Data as of Aug 2, 2026, 11:30 PM

SERIAL · 694Africa

Sierra Leone

CapitalFreetown

CurrencySLE · leone

LanguageEnglish, Krio

Since1971

ISOSLE · SL

Population

8.8Mas of 2025

— THE COUNTRY —

Country in West Africa

Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the west coast of West Africa. It is bordered to the southeast by Liberia and by Guinea to the north. Sierra Leone's land area is 73,252 km2 (28,283 sq mi). It has a tropical climate and environments ranging from savannahs to rainforests. As of the 2023 census, Sierra Leone had a population of 8,460,512. Freetown is its capital and largest city.

Text: Wikipedia — Sierra LeoneCC BY-SA 4.0 · revised 2026-07-16

— FACTS —

Capital: Freetown
Currency: leone (SLE)
Official language: English, Krio
Drives on the: Right
Calling code: +232
Licence plate code: WAL
Top-level domain: .sl
Independence / founding: 19 Apr 1971
Highest point: Mount Bintumani (1,945 m)
Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean (0 m)
Anthem: High We Exalt Thee, Realm of the Free

Facts: Wikidata (CC0) · as of 2026-08-02

— LAND —

5 of 5 figures unavailable for Sierra Leone.

— PEOPLE —

Population

8.8Mpeople

#100 of 2162025

23% of world average

Population growth

2.0%% per year

#47 of 2162025

206% of world average

Population density

117people per km²

#90 of 2152023

26% of world average

People living in cities

45.9%% of population

#158 of 2162025

73% of world average

Urban population growth

3.3%% per year

#39 of 2162025

214% of world average

People living rurally

54.1%% of population

#59 of 2162025

147% of world average

Population aged 0-14

37.7%% of population

#36 of 2162025

150% of world average

Population aged 15-64

59.1%% of population

#173 of 2162025

92% of world average

Population aged 65+

3.3%% of population

#184 of 2162025

30% of world average

▸ ISSUE 7 MORE

Age dependency ratio

69.3%% of working-age population

#44 of 2162025

121% of world average

Female population

50.1%% of population

#133 of 2162025

100% of world average

Births per woman

4births per woman

#35 of 2162024

158% of world average

Birth rate

30.1 /1,000per 1,000 people

#29 of 2162024

175% of world average

Death rate

8.2 /1,000per 1,000 people

#77 of 2162024

107% of world average

Net migration

-11,309people (5-year total)

#155 of 2162025

-10271% of world average

Migrants living in the country

0.6%% of population

#192 of 2152024

5% of world average

— MONEY —

GDP

$7.46Bcurrent US$

#164 of 2112025

1% of world average

GDP, purchasing power parity

$32.78Bcurrent int'l $

#146 of 1992025

3% of world average

GDP per person

$846current US$

#201 of 2112025

4% of world average

GDP per person, purchasing power parity

$3,717current int'l $

#178 of 1992025

11% of world average

GDP growth

4.6%% per year

#59 of 2102025

136% of world average

GDP per person growth

2.5%% per year

#103 of 2102025

105% of world average

Gross national income

$7.41Bcurrent US$

#160 of 2042025

1% of world average

Gross national income per person

$830current US$

#192 of 2032025

4% of world average

Gross national income per person, PPP

$3,690current int'l $

#177 of 1972025

12% of world average

▸ ISSUE 26 MORE

Inflation

7.5%% per year

#155 of 1902025

87% of world average

Inflation (GDP deflator)

2.7%% per year

#79 of 2092025

38% of world average

Real interest rate

18.3%%

#5 of 1342025

442% of world average

Lending interest rate

21.4%%

#11 of 1342025

190% of world average

Government consumption

5.9%% of GDP

#172 of 1812025

34% of world average

Household consumption

78.2%% of GDP

#37 of 1812025

121% of world average

Investment (gross capital formation)

