Sierra Leone demographics — 4 WDI series, 1960–2024 https://thejournalofsierraleonestudies.com/category/demographics Editorial Intelligence — the definitive encyclopedia of Sierra Leonean development indicators Sun, 19 Apr 2026 16:56:29 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 Sierra Leone Population Density — record 117.21 per sq. km (2023) https://thejournalofsierraleonestudies.com/demographics/population-density-sierra-leone https://thejournalofsierraleonestudies.com/demographics/population-density-sierra-leone#respond Tue, 14 Apr 2026 11:37:58 +0000 https://thejournalofsierraleonestudies.com/demographics/population-density-sierra-leone Latest value (2023) 117.21 per sq. km Year-over-year change 2.22% Historical peak 117.21 per sq. km Historical low 31.92 per sq. km Year-by-Year Detail YearValueYoY Change 2023117.21 per sq. km+2.2% 2022114.67 per sq. km+2.3% 2021112.14 per sq. km+2.3%…

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Latest value (2023)
117.21 per sq. km
Year-over-year change
2.22%
Historical peak
117.21 per sq. km
Historical low
31.92 per sq. km

Year-by-Year Detail

Year Value YoY Change
2023 117.21 per sq. km +2.2%
2022 114.67 per sq. km +2.3%
2021 112.14 per sq. km +2.3%
2020 109.62 per sq. km +2.3%
2019 107.12 per sq. km +2.3%
2018 104.66 per sq. km +2.4%
2017 102.23 per sq. km +2.4%
2016 99.82 per sq. km +2.4%
2015 97.50 per sq. km +2.3%
2014 95.27 per sq. km +2.4%
2013 93.02 per sq. km +2.5%
2012 90.76 per sq. km +2.6%
2011 88.49 per sq. km +2.6%
2010 86.21 per sq. km +2.8%
2009 83.90 per sq. km +2.7%
2008 81.67 per sq. km +2.5%
2007 79.65 per sq. km +2.2%
2006 77.92 per sq. km +2.2%
2005 76.22 per sq. km +2.7%
2004 74.20 per sq. km +3.4%
2003 71.73 per sq. km +4.1%
2002 68.88 per sq. km +5.9%
2001 65.01 per sq. km +6.1%
2000 61.29 per sq. km +2.4%
1999 59.82 per sq. km +0.5%
1998 59.51 per sq. km +1.0%
1997 58.93 per sq. km +1.3%
1996 58.18 per sq. km +0.5%
1995 57.90 per sq. km +0.1%
1994 57.82 per sq. km +0.4%
1993 57.59 per sq. km -0.2%
1992 57.72 per sq. km -1.9%
1991 58.83 per sq. km +1.2%
1990 58.14 per sq. km +4.0%
1989 55.89 per sq. km +2.5%
1988 54.51 per sq. km +2.7%
1987 53.06 per sq. km +2.7%
1986 51.65 per sq. km +2.5%
1985 50.41 per sq. km +2.2%
1984 49.30 per sq. km +2.2%
1983 48.24 per sq. km +2.2%
1982 47.22 per sq. km +2.1%
1981 46.26 per sq. km +2.0%
1980 45.33 per sq. km +2.0%
1979 44.44 per sq. km +2.0%
1978 43.58 per sq. km +1.9%
1977 42.75 per sq. km +1.9%
1976 41.96 per sq. km +1.8%
1975 41.21 per sq. km +1.9%
1974 40.46 per sq. km +1.9%
1973 39.72 per sq. km +1.9%
1972 38.99 per sq. km +1.9%
1971 38.28 per sq. km +1.9%
1970 37.58 per sq. km +1.9%
1969 36.87 per sq. km +1.9%
1968 36.18 per sq. km +1.9%
1967 35.50 per sq. km +1.9%
1966 34.84 per sq. km +1.9%
1965 34.20 per sq. km +1.8%
1964 33.59 per sq. km +1.8%
1963 33.00 per sq. km +1.7%
1962 32.45 per sq. km +1.6%
1961 31.92 per sq. km —

Time Series (1961–2023)

117.21 per sq. km 95.89 per sq. km 74.57 per sq. km 53.25 per sq. km 31.92 per sq. km

1961
1992
2023

Notable Inflection Points

  • 1991 — local peak at 58.83 per sq. km.
  • 1993 — local trough at 57.59 per sq. km.

