Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas was 38.7% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Sierra Leone, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Sierra Leone recorded 38.7% for share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in 2020. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.
The figure is up 16.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Sierra Leone peaked at 38.7% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 6.0%, in 1950.
That places Sierra Leone 107th out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 6.0% | — |
| 1955 | 6.4% | +5.8% |
| 1960 | 9.1% | +42.9% |
| 1965 | 14.4% | +58.0% |
| 1970 | 18.5% | +28.1% |
| 1975 | 20.8% | +12.3% |
| 1980 | 22.4% | +7.7% |
| 1985 | 23.8% | +6.5% |
| 1990 | 23.9% | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 26.4% | +10.6% |
| 2000 | 28.0% | +5.8% |
| 2005 | 29.0% | +3.9% |
| 2010 | 33.3% | +14.8% |
| 2015 | 36.4% | +9.1% |
| 2020 | 38.7% | +6.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 6.2% | 6.0% | 6.4% | 2 |
| 1960s | 11.8% | 9.1% | 14.4% | 2 |
| 1970s | 19.6% | 18.5% | 20.8% | 2 |
| 1980s | 23.1% | 22.4% | 23.8% | 2 |
| 1990s | 25.2% | 23.9% | 26.4% | 2 |
| 2000s | 28.5% | 28.0% | 29.0% | 2 |
| 2010s | 34.9% | 33.3% | 36.4% | 2 |
| 2020s | 38.7% | 38.7% | 38.7% | 1 |
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 share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Sierra Leone?
- Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Sierra Leone was 38.7% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 38.7% in 2020.
- What is the lowest share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.0% in 1950.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas?
- Sierra Leone ranks 107th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated share of the population living in cities. Cities are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.