Share of children, working-age adults, and older people in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Share of children, working-age adults, and older people was 3.26 million people in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
3.26 million people
Change on year
up 1.1%
World rank
84th
of 236 countries
All-time high
3.26 million people
in 2023
All-time low
787,319 people
in 1950
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Share of children, working-age adults, and older people in Sierra Leone, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2023, share of children, working-age adults, and older people in Sierra Leone stood at 3.26 million people. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.1% on the previous year and up 14.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children, working-age adults, and older people in Sierra Leone peaked at 3.26 million people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 787,319 people, in 1950.
Sierra Leone ranks 84th of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Share of children, working-age adults, and older people in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 787,319 people | — |
| 1951 | 791,936 people | +0.6% |
| 1952 | 796,843 people | +0.6% |
| 1953 | 801,851 people | +0.6% |
| 1954 | 807,908 people | +0.8% |
| 1955 | 815,584 people | +1.0% |
| 1956 | 824,440 people | +1.1% |
| 1957 | 834,151 people | +1.2% |
| 1958 | 844,128 people | +1.2% |
| 1959 | 854,781 people | +1.3% |
| 1960 | 867,096 people | +1.4% |
| 1961 | 881,466 people | +1.7% |
| 1962 | 897,499 people | +1.8% |
| 1963 | 916,952 people | +2.2% |
| 1964 | 940,960 people | +2.6% |
| 1965 | 965,801 people | +2.6% |
| 1966 | 990,152 people | +2.5% |
| 1967 | 1.02 million people | +2.6% |
| 1968 | 1.04 million people | +2.6% |
| 1969 | 1.07 million people | +2.5% |
| 1970 | 1.09 million people | +2.5% |
| 1971 | 1.12 million people | +2.4% |
| 1972 | 1.15 million people | +2.3% |
| 1973 | 1.17 million people | +2.3% |
| 1974 | 1.20 million people | +2.3% |
| 1975 | 1.23 million people | +2.3% |
| 1976 | 1.25 million people | +2.2% |
| 1977 | 1.28 million people | +2.2% |
| 1978 | 1.31 million people | +2.3% |
| 1979 | 1.34 million people | +2.3% |
| 1980 | 1.37 million people | +2.3% |
| 1981 | 1.40 million people | +2.3% |
| 1982 | 1.44 million people | +2.3% |
| 1983 | 1.47 million people | +2.4% |
| 1984 | 1.51 million people | +2.5% |
| 1985 | 1.54 million people | +2.5% |
| 1986 | 1.59 million people | +2.7% |
| 1987 | 1.63 million people | +3.0% |
| 1988 | 1.68 million people | +3.0% |
| 1989 | 1.73 million people | +2.7% |
| 1990 | 1.80 million people | +4.2% |
| 1991 | 1.83 million people | +1.4% |
| 1992 | 1.80 million people | -1.7% |
| 1993 | 1.80 million people | -0.0% |
| 1994 | 1.81 million people | +0.6% |
| 1995 | 1.81 million people | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 1.82 million people | +0.7% |
| 1997 | 1.85 million people | +1.5% |
| 1998 | 1.87 million people | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 1.89 million people | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 1.94 million people | +2.7% |
| 2001 | 2.06 million people | +6.2% |
| 2002 | 2.18 million people | +6.0% |
| 2003 | 2.27 million people | +4.2% |
| 2004 | 2.35 million people | +3.4% |
| 2005 | 2.41 million people | +2.6% |
| 2006 | 2.46 million people | +2.0% |
| 2007 | 2.51 million people | +2.0% |
| 2008 | 2.56 million people | +2.2% |
| 2009 | 2.63 million people | +2.4% |
| 2010 | 2.69 million people | +2.4% |
| 2011 | 2.75 million people | +2.2% |
| 2012 | 2.80 million people | +2.0% |
| 2013 | 2.86 million people | +1.8% |
| 2014 | 2.90 million people | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 2.94 million people | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 2.99 million people | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 3.03 million people | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 3.07 million people | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 3.11 million people | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 3.15 million people | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 3.19 million people | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 3.23 million people | +1.1% |
| 2023 | 3.26 million people | +1.1% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 3.26 million people is below the median for low income countries, which is 8.72 million people, 37% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 3.26 million people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 6.08 million people, 54% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 815,894 people | 787,319 people | 854,781 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 958,505 people | 867,096 people | 1.07 million people | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.22 million people | 1.09 million people | 1.34 million people | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.54 million people | 1.37 million people | 1.73 million people | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.83 million people | 1.80 million people | 1.89 million people | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.34 million people | 1.94 million people | 2.63 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.91 million people | 2.69 million people | 3.11 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.21 million people | 3.15 million people | 3.26 million people | 4 |
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 share of children, working-age adults, and older people in Sierra Leone?
- Share of children, working-age adults, and older people in Sierra Leone was 3.26 million people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of children, working-age adults, and older people recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 3.26 million people in 2023.
- What is the lowest share of children, working-age adults, and older people recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 787,319 people in 1950.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for share of children, working-age adults, and older people?
- Sierra Leone ranks 84th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of children, working-age adults, and older people rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.2%. 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 Share of children, working-age adults, and older people. 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
Total population, measured on 1 July of the year shown. This only includes people aged 0-14.