Trend Analysis

Metric Value
Compound annual growth rate (1961–2023) +2.12%
Coefficient of variation 39.0%
Long-run mean 62.91 per sq. km
Long-run median 57.82 per sq. km
Observations 63

Decade Averages

Decade Mean Low High Obs.
1960s 34.28 per sq. km 31.92 per sq. km 36.87 per sq. km 9
1970s 40.90 per sq. km 37.58 per sq. km 44.44 per sq. km 10
1980s 50.19 per sq. km 45.33 per sq. km 55.89 per sq. km 10
1990s 58.45 per sq. km 57.59 per sq. km 59.82 per sq. km 10
2000s 74.05 per sq. km 61.29 per sq. km 83.90 per sq. km 10
2010s 96.51 per sq. km 86.21 per sq. km 107.12 per sq. km 10
2020s 113.41 per sq. km 109.62 per sq. km 117.21 per sq. km 4

Sierra Leone in 2023: Development Context

Environment

Indicator 2023
Access to Electricity (% of population) 35.5%
Agricultural Land (% of land area) 54.71%
CO2 Emissions (metric tons per capita) 0.167 metric tons/capita
Forest Land (% of land area) 34.3%
Land Area (sq. km) 72,180 sq. km
Other Greenhouse Gas Emissions 7.79

Health

Indicator 2023
Birth Rate (per 1,000 people) 30.60 per 1,000
Death Rate (per 1,000 people) 8.29 per 1,000
Government Health Expenditure (% of GDP) 0.789%
Life Expectancy at Birth (years) 61.79 years

Governance

Indicator 2023
Control of Corruption (Estimate) -0.569
Control of Corruption (Std. Error) 0.154
Government Effectiveness (Estimate) -0.954
Government Effectiveness (Std. Error) 0.184
Government Expenditure on Education (% of GDP) 2.62%
Individuals Using the Internet (% of population) 23.71%
Political Stability (Estimate) -0.556
Political Stability (Std. Error) 0.238
Regulatory Quality (Estimate) -0.999
Regulatory Quality (Std. Error) 0.155
Rule of Law (Estimate) -0.827
Rule of Law (Std. Error) 0.137
Statistical Performance Indicators 61.11
Voice and Accountability (Estimate) -0.466
Voice and Accountability (Std. Error) 0.142

Economic

Indicator 2023
GDP (current US$) $6.42B
Inflation, Consumer Prices (annual %) 47.64%
Military Expenditure (% of GDP) 0.603%
Real Interest Rate (%) -7.44
Risk Premium on Lending (%) 18.25
Time to Get Operating License (days) 17.93
Trade in Services (% of GDP) 6.59%

Demographics

Indicator 2023
Population, Total 8.46M people
Rural Population 4.67M people

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators. Data licensed CC BY 4.0.

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]]> https://thejournalofsierraleonestudies.com/demographics/population-density-sierra-leone/feed 0 Sierra Leone Population 2024: 8.64M people → IMF 9.00M (2026) https://thejournalofsierraleonestudies.com/demographics/population-sierra-leone https://thejournalofsierraleonestudies.com/demographics/population-sierra-leone#respond Tue, 14 Apr 2026 11:37:57 +0000 https://thejournalofsierraleonestudies.com/demographics/population-sierra-leone Latest value (2024) 8.64M people Year-over-year change 2.15% Historical peak 8.64M people Historical low 2.27M people Year-by-Year Detail YearValueYoY Change 20248.64M people+2.1% 20238.46M people+2.2% 20228.28M people+2.3% 20218.09M people+2.3% 20207.91M people+2.3% 20197.73M people+2.3% 20187.55M people+2.4% 20177.38M people+2.4% 20167.21M people+2.4%…

