Continuously populated for at least 2,500 years, the dense jungle in the area of Sierra Leone allowed the region to remain relatively protected from invaders from empires in West Africa. Traders introduced Sierra Leone to Islam, which occupies a central role in Sierra Leonean culture and history. In the 17th century, the British set up a trading post near present-day Freetown. The trade originally involved timber and ivory but later expanded to enslaved people. In 1787, following the American Revolution, Sierra Leone became a destination for Black British loyalists from the new United States. After the abolition of the slave trade in 1807, British ships delivered thousands of liberated Africans to Sierra Leone. During the 19th century, the colony gradually expanded inland.In 1961, Sierra Leone became independent of the UK. While Sierra Leone held free and fair elections in 1962 and 1967, Siaka STEVENS - Sierra Leone’s second prime minister - quickly reverted to authoritarian tendencies, outlawing most political parties and ruling from 1967 to 1985. In 1991, Sierra Leonean soldiers launched a civil war against STEVENS’ ruling party. The war caused tens of thousands of deaths and displaced more than 2 million people (about one third of the population). In 1998, a Nigerian-led West African coalition military force intervened, installing Tejan KABBAH - who was originally elected in 1996 - as prime minister. In 2002, KABBAH officially announced the end of the war. Since 1998, Sierra Leone has conducted uninterrupted democratic elections, dominated by the two main political parties. In 2018, Julius Maada BIO of the Sierra Leone People’s Party won the presidential election that saw a high voter turnout despite some allegations of voter intimidation. The next presidential election is scheduled for June 2023.
land: 71,620 sq km
water: 120 sq km
border countries (2): Guinea 794 km; Liberia 299 km
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
mean elevation: 279 m
arable land: 23.4% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 2.3% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 30.5% (2018 est.)
forest: 37.5% (2018 est.)
other: 6.3% (2018 est.)
8,908,040 (2023 est.)
noun: Sierra Leonean(s)
adjective: Sierra Leonean
Temne 35.4%, Mende 30.8%, Limba 8.8%, Kono 4.3%, Korankoh 4%, Fullah 3.8%, Mandingo 2.8%, Loko 2%, Sherbro 1.9%, Creole 1.2% (descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area in the late-18th century; also known as Krio), other 5% (2019 est.)
English (official, regular use limited to literate minority), Mende (principal vernacular in the south), Temne (principal vernacular in the north), Krio (English-based Creole, spoken by the descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area, a lingua franca and a first language for 10% of the population but understood by 95%)
Muslim 77.1%, Christian 22.9% (2019 est.)
Sierra Leone’s youthful and growing population is driven by its high total fertility rate (TFR) of almost 4 children per woman as of 2022, which has declined little over the last two decades. Its elevated TFR is sustained by the continued desire for large families, the low level of contraceptive use, and the early start of childbearing. Despite its high TFR, Sierra Leone’s population growth is somewhat tempered by high infant, child, and maternal mortality rates that are among the world’s highest and are a result of poverty, a lack of potable water and sanitation, poor nutrition, limited access to quality health care services, and the prevalence of female genital cutting.Sierra Leone’s large youth cohort – about 60% of the population is under the age of 25 – continues to struggle with high levels of unemployment, which was one of the major causes of the country’s 1991-2002 civil war and remains a threat to stability today. Its estimated 60% youth unemployment rate is attributed to high levels of illiteracy and unskilled labor, a lack of private sector jobs, and low pay.Sierra Leone has been a source of and destination for refugees. Sierra Leone’s civil war internally displaced as many as 2 million people, or almost half the population, and forced almost another half million to seek refuge in neighboring countries (370,000 Sierra Leoneans fled to Guinea and 120,000 to Liberia). The UNHCR has helped almost 180,000 Sierra Leoneans to return home, while more than 90,000 others have repatriated on their own. Of the more than 65,000 Liberians who took refuge in Sierra Leone during their country’s civil war (1989-2003), about 50,000 have been voluntarily repatriated by the UNHCR and others have returned home independently.
0-14 years: 40.54% (male 1,820,988/female 1,790,185)
15-64 years: 56.89% (male 2,476,286/female 2,591,155)
65 years and over: 2.58% (2023 est.) (male 111,937/female 117,489)
total dependency ratio: 74
youth dependency ratio: 68.5
elderly dependency ratio: 5.5
potential support ratio: 18.3 (2020 est.)
total: 19.2 years (2023 est.)
male: 18.8 years
female: 19.6 years
2.41% (2023 est.)
31.5 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
9.1 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
1.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
population clusters are found in the lower elevations of the south and west; the northern third of the country is less populated as shown on this
urban population: 44.3% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 3.02% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
1.309 million FREETOWN (capital) (2023)
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
19.6 years (2019 est.)
note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49
443 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
total: 72.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
male: 77.2 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 67.2 deaths/1,000 live births
total population: 59.1 years (2023 est.)
male: 57.5 years
female: 60.7 years
3.71 children born/woman (2023 est.)
1.83 (2023 est.)
21.2% (2019)
improved: urban: 92.5% of population
rural: 58% of population
total: 72.8% of population
unimproved: urban: 7.5% of population
rural: 42% of population
total: 27.2% of population (2020 est.)
8.8% of GDP (2020)
0.07 physicians/1,000 population (2018)
improved: urban: 79.5% of population
rural: 35.5% of population
total: 54.4% of population
unimproved: urban: 20.5% of population
rural: 64.5% of population
total: 45.6% of population (2020 est.)
degree of risk: very high (2023)
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever
water contact diseases: schistosomiasis
animal contact diseases: rabies
aerosolized dust or soil contact diseases: Lassa fever
8.7% (2016)
total: 3.22 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 0.17 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 0.15 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 2.9 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
total: 13.5% (2020 est.)
male: 20.5% (2020 est.)
female: 6.4% (2020 est.)
