Rank #166 by World Population

🇸🇱Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone has a population of 8,460,512, ranking #166 in the world. The capital is Freetown. Located in Sub-Saharan Africa .

World Bank: Low income

8,460,512

Population

#166

World Rank

61.8

Life Expectancy

$758

GDP Per Capita

Sierra Leone, #166 by world population

Sierra Leone Population History (1960-2024)

The country of Sierra Leone had a population of 2,268,356 in 1960 and 8,642,022 in 2024, a 3.8× growth over 64 years. The peak was 8,642,022 in 2024. Average annual growth rate: 2.12%.

Sierra Leone population, 1960–2024 · Source: U.S. Census Bureau — decennial census & Population Estimates

8,642,022

Population (2024)

2,268,356

Population (1960)

8,642,022

Peak (2024)

2.12%

Avg Annual Growth

Year	Population	Change	Annual %	Source
1960	2,268,356	-	-	estimate
1961	2,304,227	+35,871	+1.58%	estimate
1962	2,342,242	+38,015	+1.65%	estimate
1963	2,382,258	+40,016	+1.71%	estimate
1964	2,424,390	+42,132	+1.77%	estimate
1965	2,468,666	+44,276	+1.83%	estimate
1966	2,514,638	+45,972	+1.86%	estimate
1967	2,562,384	+47,746	+1.90%	estimate
1968	2,611,532	+49,148	+1.92%	estimate
1969	2,661,365	+49,833	+1.91%	estimate
1970	2,712,286	+50,921	+1.91%	estimate
1971	2,763,222	+50,936	+1.88%	estimate
1972	2,814,388	+51,166	+1.85%	estimate
1973	2,866,955	+52,567	+1.87%	estimate
1974	2,920,459	+53,504	+1.87%	estimate
1975	2,974,657	+54,198	+1.86%	estimate
1976	3,028,820	+54,163	+1.82%	estimate
1977	3,085,354	+56,534	+1.87%	estimate
1978	3,145,517	+60,163	+1.95%	estimate
1979	3,207,499	+61,982	+1.97%	estimate
1980	3,272,089	+64,590	+2.01%	estimate
1981	3,338,940	+66,851	+2.04%	estimate
1982	3,408,183	+69,243	+2.07%	estimate
1983	3,481,646	+73,463	+2.16%	estimate
1984	3,558,758	+77,112	+2.21%	estimate
1985	3,638,438	+79,680	+2.24%	estimate
1986	3,728,380	+89,942	+2.47%	estimate
1987	3,829,718	+101,338	+2.72%	estimate
1988	3,934,517	+104,799	+2.74%	estimate
1989	4,034,037	+99,520	+2.53%	estimate
1990	4,196,828	+162,791	+4.04%	estimate
1991	4,246,267	+49,439	+1.18%	estimate
1992	4,166,366	-79,901	-1.88%	estimate
1993	4,157,130	-9,236	-0.22%	estimate
1994	4,173,105	+15,975	+0.38%	estimate
1995	4,179,179	+6,074	+0.15%	estimate
1996	4,199,210	+20,031	+0.48%	estimate
1997	4,253,716	+54,506	+1.30%	estimate
1998	4,295,785	+42,069	+0.99%	estimate
1999	4,318,043	+22,258	+0.52%	estimate
2000	4,423,611	+105,568	+2.44%	estimate
2001	4,692,716	+269,105	+6.08%	estimate
2002	4,971,435	+278,719	+5.94%	estimate
2003	5,177,687	+206,252	+4.15%	estimate
2004	5,355,717	+178,030	+3.44%	estimate
2005	5,501,712	+145,995	+2.73%	estimate
2006	5,624,466	+122,754	+2.23%	estimate
2007	5,749,352	+124,886	+2.22%	estimate
2008	5,894,722	+145,370	+2.53%	estimate
2009	6,055,646	+160,924	+2.73%	estimate
2010	6,222,714	+167,068	+2.76%	estimate
2011	6,387,251	+164,537	+2.64%	estimate
2012	6,551,080	+163,829	+2.56%	estimate
2013	6,714,051	+162,971	+2.49%	estimate
2014	6,876,385	+162,334	+2.42%	estimate
2015	7,037,655	+161,270	+2.35%	estimate
2016	7,205,328	+167,673	+2.38%	estimate
2017	7,379,299	+173,971	+2.41%	estimate
2018	7,554,563	+175,264	+2.38%	estimate
2019	7,731,991	+177,428	+2.35%	estimate
2020	7,912,558	+180,567	+2.34%	estimate
2021	8,094,602	+182,044	+2.30%	estimate
2022	8,276,807	+182,205	+2.25%	estimate
2023	8,460,512	+183,705	+2.22%	estimate
2024	8,642,022	+181,510	+2.15%	estimate

Demographics

Population	8,460,512
Population Growth Rate	2.20%
Urban Population	44.8%
Fertility Rate	3.79 births/woman
Life Expectancy	61.8 years
Infant Mortality Rate	56.3 per 1,000
Literacy Rate	-

Economy & Trade

$758

GDP Per Capita

3.1%

Unemployment Rate

Low income

Income Level

55.3%

Trade (% of GDP)

Health & Education

4.7%

Health Expenditure (% GDP)

0.13

Physicians per 1,000

2.6%

Education Expenditure (% GDP)

56.3

Infant Mortality (per 1,000)

Development & Connectivity

35.5%

Electricity Access

21.5%

Internet Users

102

Mobile Subs per 100

117.2

People per km2

-4,000

Net Migration

Environment

34.3%

Forest Area

Other Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa

Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi

Sierra Leone in global context

Sierra Leone is one of 212 countries tracked. See how it ranks globally, regional shares of world population, and projections to 2050 / 2100.

World Population 2026: Top 10 Countries, Regions & Trends →

Other related entities

Angola (36,749,906)Benin (14,111,034)Botswana (2,480,244)Burkina Faso (23,025,776)Burundi (13,689,450)All countries →

Country rankings

Populated Countries in the World Countries With Highest GDP Per Capita Countries With Highest Life Expectancy Countries With Highest Fertility Rates Countries With Highest Literacy Rates Urbanized Countries in the World Fastest Growing Countries by Population Countries With Highest Infant Mortality Countries With Highest Income Inequality Countries With Most International Tourism All rankings →

Frequently Asked Questions

Sierra Leone has a population of 8,460,512, ranking #166 in the world. The annual population growth rate is 2.20%.

Life expectancy in Sierra Leone is 61.8 years. The infant mortality rate is 56.3 per 1,000 live births.

Sierra Leone's GDP per capita is $758. It is classified as a low income country by the World Bank.

44.8% of Sierra Leone's population lives in urban areas. The overall population density is 117.2 people per square kilometer.

Literacy data for Sierra Leone is available from the World Bank.

Sources: World Bank Open Data

International data from the World Bank Open Data API. Population figures are latest available estimates. GDP per capita in current US dollars.

With 8,460,512 residents, Sierra Leone is a country in Sub-Saharan Africa . The population is expanding fast — roughly 2.2% annually.

GDP per capita is roughly $758, placing Sierra Leone among lower-income economies. Life expectancy is 61.8 years, below the global average, with a fertility rate of 3.8 births per woman, and 44.8% of the population lives in urban areas.

Source: World Bank Open Data, 2026.