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Latest value (2024)
8.64M people
Year-over-year change
2.15%
Historical peak
8.64M people
Historical low
2.27M people

Year-by-Year Detail

Year Value YoY Change
2024 8.64M people +2.1%
2023 8.46M people +2.2%
2022 8.28M people +2.3%
2021 8.09M people +2.3%
2020 7.91M people +2.3%
2019 7.73M people +2.3%
2018 7.55M people +2.4%
2017 7.38M people +2.4%
2016 7.21M people +2.4%
2015 7.04M people +2.3%
2014 6.88M people +2.4%
2013 6.71M people +2.5%
2012 6.55M people +2.6%
2011 6.39M people +2.6%
2010 6.22M people +2.8%
2009 6.06M people +2.7%
2008 5.89M people +2.5%
2007 5.75M people +2.2%
2006 5.62M people +2.2%
2005 5.50M people +2.7%
2004 5.36M people +3.4%
2003 5.18M people +4.1%
2002 4.97M people +5.9%
2001 4.69M people +6.1%
2000 4.42M people +2.4%
1999 4.32M people +0.5%
1998 4.30M people +1.0%
1997 4.25M people +1.3%
1996 4.20M people +0.5%
1995 4.18M people +0.1%
1994 4.17M people +0.4%
1993 4.16M people -0.2%
1992 4.17M people -1.9%
1991 4.25M people +1.2%
1990 4.20M people +4.0%
1989 4.03M people +2.5%
1988 3.93M people +2.7%
1987 3.83M people +2.7%
1986 3.73M people +2.5%
1985 3.64M people +2.2%
1984 3.56M people +2.2%
1983 3.48M people +2.2%
1982 3.41M people +2.1%
1981 3.34M people +2.0%
1980 3.27M people +2.0%
1979 3.21M people +2.0%
1978 3.15M people +1.9%
1977 3.09M people +1.9%
1976 3.03M people +1.8%
1975 2.97M people +1.9%
1974 2.92M people +1.9%
1973 2.87M people +1.9%
1972 2.81M people +1.9%
1971 2.76M people +1.9%
1970 2.71M people +1.9%
1969 2.66M people +1.9%
1968 2.61M people +1.9%
1967 2.56M people +1.9%
1966 2.51M people +1.9%
1965 2.47M people +1.8%
1964 2.42M people +1.8%
1963 2.38M people +1.7%
1962 2.34M people +1.6%
1961 2.30M people +1.6%
1960 2.27M people —

Time Series (1960–2024)

8.64M people 7.05M people 5.46M people 3.86M people 2.27M people

1960
1992
2024

Notable Inflection Points

  • 1991 — local peak at 4.25M people.
  • 1993 — local trough at 4.16M people.

Trend Analysis

Metric Value
Compound annual growth rate (1960–2024) +2.11%
Coefficient of variation 40.2%
Long-run mean 4.57M people
Long-run median 4.17M people
Observations 65

Decade Averages

Decade Mean Low High Obs.
1960s 2.45M people 2.27M people 2.66M people 10
1970s 2.95M people 2.71M people 3.21M people 10
1980s 3.62M people 3.27M people 4.03M people 10
1990s 4.22M people 4.16M people 4.32M people 10
2000s 5.34M people 4.42M people 6.06M people 10
2010s 6.97M people 6.22M people 7.73M people 10
2020s 8.28M people 7.91M people 8.64M people 5

IMF forward projection (WEO 2026-04)

insights
IMF projection — revised twice yearly

Year Projected value vs 2024 (actual)
2025F 8.82M people +2.1%
2026F 9.00M people +4.2%
2027F 9.19M people +6.3%
2028F 9.38M people +8.5%
2029F 9.57M people +10.7%

F Forecast from the IMF World Economic Outlook (WEO 2026-04). Actual World Bank reading stops at 2024.