12% (2021)
58.9% (2023 est.)
women married by age 15: 8.6%
women married by age 18: 29.6%
men married by age 18: 4.1% (2019 est.)
9.1% of GDP (2021 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write English, Mende, Temne, or Arabic
total population: 47.7%
male: 55.3%
female: 39.8% (2021)
rapid population growth pressuring the environment; overharvesting of timber, expansion of cattle grazing, and slash-and-burn agriculture have resulted in deforestation, soil exhaustion, and flooding; loss of biodiversity; air pollution; water pollution; overfishing
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry season (December to April)
agricultural land: 56.2% (2018 est.)
arable land: 23.4% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 2.3% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 30.5% (2018 est.)
forest: 37.5% (2018 est.)
other: 6.3% (2018 est.)
urban population: 44.3% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 3.02% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
severe localized food insecurity: due to high food prices and reduced incomes - according to the latest analysis, about 1.18 million people are projected to be in need of humanitarian assistance between the June to August 2023 lean season; acute food insecurity is underpinned by elevated food prices, in part driven by a weak currency, and low purchasing power of vulnerable households (2023)
6.92% of GDP (2018 est.)
0% of GDP (2018 est.)
particulate matter emissions: 39.42 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 1.09 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 3.16 megatons (2020 est.)
municipal solid waste generated annually: 610,222 tons (2004 est.)
Atlantic Ocean drainage: Niger (2,261,741 sq km)
municipal: 110 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
industrial: 60 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
agricultural: 50 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
160 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
low-income West African economy; primarily subsistent agriculture; key iron and diamond mining activities suspended; slow recovery from 1990s civil war; systemic corruption; high-risk debt; high youth unemployment; natural resource rich
$13.597 billion (2021 est.)
$13.061 billion (2020 est.)
$13.323 billion (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
4.1% (2021 est.)
-1.97% (2020 est.)
5.25% (2019 est.)
$1,600 (2021 est.)
$1,600 (2020 est.)
$1,700 (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
$4.132 billion (2020 est.)
11.87% (2021 est.)
13.45% (2020 est.)
14.8% (2019 est.)
agriculture: 60.7% (2017 est.)
industry: 6.5% (2017 est.)
services: 32.9% (2017 est.)comparison rankings:
household consumption: 97.9% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 12.1% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 18.1% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 0.4% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 26.8% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -55.3% (2017 est.)
cassava, rice, vegetables, oil palm fruit, sweet potatoes, milk, citrus fruit, groundnuts, fruit, pulses nes
diamond mining; iron ore, rutile and bauxite mining; small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles, footwear)
17.41% (2021 est.)
2.858 million (2021 est.)
5.33% (2021 est.)
5.2% (2020 est.)
4.65% (2019 est.)
total: 10.8% (2021 est.)
male: 15.8%
female: 7.6%
56.8% (2018 est.)
35.7 (2018 est.)
lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%: 33.6% (2003)
revenues: $740 million (2019 est.)
expenditures: $867 million (2019 est.)
-7.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
63.9% of GDP (2017 est.)
54.9% of GDP (2016 est.)
15.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
calendar year
-$275.638 million (2020 est.)
-$583.555 million (2019 est.)
-$504.851 million (2018 est.)
$700.971 million (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$1.06 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$963.948 million (2018 est.)
Belgium 26%, China 25%, Romania 9%, United Arab Emirates 6%, Germany 5%, Netherlands 5% (2019)
titanium, lumber, diamonds, aluminum, cocoa beans (2019)
$1.418 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$1.818 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$1.594 billion (2018 est.)
China 27%, India 11%, United States 6%, Ghana 5%, Turkey 5% (2019)
rice, plastics, packaged medicines, sauces/seasonings, cars (2019)
$945.908 million (31 December 2021 est.)
$707.704 million (31 December 2020 est.)
$530.138 million (31 December 2019 est.)
$1.615 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$1.503 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
leones (SLL) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
10,439.425 (2021 est.)
9,829.927 (2020 est.)
9,010.221 (2019 est.)
7,931.632 (2018 est.)
7,384.432 (2017 est.)
population without electricity: 6 million (2020)
electrification - total population: 27.4% (2021)
electrification - urban areas: 56.9% (2021)
electrification - rural areas: 4.9% (2021)
installed generating capacity: 180,000 kW (2020 est.)
consumption: 130.708 million kWh (2019 est.)
exports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
imports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 77 million kWh (2019 est.)comparison rankings:
fossil fuels: 8.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
solar: 2.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
hydroelectricity: 87% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
biomass and waste: 1.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 5,900 bbl/day (2019 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)
0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
6,439 bbl/day (2015 est.)
production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
899,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 899,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
1.803 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 50,193 (2015)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 0 (2015) mt-km
9L
8 (2021)
1
note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
7
note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control
2 (2021)
total: 11,701 km (2015)
paved: 1,051 km (2015)
unpaved: 10,650 km (2015)
urban: 3,000 km (2015)
non-urban: 8,700 km (2015)
800 km (2011) (600 km navigable year-round)
total: 605 (2022)
by type: bulk carrier 36, container ship 6, general cargo 325, oil tanker 104, other 134
major seaport(s): Freetown, Pepel, Sherbro Islands
manyapis