Population growth in Sierra Leone
From 1960 to 2019 the population of Sierra Leone increased from 2.30 m to 7.81 m people. This is a growth by 240.1 percent in 59 years. The highest increase in Sierra Leone was recorded in 2003 with 4.74%. The biggest decrease in 1994 with -0.44%.In the same period, the total population of all countries worldwide increased by 152.9 percent.
The average age in Sierra Leone rose by 0.12 years from 2012 to 2013 from 18.98 to 19.10 years (median value).
Around 42% of the inhabitants live in the country's larger cities. This growing trend of urbanization is increasing by 3.1% annually.
› Population growth in worldwide comparison
Back to overview: Sierra Leone
Population development in Sierra Leone since 1960
(Data in millions of inhabitants)| Year | Population Sierra Leone | Change | Birthrate | Deathrate | Population World | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 2.33 M | 1.40 % | 3,075 M | 1.35 % | |||
| 1962 | 2.36 M | 1.45 % | 3,128 M | 1.72 % | |||
| 1963 | 2.40 M | 1.50 % | 3,193 M | 2.07 % | |||
| 1964 | 2.44 M | 1.53 % | 3,258 M | 2.05 % | |||
| 1965 | 2.47 M | 1.56 % | 3,325 M | 2.05 % | |||
| 1966 | 2.51 M | 1.59 % | 3,395 M | 2.10 % | |||
| 1967 | 2.55 M | 1.63 % | 3,464 M | 2.05 % | |||
| 1968 | 2.60 M | 1.69 % | 3,535 M | 2.03 % | |||
| 1969 | 2.64 M | 1.77 % | 3,609 M | 2.11 % | |||
| 1970 | 2.69 M | 1.88 % | 3,685 M | 2.09 % | |||
| 1971 | 2.75 M | 1.99 % | 3,762 M | 2.10 % | |||
| 1972 | 2.80 M | 2.09 % | 3,839 M | 2.04 % | |||
| 1973 | 2.86 M | 2.17 % | 3,915 M | 1.98 % | |||
| 1974 | 2.93 M | 2.23 % | 3,991 M | 1.96 % | |||
| 1975 | 2.99 M | 2.27 % | 4,066 M | 1.87 % | |||
| 1976 | 3.06 M | 2.31 % | 4,139 M | 1.79 % | |||
| 1977 | 3.13 M | 2.35 % | 4,212 M | 1.75 % | |||
| 1978 | 3.21 M | 2.38 % | 4,286 M | 1.75 % | |||
| 1979 | 3.31 M | 3.25 % | 48.0 ‰ | 24.1 ‰ | 4,358 M | 1.68 % | |
| 1980 | 3.39 M | 2.26 % | 47.9 ‰ | 23.8 ‰ | 4,434 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1981 | 3.46 M | 2.23 % | 47.9 ‰ | 23.6 ‰ | 4,512 M | 1.76 % | |
| 1982 | 3.54 M | 2.20 % | 47.8 ‰ | 23.5 ‰ | 4,593 M | 1.80 % | |
| 1983 | 3.62 M | 2.25 % | 47.7 ‰ | 23.5 ‰ | 4,675 M | 1.78 % | |
| 1984 | 3.71 M | 2.42 % | 47.5 ‰ | 23.7 ‰ | 4,757 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1985 | 3.81 M | 2.64 % | 47.4 ‰ | 23.9 ‰ | 4,840 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1986 | 3.92 M | 2.93 % | 47.2 ‰ | 24.2 ‰ | 4,926 M | 1.77 % | |
| 1987 | 4.04 M | 3.10 % | 47.1 ‰ | 24.7 ‰ | 5,014 M | 1.78 % | |
| 1988 | 4.16 M | 2.93 % | 47.0 ‰ | 25.2 ‰ | 5,102 M | 1.77 % | |
| 1989 | 4.25 M | 2.35 % | 46.9 ‰ | 25.8 ‰ | 5,191 M | 1.74 % | |