Sierra Leone in 2024: Development Context

Health

Indicator 2024
Birth Rate (per 1,000 people) 30.11 per 1,000
Death Rate (per 1,000 people) 8.21 per 1,000
Life Expectancy at Birth (years) 61.96 years

Environment

Indicator 2024
CO2 Emissions (metric tons per capita) 0.169 metric tons/capita
Other Greenhouse Gas Emissions 7.93

Governance

Indicator 2024
Control of Corruption (Estimate) -0.702
Control of Corruption (Std. Error) 0.154
Government Effectiveness (Estimate) -0.967
Government Effectiveness (Std. Error) 0.184
Individuals Using the Internet (% of population) 25.1%
Political Stability (Estimate) -0.450
Political Stability (Std. Error) 0.238
Regulatory Quality (Estimate) -1.06
Regulatory Quality (Std. Error) 0.155
Rule of Law (Estimate) -0.839
Rule of Law (Std. Error) 0.137
Statistical Performance Indicators 59.94
Voice and Accountability (Estimate) -0.513
Voice and Accountability (Std. Error) 0.142

Economic

Indicator 2024
GDP (current US$) $6.97B
Inflation, Consumer Prices (annual %) 28.63%
Military Expenditure (% of GDP) 0.463%
Real Interest Rate (%) 9.17
Risk Premium on Lending (%) 11.82
Trade in Services (% of GDP) 8.08%

Demographics

Indicator 2024
Rural Population 4.72M people

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators. Data licensed CC BY 4.0.

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]]> https://thejournalofsierraleonestudies.com/demographics/population-sierra-leone/feed 0 Sierra Leone Rural Population 2024: 4.72M people → UN WPP 4.95M (2030) https://thejournalofsierraleonestudies.com/demographics/rural-population-sierra-leone https://thejournalofsierraleonestudies.com/demographics/rural-population-sierra-leone#respond Tue, 14 Apr 2026 11:37:57 +0000 https://thejournalofsierraleonestudies.com/demographics/rural-population-sierra-leone Latest value (2024) 4.72M people Year-over-year change 1.12% Historical peak 4.72M people Historical low 1.87M people Year-by-Year Detail YearValueYoY Change 20244.72M people+1.1% 20234.67M people+1.2% 20224.61M people+1.3% 20214.55M people+1.4% 20204.49M people+1.4% 20194.43M people+1.5% 20184.37M people+1.5% 20174.30M people+1.6% 20164.23M people+1.6%…

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Latest value (2024)
4.72M people
Year-over-year change
1.12%
Historical peak
4.72M people
Historical low
1.87M people

Year-by-Year Detail

Year Value YoY Change
2024 4.72M people +1.1%
2023 4.67M people +1.2%
2022 4.61M people +1.3%
2021 4.55M people +1.4%
2020 4.49M people +1.4%
2019 4.43M people +1.5%
2018 4.37M people +1.5%
2017 4.30M people +1.6%
2016 4.23M people +1.6%
2015 4.17M people +1.6%
2014 4.10M people +1.7%
2013 4.04M people +1.8%
2012 3.97M people +1.9%
2011 3.89M people +2.0%
2010 3.82M people +2.1%
2009 3.74M people +2.1%
2008 3.66M people +1.9%
2007 3.59M people +1.7%
2006 3.53M people +1.7%
2005 3.47M people +2.2%
2004 3.40M people +3.0%
2003 3.30M people +3.7%
2002 3.18M people +5.5%
2001 3.01M people +5.7%
2000 2.85M people +2.1%
1999 2.79M people +0.2%
1998 2.79M people +0.7%
1997 2.77M people +1.0%
1996 2.74M people +0.2%
1995 2.74M people -0.2%
1994 2.74M people +0.1%
1993 2.74M people -0.5%
1992 2.75M people -2.2%
1991 2.82M people +0.8%
1990 2.79M people +3.7%
1989 2.69M people +2.1%
1988 2.64M people +2.3%
1987 2.58M people +2.3%
1986 2.52M people +2.0%
1985 2.47M people +1.7%
1984 2.43M people +1.7%
1983 2.39M people +1.6%
1982 2.35M people +1.5%
1981 2.32M people +1.4%
1980 2.28M people +1.4%
1979 2.25M people +1.3%
1978 2.22M people +1.3%
1977 2.20M people +1.2%
1976 2.17M people +1.1%
1975 2.15M people +1.1%
1974 2.12M people +1.0%
1973 2.10M people +0.9%
1972 2.08M people +0.8%
1971 2.07M people +0.8%
1970 2.05M people +0.8%
1969 2.03M people +0.8%
1968 2.02M people +0.8%
1967 2.00M people +0.9%
1966 1.98M people +0.9%
1965 1.97M people +1.0%
1964 1.95M people +1.0%
1963 1.93M people +1.0%
1962 1.91M people +1.0%
1961 1.89M people +0.9%
1960 1.87M people —

