Military personnel as a share of total population in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Military personnel as a share of total population was 0.1% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Military personnel as a share of total population in Sierra Leone, 1961–2022
Source: Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2022, military personnel as a share of total population in Sierra Leone stood at 0.1%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.2% on the previous year and down 40.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military personnel as a share of total population in Sierra Leone peaked at 0.3% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1978.
That places Sierra Leone 141st out of 194 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 62 years of available data.
Military personnel as a share of total population in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.0% | — |
| 1962 | 0.1% | +96.8% |
| 1963 | 0.1% | +47.6% |
| 1964 | 0.1% | -1.6% |
| 1965 | 0.1% | -1.7% |
| 1966 | 0.1% | -1.7% |
| 1967 | 0.1% | -1.7% |
| 1968 | 0.1% | -1.8% |
| 1969 | 0.2% | +30.9% |
| 1970 | 0.1% | -26.4% |
| 1971 | 0.1% | -1.9% |
| 1972 | 0.1% | -2.0% |
| 1973 | 0.1% | -2.0% |
| 1974 | 0.2% | +63.4% |
| 1975 | 0.2% | -2.0% |
| 1976 | 0.1% | -41.2% |
| 1977 | 0.1% | +30.7% |
| 1978 | 0.0% | -75.5% |
| 1979 | 0.1% | +96.1% |
| 1980 | 0.1% | -2.0% |
| 1981 | 0.1% | +96.1% |
| 1982 | 0.1% | -2.0% |
| 1983 | 0.2% | +47.0% |
| 1984 | 0.1% | -34.7% |
| 1985 | 0.1% | -2.2% |
| 1986 | 0.1% | -2.3% |
| 1987 | 0.2% | +46.3% |
| 1988 | 0.1% | -34.9% |
| 1989 | 0.1% | -2.0% |
| 1990 | 0.1% | +23.0% |
| 1991 | 0.1% | -1.1% |
| 1992 | 0.2% | +59.0% |
| 1993 | 0.1% | -37.9% |
| 1994 | 0.1% | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 0.1% | -1.6% |
| 1996 | 0.1% | -2.4% |
| 1997 | 0.1% | -3.0% |
| 1998 | 0.1% | -22.5% |
| 1999 | 0.1% | -27.4% |
| 2000 | 0.1% | -2.8% |
| 2001 | 0.1% | +92.1% |
| 2002 | 0.3% | +143.7% |
| 2003 | 0.3% | -4.7% |
| 2004 | 0.3% | -4.4% |
| 2005 | 0.3% | -3.8% |
| 2006 | 0.2% | -3.0% |
| 2007 | 0.2% | -17.5% |
| 2008 | 0.2% | -2.1% |
| 2009 | 0.2% | -1.9% |
| 2010 | 0.2% | -1.9% |
| 2011 | 0.2% | -1.9% |
| 2012 | 0.2% | -1.9% |
| 2013 | 0.2% | -13.6% |
| 2014 | 0.2% | -2.2% |
| 2015 | 0.2% | -2.2% |
| 2016 | 0.1% | -19.9% |
| 2017 | 0.1% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 0.1% | -2.3% |
| 2019 | 0.1% | -2.3% |
| 2020 | 0.1% | -2.3% |
| 2021 | 0.1% | -2.2% |
| 2022 | 0.1% | -2.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.2% | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
More population data for Sierra Leone
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.076 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run 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 regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.1141 % change on previous year (2100)
- 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)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.6516 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.9 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military personnel as a share of total population in Sierra Leone?
- Military personnel as a share of total population in Sierra Leone was 0.1% in 2022, according to Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest military personnel as a share of total population recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 0.3% in 2002.
- What is the lowest military personnel as a share of total population recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1978.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for military personnel as a share of total population?
- Sierra Leone ranks 141st out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
- Is military personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 40.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military personnel as a share of total population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Ratio of military personnel to total population, expressed as a percentage.