Population in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Population was 8.46 million people in 2023. ▲ Rising
Population in Sierra Leone, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population in Sierra Leone is 8.46 million people, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.2% on the previous year and up 26.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in Sierra Leone peaked at 8.46 million people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 2.00 million people, in 1950.
That places Sierra Leone 101st out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2.11 million people | 2.00 million people | 2.24 million people | 10 |
| 1960s | 2.45 million people | 2.27 million people | 2.66 million people | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.95 million people | 2.71 million people | 3.21 million people | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.62 million people | 3.27 million people | 4.03 million people | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.22 million people | 4.16 million people | 4.32 million people | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.34 million people | 4.42 million people | 6.06 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.97 million people | 6.22 million people | 7.73 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.19 million people | 7.91 million people | 8.46 million 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 population in Sierra Leone?
- Population in Sierra Leone was 8.46 million people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest population recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 8.46 million people in 2023.
- What is the lowest population recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.00 million people in 1950.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for population?
- Sierra Leone ranks 101st out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 26.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 Population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The total population, measured on 1 July of the year shown.