Population aged 15-24 years (thousands) in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Population aged 15-24 years (thousands) was 1,801 thousands in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
1,801 thousands
Change on year
up 2.0%
World rank
87th
of 233 countries
All-time high
1,801 thousands
in 2025
All-time low
461.14 thousands
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Population aged 15-24 years in Sierra Leone, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in thousands.
Analysis
Sierra Leone recorded 1,801 thousands for population aged 15-24 years in 2025. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.0% on the previous year and up 29.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population aged 15-24 years in Sierra Leone peaked at 1,801 thousands in 2025 and was at its lowest, 461.14 thousands, in 1970.
That places Sierra Leone 87th out of 233 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Population aged 15-24 years (thousands) in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | thousands | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 461.14 thousands | — |
| 1971 | 466.82 thousands | +1.2% |
| 1972 | 473.53 thousands | +1.4% |
| 1973 | 480.93 thousands | +1.6% |
| 1974 | 493 thousands | +2.5% |
| 1975 | 507.43 thousands | +2.9% |
| 1976 | 519.97 thousands | +2.5% |
| 1977 | 532.97 thousands | +2.5% |
| 1978 | 547.28 thousands | +2.7% |
| 1979 | 562.37 thousands | +2.8% |
| 1980 | 577.58 thousands | +2.7% |
| 1981 | 593.15 thousands | +2.7% |
| 1982 | 608.76 thousands | +2.6% |
| 1983 | 625 thousands | +2.7% |
| 1984 | 641.7 thousands | +2.7% |
| 1985 | 658.53 thousands | +2.6% |
| 1986 | 675.6 thousands | +2.6% |
| 1987 | 695.66 thousands | +3.0% |
| 1988 | 716.42 thousands | +3.0% |
| 1989 | 737.51 thousands | +2.9% |
| 1990 | 756.92 thousands | +2.6% |
| 1991 | 802.16 thousands | +6.0% |
| 1992 | 779.36 thousands | -2.8% |
| 1993 | 776.19 thousands | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 779.74 thousands | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 786.34 thousands | +0.8% |
| 1996 | 786.07 thousands | -0.0% |
| 1997 | 797.76 thousands | +1.5% |
| 1998 | 810.58 thousands | +1.6% |
| 1999 | 817.62 thousands | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 821.84 thousands | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 860.69 thousands | +4.7% |
| 2002 | 928.57 thousands | +7.9% |
| 2003 | 971.82 thousands | +4.7% |
| 2004 | 1,012 thousands | +4.2% |
| 2005 | 1,045 thousands | +3.2% |
| 2006 | 1,074 thousands | +2.8% |
| 2007 | 1,099 thousands | +2.3% |
| 2008 | 1,129 thousands | +2.8% |
| 2009 | 1,162 thousands | +2.9% |
| 2010 | 1,199 thousands | +3.2% |
| 2011 | 1,235 thousands | +3.0% |
| 2012 | 1,272 thousands | +3.0% |
| 2013 | 1,310 thousands | +3.0% |
| 2014 | 1,350 thousands | +3.1% |
| 2015 | 1,392 thousands | +3.1% |
| 2016 | 1,434 thousands | +3.1% |
| 2017 | 1,479 thousands | +3.1% |
| 2018 | 1,523 thousands | +3.0% |
| 2019 | 1,566 thousands | +2.8% |
| 2020 | 1,607 thousands | +2.6% |
| 2021 | 1,648 thousands | +2.6% |
| 2022 | 1,688 thousands | +2.5% |
| 2023 | 1,728 thousands | +2.3% |
| 2024 | 1,766 thousands | +2.3% |
| 2025 | 1,801 thousands | +2.0% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 1,801 thousands is below the median for low income countries, which is 4,765 thousands, 38% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 1,801 thousands is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3,007 thousands, 60% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 504.54 thousands | 461.14 thousands | 562.37 thousands | 10 |
| 1980s | 652.99 thousands | 577.58 thousands | 737.51 thousands | 10 |
| 1990s | 789.27 thousands | 756.92 thousands | 817.62 thousands | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,011 thousands | 821.84 thousands | 1,162 thousands | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,376 thousands | 1,199 thousands | 1,566 thousands | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,706 thousands | 1,607 thousands | 1,801 thousands | 6 |
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)
- World population growth -0.1% (2100)
- Population density 220.76 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 983,692 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population aged 15-24 years in Sierra Leone?
- Population aged 15-24 years in Sierra Leone was 1,801 thousands in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population aged 15-24 years recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 1,801 thousands in 2025.
- What is the lowest population aged 15-24 years recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 461.14 thousands in 1970.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for population aged 15-24 years?
- Sierra Leone ranks 87th out of 233 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population aged 15-24 years rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 29.4%. 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 Population aged 15-24 years (thousands). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release