Sierra Leone vs Western Sahara: Share of population living in cities
Sierra Leone
38.7%
in 2020
Western Sahara
39.0%
in 2020
Sierra Leone rank
107th
Western Sahara rank
106th
Share of population living in cities over time
- Sierra Leone
- Western Sahara
How they compare
Western Sahara currently reports 39.0% against 38.7% in Sierra Leone, a difference of 0.3%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 15 shared years of data; in 1950 it was Sierra Leone ahead.
Sierra Leone ranks 107th and Western Sahara ranks 106th of 236 countries.
Across the 8 decades both report, Sierra Leone averaged higher in 6 and Western Sahara in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Sierra Leone | Western Sahara | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 6.2% | 0.0% | 6.2% | Sierra Leone |
| 1960s | 11.8% | 0.0% | 11.8% | Sierra Leone |
| 1970s | 19.6% | 0.0% | 19.6% | Sierra Leone |
| 1980s | 23.1% | 0.0% | 23.1% | Sierra Leone |
| 1990s | 25.2% | 0.0% | 25.2% | Sierra Leone |
| 2000s | 28.5% | 7.8% | 20.7% | Sierra Leone |
| 2010s | 34.9% | 37.5% | 2.6% | Western Sahara |
| 2020s | 38.7% | 39.0% | 0.3% | Western Sahara |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of population living in cities, Sierra Leone or Western Sahara?
- Western Sahara, at 39.0% against 38.7% in Sierra Leone as of 2020.
- What is the difference in share of population living in cities between Sierra Leone and Western Sahara?
- 0.3%, with Western Sahara ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Sierra Leone and Western Sahara?
- 15 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2020.
- How do Sierra Leone and Western Sahara rank globally for share of population living in cities?
- Sierra Leone ranks 107th and Western Sahara ranks 106th of 236 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of population living in cities. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Estimated share of the population living in cities. Cities are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.