Sierra Leone Population (LIVE)

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Sierra Leone Population (1950 - 2023)
Yearly Population Growth Rate (%)
  • The current population of Sierra Leone is 8,862,529 as of Sunday, November 19, 2023, based on Worldometer elaboration of the latest United Nations data 1.
  • Sierra Leone 2023 population is estimated at 8,791,092 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 122 per Km2 (315 people per mi2).
  • The total land area is 72,180 Km2 (27,869 sq. miles)
  • 43.0 % of the population is urban (3,783,663 people in 2023)
  • The median age in Sierra Leone is 19.3 years.
1. Updated on July 16, 2023 with the latest July 2023-July 2024 estimates from the United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2022 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).

Population of Sierra Leone (2023 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
2023 8,791,092 2.15 % 185,374 -4,000 19.3 3.79 122 43.0 % 3,783,663 0.11 % 8,045,311,447 102
2022 8,605,718 2.20 % 185,077 -4,000 19.0 3.88 119 42.7 % 3,671,170 0.11 % 7,975,105,156 102
2020 8,233,970 2.33 % 187,142 1,292 18.6 4.08 114 41.9 % 3,453,971 0.11 % 7,840,952,880 102
2015 7,314,773 2.59 % 175,615 -356 17.7 4.55 101 40.4 % 2,954,791 0.10 % 7,426,597,537 104
2010 6,436,698 2.52 % 150,673 7,983 17.1 5.33 89 39.0 % 2,509,605 0.09 % 6,985,603,105 106
2005 5,683,334 4.39 % 219,853 -1,805 16.9 5.81 79 36.8 % 2,089,028 0.09 % 6,558,176,119 106
2000 4,584,067 1.17 % 51,98483,013 16.9 6.36 64 35.5 % 1,626,055 0.07 % 6,148,898,975 113
1995 4,324,149 -0.01 % -248 -112,857 17.1 6.56 60 34.0 % 1,471,764 0.08 % 5,743,219,454 116
1990 4,325,388 2.90 % 115,194 131,587 17.3 6.57 60 33.2 % 1,433,891 0.08 % 5,316,175,862 110
1985 3,749,419 2.17 % 76,388 -7,873 17.6 6.59 52 32.4 % 1,215,725 0.08 % 4,861,730,613 112
1980 3,367,477 1.96 % 62,312 -11,641 17.9 6.56 47 29.8 % 1,003,558 0.08 % 4,444,007,706 113
1975 3,055,916 1.92 % 55,472 -13,058 18.4 6.55 42 27.2 % 830,173 0.08 % 4,069,437,231 114
1970 2,778,557 1.97 % 51,596 -4,957 19.1 6.41 38 23.2 % 645,306 0.08 % 3,695,390,336 115
1965 2,520,576 1.84 % 43,853 -1,851 19.7 6.31 35 20.0 % 504,032 0.08 % 3,337,111,983 112
1960 2,301,310 1.51 % 33,133 -3,528 19.9 6.18 32 17.3 % 398,599 0.08 % 3,019,233,434 112
1955 2,135,644 1.31 % 26,971 -5,237 19.9 6.07 30 14.9 % 319,261 0.08 % 2,746,072,141 112
Source: Worldometer (www.Worldometers.info)
Elaboration of data by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2022 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).
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Sierra Leone Population Forecast

-4,000
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 9,165,377 2.17 % 186,281 -4,000 19.7 3.61 127 43.8 % 4,017,056 0.11 % 8,191,988,453 100
2030 10,105,188 1.97 % 187,962 -4,000 21.0 3.24 140 46.0 % 4,650,675 0.12 % 8,546,141,327 95
2035 11,037,683 1.78 % 186,499 -4,000 22.4 2.95 153 48.5 % 5,351,187 0.12 % 8,879,397,401 91
2040 11,938,548 1.58 % 180,173 -4,000 23.8 2.72 165 51.2 % 6,110,530 0.13 % 9,188,250,492 90
2045 12,793,558 1.39 % 171,002 -4,000 25.2 2.55 177 54.0 % 6,908,947 0.14 % 9,467,543,575 89
2050 13,595,023 1.22 % 160,293   26.6 2.40 188 56.8 % 7,724,557 0.14 % 9,709,491,761 88
Source: Worldometer (www.Worldometers.info)
Elaboration of data by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2022 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).

Sierra Leone Demographics

Main Page: Demographics of Sierra Leone
Life Expectancy
60.79 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
98.1
(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 88,000
5 Makeni 87,679
6 Lunsar 22,461
7 Port Loko 21,308
8 Waterloo 19,750
9 Kabala 17,948
10 Segbwema 16,532

See also

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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 2022 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.