 20.1 6.18 31 17.6 % 398,599 0.08 % 3,015,470,894 112
1955 2,120,889 1.18 % 24,253 -5,237 19.9 6.07 29 15.1 % 319,261 0.08 % 2,740,213,792 111
Source: Worldometer (www.Worldometers.info)
Elaboration of data by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).
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Sierra Leone Population Forecast

YearPopulationYearly %
Change
Yearly
Change
Migrants (net)Median AgeFertility RateDensity (P/Km²)Urban
Pop %
Urban PopulationCountry's Share of
World Pop
World PopulationSierra Leone
Global Rank
2025 8,819,794 2.19 % 181,447 -11,309 19.7 3.61 122 45.5 % 4,017,056 0.11 % 8,231,613,070 102
2030 9,694,858 1.91 % 175,013 -13,030 20.9 3.24 134 48.0 % 4,650,675 0.11 % 8,569,124,911 98
2035 10,563,167 1.73 % 173,662 -11,108 22.2 2.97 146 50.7 % 5,351,187 0.12 % 8,885,210,181 94
2040 11,398,400 1.53 % 167,047 -7,726 23.6 2.76 158 53.6 % 6,110,530 0.12 % 9,177,190,203 92
2045 12,208,880 1.38 % 162,096 -14,090 24.9 2.59 169 56.6 % 6,908,947 0.13 % 9,439,639,668 91
2050 12,948,325 1.18 % 147,889   26.3 2.45 179 59.7 % 7,724,557 0.13 % 9,664,378,587 91
Source: Worldometer (www.Worldometers.info)
Elaboration of data by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).

Sierra Leone Demographics

Main Page: Demographics of Sierra Leone
Life Expectancy
61.96 years
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes)
View by sex and historical chart
Infant Mortality
70.5
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
View historical chart
Deaths under age 5
95.7
(per 1,000 live births)
View historical chart

Main Cities by Population in Sierra Leone

(includes boroughs, districts, urban agglomerations, etc.)

# CITY NAME POPULATION
1 Freetown 802,639
2 Bo 174,354
3 Kenema 143,137
4 Koidu 124,662
5 Makeni 87,679
6 Waterloo 55,000
7 Lunsar 22,461
8 Port Loko 21,308
9 Goderich 19,209
10 Kabala 17,948
11 Segbwema 16,532
12 Bumpe 16,123
13 Mile 91 15,491

See also

Notes

The Sierra Leone Population (Live) counter shows a continuously updated estimate of the current population of Sierra Leone delivered by Worldometer's RTS algorithm, which processes data collected from the United Nations Population Division.

The Population of Sierra Leone (1950 - 2023) chart plots the total population count as of July 1 of each year, from 1950 to 2023.

The Yearly Population Growth Rate chart plots the annual percentage changes in population registered on July 1 of each year, from 1951 to 2023. This value can differ from the Yearly % Change shown in the historical table, which shows the last year equivalent percentage change assuming homogeneous change in the preceding five year period.

Definitions

Year: as of July 1 of the year indicated.

Population: Overall total population (both sexes and all ages) in the country as of July 1 of the year indicated, as estimated by the United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. For forecasted years, the U.N. medium-fertility variant is used.


Yearly % Change: For 2023: percentage change in total population over the last year (from July 1, 2022 to June 30 2023). For all other years: latest year annual percentage change equivalent assuming homogeneous change in the preceding five year period, calculated through reverse compounding.

Yearly Change: For 2023: absolute change in total population (increase or decrease in number of people) over the last year (from July 1, 2022 to June 30 2023). For all other years: average annual numerical change over the preceding five year period.

Migrants (net): The average annual number of immigrants minus the number of emigrants over the preceding five year period (running from July 1 to June 30 of the initial and final years), or subsequent five year period (for 2016 data). A negative number means that there are more emigrants than immigrants.

Median Age: age that divides the population into two numerically equal groups: half of the people are older than the median age indicated and half are younger. This parameter provides an indication of age distribution.

Fertility Rate: (Total Fertility Rate, or TFR), it is expressed as children per woman. It is calculated as the average number of children an average woman will have during her reproductive period (15 to 49 years old) based on the current fertility rates of every age group in the country, and assuming she is not subject to mortality.

Density (P/Km²): (Population Density) Population per square Kilometer (Km²).

Urban Pop % : Urban population as a percentage of total population.

Urban Population: Population living in areas classified as urban according to the criteria used by each country.

Country's Share of World Pop: Total population in the country as a percentage of total World Population as of July 1 of the year indicated.

World Population: Total World Population as of July 1 of the year indicated.

Global Rank: Position held by Sierra Leone in the list of all countries worldwide ranked by population (from the highest population to the lowest population) as of July 1 of the year indicated.