Time Series (1960–2024)

4.72M people 4.01M people 3.30M people 2.59M people 1.87M people

1960
1992
2024

Notable Inflection Points

  • 1991 — local peak at 2.82M people.
  • 1995 — local trough at 2.74M people.

Trend Analysis

Metric Value
Compound annual growth rate (1960–2024) +1.46%
Coefficient of variation 29.8%
Long-run mean 2.95M people
Long-run median 2.74M people
Observations 65

Decade Averages

Decade Mean Low High Obs.
1960s 1.96M people 1.87M people 2.03M people 10
1970s 2.14M people 2.05M people 2.25M people 10
1980s 2.47M people 2.28M people 2.69M people 10
1990s 2.77M people 2.74M people 2.82M people 10
2000s 3.37M people 2.85M people 3.74M people 10
2010s 4.13M people 3.82M people 4.43M people 10
2020s 4.61M people 4.49M people 4.72M people 5

UN WPP forward projection (via World Bank)

insights
UN World Population Prospects — projection

Year Projected value vs 2024 (actual)
2025P 4.77M people +1.0%
2026P 4.81M people +1.9%
2027P 4.85M people +2.8%
2028P 4.89M people +3.6%
2029P 4.92M people +4.3%
2030P 4.95M people +4.9%

P Projection from the UN World Population Prospects (served via the World Bank HNP API, medium-fertility variant). Actual WDI record stops at 2024.

Sierra Leone in 2024: Development Context

Health

Indicator 2024
Birth Rate (per 1,000 people) 30.11 per 1,000
Death Rate (per 1,000 people) 8.21 per 1,000
Life Expectancy at Birth (years) 61.96 years

Environment

Indicator 2024
CO2 Emissions (metric tons per capita) 0.169 metric tons/capita
Other Greenhouse Gas Emissions 7.93

Governance

Indicator 2024
Control of Corruption (Estimate) -0.702
Control of Corruption (Std. Error) 0.154
Government Effectiveness (Estimate) -0.967
Government Effectiveness (Std. Error) 0.184
Individuals Using the Internet (% of population) 25.1%
Political Stability (Estimate) -0.450
Political Stability (Std. Error) 0.238
Regulatory Quality (Estimate) -1.06
Regulatory Quality (Std. Error) 0.155
Rule of Law (Estimate) -0.839
Rule of Law (Std. Error) 0.137
Statistical Performance Indicators 59.94
Voice and Accountability (Estimate) -0.513
Voice and Accountability (Std. Error) 0.142

Economic

Indicator 2024
GDP (current US$) $6.97B
Inflation, Consumer Prices (annual %) 28.63%
Military Expenditure (% of GDP) 0.463%
Real Interest Rate (%) 9.17
Risk Premium on Lending (%) 11.82
Trade in Services (% of GDP) 8.08%

Demographics

Indicator 2024
Population, Total 8.64M people

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators. Data licensed CC BY 4.0.

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