Fertility rate, total (births per woman) (UNESCO Institute) in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Fertility rate, total (births per woman) (UNESCO Institute) was 3.79 births per woman in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
3.79 births per woman
Change on year
down 2.2%
World rank
35th
of 215 countries
All-time high
6.61 births per woman
in 1987
All-time low
3.79 births per woman
in 2023
Years of data
54
1970–2023
Fertility rate, total in Sierra Leone, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in births per woman.
Analysis
In 2023, fertility rate, total in Sierra Leone stood at 3.79 births per woman. That is the lowest value across all 54 years on record.
That represents a change of down 2.2% on the previous year and down 22.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate, total in Sierra Leone peaked at 6.61 births per woman in 1987 and was at its lowest, 3.79 births per woman, in 2023.
That places Sierra Leone 35th out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 54 years of available data.
Fertility rate, total (births per woman) (UNESCO Institute) in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | births per woman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 6.41 births per woman | — |
| 1971 | 6.43 births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1972 | 6.45 births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1973 | 6.47 births per woman | +0.4% |
| 1974 | 6.53 births per woman | +0.9% |
| 1975 | 6.55 births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1976 | 6.55 births per woman | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 6.57 births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1978 | 6.59 births per woman | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 6.58 births per woman | -0.1% |
| 1980 | 6.56 births per woman | -0.3% |
| 1981 | 6.55 births per woman | -0.1% |
| 1982 | 6.56 births per woman | +0.1% |
| 1983 | 6.57 births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1984 | 6.59 births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1985 | 6.59 births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 6.6 births per woman | +0.1% |
| 1987 | 6.61 births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1988 | 6.59 births per woman | -0.3% |
| 1989 | 6.57 births per woman | -0.3% |
| 1990 | 6.57 births per woman | -0.1% |
| 1991 | 6.55 births per woman | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 6.55 births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 6.57 births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 6.56 births per woman | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 6.55 births per woman | -0.0% |
| 1996 | 6.55 births per woman | -0.0% |
| 1997 | 6.53 births per woman | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 6.5 births per woman | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 6.42 births per woman | -1.1% |
| 2000 | 6.36 births per woman | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 6.3 births per woman | -0.8% |
| 2002 | 6.23 births per woman | -1.2% |
| 2003 | 6.09 births per woman | -2.3% |
| 2004 | 5.92 births per woman | -2.8% |
| 2005 | 5.81 births per woman | -1.9% |
| 2006 | 5.74 births per woman | -1.2% |
| 2007 | 5.64 births per woman | -1.6% |
| 2008 | 5.56 births per woman | -1.4% |
| 2009 | 5.45 births per woman | -2.1% |
| 2010 | 5.33 births per woman | -2.2% |
| 2011 | 5.21 births per woman | -2.2% |
| 2012 | 5.06 births per woman | -2.8% |
| 2013 | 4.87 births per woman | -3.8% |
| 2014 | 4.7 births per woman | -3.5% |
| 2015 | 4.55 births per woman | -3.3% |
| 2016 | 4.47 births per woman | -1.8% |
| 2017 | 4.39 births per woman | -1.7% |
| 2018 | 4.29 births per woman | -2.2% |
| 2019 | 4.19 births per woman | -2.4% |
| 2020 | 4.08 births per woman | -2.7% |
| 2021 | 3.98 births per woman | -2.5% |
| 2022 | 3.88 births per woman | -2.6% |
| 2023 | 3.79 births per woman | -2.2% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 3.79 births per woman is below the median for low income countries, which is 4.19 births per woman, 91% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 3.79 births per woman is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4 births per woman, 95% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 6.51 births per woman | 6.41 births per woman | 6.59 births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.58 births per woman | 6.55 births per woman | 6.61 births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.54 births per woman | 6.42 births per woman | 6.57 births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.91 births per woman | 5.45 births per woman | 6.36 births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.71 births per woman | 4.19 births per woman | 5.33 births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.93 births per woman | 3.79 births per woman | 4.08 births per woman | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
More population data for Sierra Leone
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.1141 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -1.21 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.1141 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.076 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 13,595 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.9 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.6516 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.137 (2100)
- Population density 220.76 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 983,692 (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate, total in Sierra Leone?
- Fertility rate, total in Sierra Leone was 3.79 births per woman in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest fertility rate, total recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 6.61 births per woman in 1987.
- What is the lowest fertility rate, total recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.79 births per woman in 2023.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for fertility rate, total?
- Sierra Leone ranks 35th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertility rate, total rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Fertility rate, total (births per woman). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release