Birth rate in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Birth rate was 30.6 births per 1,000 people in 2023. ▼ Falling
Birth rate in Sierra Leone, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in births per 1,000 people.
Analysis
In 2023, birth rate in Sierra Leone stood at 30.6 births per 1,000 people. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.5% on the previous year and down 16.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, birth rate in Sierra Leone peaked at 48.21 births per 1,000 people in 1963 and was at its lowest, 30.6 births per 1,000 people, in 2023.
That places Sierra Leone 30th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 47.63 births per 1,000 people | 47.14 births per 1,000 people | 47.87 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 47.97 births per 1,000 people | 47.47 births per 1,000 people | 48.21 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 47.22 births per 1,000 people | 47 births per 1,000 people | 47.43 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 46.65 births per 1,000 people | 46.25 births per 1,000 people | 46.84 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 46.57 births per 1,000 people | 45.48 births per 1,000 people | 47.52 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 42.46 births per 1,000 people | 39.85 births per 1,000 people | 45.05 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 35.64 births per 1,000 people | 32.81 births per 1,000 people | 39.12 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 31.38 births per 1,000 people | 30.6 births per 1,000 people | 32.2 births per 1,000 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
More population data for Sierra Leone
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.1% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 983,692 people (2100)
- Population density 220.76 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -0.1% (2100)
- Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate 3.7 births per woman (2024)
- Refugees by country of asylum 0 people (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception 3.7 births per woman (2024)
- Total fertility rate vs. contraceptive prevalence 3.7 births per woman (2024)
- Natural population growth rate 2.2% (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 3.79 live births per woman (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is birth rate in Sierra Leone?
- Birth rate in Sierra Leone was 30.6 births per 1,000 people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest birth rate recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 48.21 births per 1,000 people in 1963.
- What is the lowest birth rate recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 30.6 births per 1,000 people in 2023.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for birth rate?
- Sierra Leone ranks 30th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is birth rate rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Birth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The number of live births in a year per 1,000 people in the population.