Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) was 61.79 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
61.79 years
Change on year
up 0.8%
World rank
204th
of 215 countries
All-time high
61.79 years
in 2023
All-time low
38.62 years
in 1970
Years of data
54
1970–2023
Life expectancy at birth, total in Sierra Leone, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for life expectancy at birth, total in Sierra Leone is 61.79 years, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 54 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.8% on the previous year and up 14.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth, total in Sierra Leone peaked at 61.79 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 38.62 years, in 1970.
That places Sierra Leone 204th out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 54 years of available data.
Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 38.62 years | — |
| 1971 | 39.1 years | +1.3% |
| 1972 | 39.51 years | +1.0% |
| 1973 | 39.96 years | +1.2% |
| 1974 | 40.41 years | +1.1% |
| 1975 | 40.99 years | +1.4% |
| 1976 | 41.42 years | +1.1% |
| 1977 | 41.83 years | +1.0% |
| 1978 | 42.19 years | +0.9% |
| 1979 | 42.53 years | +0.8% |
| 1980 | 42.84 years | +0.7% |
| 1981 | 43.09 years | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 43.3 years | +0.5% |
| 1983 | 43.45 years | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 43.56 years | +0.2% |
| 1985 | 43.56 years | -0.0% |
| 1986 | 43.5 years | -0.1% |
| 1987 | 43.75 years | +0.6% |
| 1988 | 43.77 years | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 43.74 years | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 43.72 years | -0.0% |
| 1991 | 43.29 years | -1.0% |
| 1992 | 43.45 years | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 43.43 years | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 42.81 years | -1.4% |
| 1995 | 42.58 years | -0.5% |
| 1996 | 43.53 years | +2.2% |
| 1997 | 43.65 years | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 42.71 years | -2.1% |
| 1999 | 41.96 years | -1.8% |
| 2000 | 44.83 years | +6.8% |
| 2001 | 45.45 years | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 46.17 years | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 46.78 years | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 47.48 years | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 48.31 years | +1.7% |
| 2006 | 49.55 years | +2.6% |
| 2007 | 50.02 years | +1.0% |
| 2008 | 50.69 years | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 51.31 years | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 51.93 years | +1.2% |
| 2011 | 52.59 years | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 53.16 years | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 54.05 years | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 54.28 years | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 55.45 years | +2.2% |
| 2016 | 56.94 years | +2.7% |
| 2017 | 57.76 years | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 59.06 years | +2.2% |
| 2019 | 59.59 years | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 59.69 years | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 60.26 years | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 61.27 years | +1.7% |
| 2023 | 61.79 years | +0.8% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 61.79 years is below the median for low income countries, which is 63.65 years, 97% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 61.79 years is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 64.1 years, 96% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 40.66 years | 38.62 years | 42.53 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 43.46 years | 42.84 years | 43.77 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 43.11 years | 41.96 years | 43.72 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 48.06 years | 44.83 years | 51.31 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 55.48 years | 51.93 years | 59.59 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 60.75 years | 59.69 years | 61.79 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 201 Nauru 62.11 years compare
- 202 Cote d'Ivoire 61.94 years compare
- 203 Democratic Republic of Congo 61.9 years compare
- 205 Niger 61.18 years compare
- 206 Burkina Faso 61.09 years compare
- 207 Benin 60.77 years compare
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 life expectancy at birth, total in Sierra Leone?
- Life expectancy at birth, total in Sierra Leone was 61.79 years in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 61.79 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 38.62 years in 1970.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for life expectancy at birth, total?
- Sierra Leone ranks 204th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy at birth, total rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Life expectancy at birth, total (years). 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