| 1990 | 4.32 M | 1.54 % | 46.8 ‰ | 26.3 ‰ | 5,281 M | 1.74 % | |
| 1991 | 4.35 M | 0.67 % | 46.8 ‰ | 26.8 ‰ | 5,369 M | 1.66 % | |
| 1992 | 4.35 M | -0.02 % | 46.7 ‰ | 27.2 ‰ | 5,453 M | 1.57 % | |
| 1993 | 4.33 M | -0.43 % | 46.7 ‰ | 27.5 ‰ | 5,538 M | 1.56 % | |
| 1994 | 4.31 M | -0.44 % | 46.6 ‰ | 27.5 ‰ | 5,623 M | 1.52 % | |
| 1995 | 4.30 M | -0.13 % | 46.5 ‰ | 27.4 ‰ | 5,708 M | 1.51 % | |
| 1996 | 4.31 M | 0.20 % | 46.3 ‰ | 27.0 ‰ | 5,790 M | 1.45 % | |
| 1997 | 4.34 M | 0.52 % | 46.2 ‰ | 26.5 ‰ | 5,873 M | 1.43 % | |
| 1998 | 4.38 M | 1.07 % | 46.0 ‰ | 25.8 ‰ | 5,955 M | 1.39 % | |
| 1999 | 4.46 M | 1.85 % | 45.8 ‰ | 24.9 ‰ | 6,035 M | 1.35 % | |
| 2000 | 4.58 M | 2.74 % | 45.5 ‰ | 24.0 ‰ | 6,115 M | 1.32 % | |
| 2001 | 4.75 M | 3.70 % | 45.2 ‰ | 23.0 ‰ | 6,194 M | 1.30 % | |
| 2002 | 4.97 M | 4.45 % | 44.9 ‰ | 22.0 ‰ | 6,274 M | 1.28 % | |
| 2003 | 5.20 M | 4.74 % | 44.5 ‰ | 21.1 ‰ | 6,353 M | 1.26 % | |
| 2004 | 5.43 M | 4.48 % | 44.0 ‰ | 20.1 ‰ | 6,432 M | 1.25 % | |
| 2005 | 5.65 M | 3.89 % | 43.5 ‰ | 19.3 ‰ | 6,513 M | 1.25 % | |
| 2006 | 5.83 M | 3.25 % | 42.8 ‰ | 18.5 ‰ | 6,594 M | 1.24 % | |
| 2007 | 5.99 M | 2.75 % | 42.1 ‰ | 17.7 ‰ | 6,675 M | 1.24 % | |
| 2008 | 6.13 M | 2.40 % | 41.3 ‰ | 16.9 ‰ | 6,758 M | 1.24 % | |
| 2009 | 6.27 M | 2.27 % | 39.5 ‰ | 16.0 ‰ | 6,841 M | 1.22 % | |
| 2010 | 6.42 M | 2.28 % | 38.7 ‰ | 15.3 ‰ | 6,922 M | 1.19 % | |
| 2011 | 6.56 M | 2.30 % | 37.9 ‰ | 14.6 ‰ | 7,003 M | 1.17 % | |
| 2012 | 6.71 M | 2.28 % | 37.1 ‰ | 14.0 ‰ | 7,086 M | 1.18 % | |
| 2013 | 6.86 M | 2.26 % | 36.4 ‰ | 13.5 ‰ | 7,170 M | 1.18 % | |
| 2014 | 7.02 M | 2.23 % | 35.7 ‰ | 13.0 ‰ | 7,254 M | 1.18 % | |
| 2015 | 7.17 M | 2.21 % | 35.1 ‰ | 12.6 ‰ | 7,339 M | 1.17 % | |
| 2016 | 7.33 M | 2.19 % | 34.5 ‰ | 12.3 ‰ | 7,424 M | 1.16 % | |
| 2017 | 7.49 M | 2.18 % | 33.9 ‰ | 12.0 ‰ | 7,509 M | 1.14 % | |
| 2018 | 7.65 M | 2.16 % | 33.4 ‰ | 11.7 ‰ | 7,592 M | 1.10 % | |
| 2019 | 7.81 M | 2.13 % | 7,674 M | 1.07 % |
Birth- and deathrate in Sierra Leone
Population growth is the result of the birth rate, the mortality rate and the migration rate. The example of the year 2018 in the graph: The population in Sierra Leone increased by about 162,000 inhabitants. In the same year, the death rate was 11.7 per 1000 people (~ 88,000 deaths) and the birth rate was 33.4 per 1000 people (~ 250,000 births). As a result, around 0 inhabitants have migrated to other countries.Over the past 10 years, the number of average deaths per year was 93,215 in Sierra Leone. The number of births was 250,701 annually.
The development of births and deaths is displayed in the following graph. All data refer to births or deaths per 1000 inhabitants.
Birthrate Deathrate