23.2%% of GDP

#89 of 1782025

100% of world average

Fixed investment

23.2%% of GDP

#75 of 1732025

104% of world average

Gross savings

19.2%% of GDP

#102 of 1682024

88% of world average

Foreign investment inflows

$121.8Mcurrent US$

#147 of 2012024

1% of world average

Foreign investment inflows

1.7%% of GDP

#112 of 1982024

no comparison

Foreign investment outflows

-0.0%% of GDP

not enough data to rank2010

0% of world average

Current account balance

-14.1%% of GDP

#173 of 1912024

no comparison

Foreign reserves

$433.3Mcurrent US$

#163 of 1772024

0% of world average

External debt

$2.33Bcurrent US$

#24 of 1212024

3% of world average

Income inequality (Gini)

360-100

#84 of 1472018

100% of world average

People below the poverty line

41.5%% of population

#130 of 1472018

324% of world average

Income share held by richest 10%

29.4%%

#95 of 1472018

106% of world average

Income share held by poorest 10%

3.4%%

#38 of 1472018

122% of world average

Money sent home by workers abroad

$320.8Mcurrent US$

#130 of 1862024

6% of world average

Foreign aid received

7.8%% of GNI

#31 of 1372023

130% of world average

Exchange rate

21local currency per US$

#94 of 2112023

1% of world average

Agriculture's share of the economy

29.5%% of GDP

#14 of 1992025

296% of world average

Industry's share of the economy

25.7%% of GDP

#76 of 2022025

105% of world average

Manufacturing's share of the economy

7.0%% of GDP

#135 of 1952024

63% of world average

Services' share of the economy

41.6%% of GDP

#184 of 2022025

72% of world average

4 of 39 figures unavailable for Sierra Leone.

— TRADE —

Exports

20.9%% of GDP

#148 of 1872025

48% of world average

Imports

28.2%% of GDP

#145 of 1872025

57% of world average

Trade balance

-7.3%% of GDP

#120 of 1872025

no comparison

Total trade (openness)

