Sierra Leone People - 2021

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Population

6,807,277 (July 2021 est.)

Nationality

noun: Sierra Leonean(s)

adjective: Sierra Leonean

Ethnic groups

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.)

Languages

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%)

Religions

Muslim 77.1%, Christian 22.9% (2019 est.)

Demographic profile

Sierra Leone’s youthful and growing population is driven by its high total fertility rate (TFR) of almost 5 children per woman, 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. As of 2015, less than 1,000 Liberians still reside in Sierra Leone.

Age structure

0-14 years: 41.38% (male 1,369,942/female 1,371,537)

15-24 years: 18.83% (male 610,396/female 636,880)

25-54 years: 32.21% (male 1,020,741/female 1,112,946)

55-64 years: 3.89% (male 121,733/female 135,664)

65 years and over: 3.7% (male 100,712/female 144,382) (2020 est.)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 76.3

youth dependency ratio: 71.1

elderly dependency ratio: 5.2

potential support ratio: 19.4 (2020 est.)

Median age

total: 19.1 years

male: 18.5 years

female: 19.7 years (2020 est.)

Population growth rate

2.44% (2021 est.)

Birth rate

35.04 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Death rate

9.7 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Net migration rate

-0.96 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Population distribution

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 population distribution map

Urbanization

urban population: 43.4% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization: 3.02% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030

Major urban areas - population

1.236 million FREETOWN (capital) (2021)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 0.96 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 0.92 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female

total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

19.6 years (2019 est.)

note: median age at first birth among women 20-49

Maternal mortality rate

1,120 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 65.34 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 73.97 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 56.45 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 60.19 years

male: 57.48 years

female: 62.97 years (2021 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.58 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

21.2% (2019)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 89.5% of population

rural: 55.7% of population

total: 69.8% of population

unimproved: urban: 10.5% of population

rural: 44.3% of population

total: 30.2% of population (2017 est.)

Current Health Expenditure

16.1% (2018)

Physicians density

0.03 physicians/1,000 population (2011)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 74.3% of population

rural: 31.9% of population

total: 49.6% of population

unimproved: urban: 25.7% of population

rural: 68.1% of population

total: 50.4% of population (2017 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

1.5% (2020 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

80,000 (2020 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

3,200 (2020 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: very high (2020)

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

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

8.7% (2016)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

13.5% (2019)

Education expenditures

7.7% of GDP (2019)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write English, Mende, Temne, or Arabic

total population: 43.2%

male: 51.6%

female: 39.8% (2018)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 9.4%

male: 14.8%

female: 6.1% (2014 est.)

NOTE: The information regarding Sierra Leone on this page is re-published from the 2021 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Sierra Leone 2021 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Sierra Leone 2021 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.