45.9%% of GDP

#125 of 2052025

71% of world average

Goods exported

$1.53Bcurrent US$

#151 of 2072025

1% of world average

Goods imported

$1.89Bcurrent US$

#167 of 2072025

2% of world average

Services exported

$49.6Mcurrent US$

#186 of 1912024

0% of world average

Services imported

$513.9Mcurrent US$

#163 of 1912024

1% of world average

Goods and services exported

$1.60Bcurrent US$

#159 of 1912024

1% of world average

▸ ISSUE 3 MORE

Goods and services imported

$2.91Bcurrent US$

#155 of 1912024

2% of world average

High-tech share of exports

0.7%% of manufactured exports

#157 of 1792018

6% of world average

Terms of trade

103index

#99 of 2062024

98% of world average

— HEALTH —

Life expectancy

62.0 yrsyears

#205 of 2162024

84% of world average

Life expectancy, women

63.7 yrsyears

#203 of 2162024

83% of world average

Life expectancy, men

60.2 yrsyears

#204 of 2162024

84% of world average

Infant deaths

54.6 /1,000per 1,000 live births

#185 of 1962024

295% of world average

Deaths under age 5

90.5 /1,000per 1,000 live births

#190 of 1962024

374% of world average

Maternal deaths

354per 100,000 live births

#176 of 1942023

305% of world average

Health spending

4.7%% of GDP

#131 of 1932023

69% of world average

Health spending per person

$36current US$

#180 of 1932023

2% of world average

Physicians

0.1 /1,000per 1,000 people

#173 of 1872022

6% of world average

▸ ISSUE 10 MORE

Nurses and midwives

1.2 /1,000per 1,000 people

#161 of 1962022

25% of world average

Hospital beds

0.4 /1,000per 1,000 people

not enough data to rank2006

14% of world average

Access to clean drinking water

68.1%% of population

#192 of 2142024

75% of world average

Access to basic sanitation

24.9%% of population

#200 of 2132024

31% of world average

Suicide rate

6per 100,000 people

#79 of 1852021

72% of world average

Adults who smoke

11.3%% of adults

#42 of 1662024

57% of world average

HIV prevalence

1.4%% aged 15-49

#126 of 1532024

102% of world average

Tuberculosis cases

372per 100,000 people

#193 of 2082024

375% of world average

Undernourishment

24.1%% of population

#152 of 1682023

239% of world average

Children vaccinated against measles

90.0%% of children 12-23 months

#100 of 1932024

105% of world average

— LEARNING —

Education spending

2.6%% of GDP

#159 of 1902023

61% of world average

Education spending

20.5%% of government spending

#15 of 1892025

152% of world average

Adult literacy

43.6%% aged 15+

#112 of 1192019

52% of world average

Youth literacy

73.0%% aged 15-24

#112 of 1262019

80% of world average

Primary school enrolment

162.1%% gross

#2 of 2002024

161% of world average

Secondary school enrolment

86.9%% gross

#115 of 1882023

100% of world average

University enrolment

2.0%% gross

not enough data to rank2002

4% of world average

Primary school completion

99.2%% of relevant age group

#44 of 1802024

110% of world average

Pupils per teacher, primary school

28pupils per teacher

#123 of 1602018

124% of world average

▸ ISSUE 1 MORE

Years of compulsory education

9.0 yrsyears

#146 of 1972025

90% of world average

— WORK —

Unemployment

3.2%% of labour force

#45 of 1862025

46% of world average

Youth unemployment

3.7%% of labour force aged 15-24

#15 of 1862025

24% of world average

Labour force participation

53.4%% aged 15+

#145 of 1862025

88% of world average

Women in the labour force

51.6%% of women aged 15+

#108 of 1862025

101% of world average

Men in the labour force

55.2%% of men aged 15+

#176 of 1862025

79% of world average

Labour force

2.9Mpeople

#111 of 1862025

15% of world average

Working in agriculture

44.5%% of employment

#32 of 1862025

202% of world average

Working in industry

11.5%% of employment

#159 of 1862025

59% of world average

Working in services

44.0%% of employment

#148 of 1862025

75% of world average

▸ ISSUE 3 MORE

Self-employed

88.8%% of employment

#3 of 1862025

230% of world average

Labour force with advanced education

73.5%% of labour force

#122 of 1712018

97% of world average

Employed

51.7%% aged 15+

#131 of 1862025

91% of world average

— CONNECTED —

People online

25.1%% of population

#189 of 2072024

35% of world average

Mobile phone subscriptions

108per 100 people

#127 of 2102022

93% of world average

Fixed broadband subscriptions

0per 100 people

#206 of 2082021

0% of world average

Fixed telephone lines

0per 100 people

#206 of 2132022

0% of world average

Access to electricity

39.2%% of population

#204 of 2142024

44% of world average

Access to clean cooking fuel

0.9%% of population

#185 of 1892023

1% of world average

Air passengers carried

50,193passengers

not enough data to rank2012

0% of world average

Air freight

0million tonne-km

not enough data to rank2012

0% of world average

Container port traffic

78,413TEU

#130 of 1672019

1% of world average

▸ ISSUE 2 MORE

Scientific journal articles published

86count

#144 of 1972023

1% of world average

Tourists arriving

71,000count

#174 of 1942019

1% of world average

7 of 18 figures unavailable for Sierra Leone.

— NATURE —

12 of 12 figures unavailable for Sierra Leone.

— STATE —

7 of 7 figures unavailable for Sierra Leone.

— TRADE PARTNERS —

Loading trade partner map…

— TRADE —

No trade data available for Sierra Leone.

— EXTRAS —

Anthem

High We Exalt Thee, Realm of the FreeAudio: Wikimedia Commons

Capital time

--:--:--Freetown · approx. UTC-1

Neighbours

Guinea

Liberia

Landmarks

Gola-Tiwai complexImage: Wikimedia Commons

People

Idris ElbaBritish actor

Ernest Bai KoromaSierra Leonean President

Julius Maada BioPresident of Sierra Leone since 2018

Ahmed Tejan KabbahSierra Leonean President (1932–2014)

Isaiah WashingtonAmerican actor (born 1963)

Nathaniel ChalobahEnglish footballer (born 1994)

Siaka StevensPrime Minister of Sierra Leone (1905-1988)

Rodney StrasserSierra Leonean footballer

Zainab Hawa BanguraSierra Leonean politician

Will ClayeAmerican triple jumper and long jumper

Joseph Saidu MomohSierra Leonean politician (1937-2003)

Mohamed KallonSierra Leonean footballer

History

19 Apr 1971Sierra Leone — founding / independence (Wikidata)

Size, side by side

Loading size comparison…

1960 → now

2026

Population8.8M2025

GDP$7.46B2025

GDP per person$8462025