Population growth in Sierra Leone
From 1960 to 2020 the population of Sierra Leone increased from 2.32 m to 7.98 m people. This is a growth by 244.2 percent in 60 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 156.0 percent.
The average age in Sierra Leone rose by 0.12 years from 2012 to 2020 from 18.98 to 19.10 years (median value).
Around 43% 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 | 2.35 M | 1.50 % | 47.1 ‰ | 32.1 ‰ | 3,072 M | 1.30 % | |
| 1962 | 2.39 M | 1.55 % | 47.3 ‰ | 31.8 ‰ | 3,125 M | 1.72 % | |
| 1963 | 2.43 M | 1.60 % | 47.5 ‰ | 31.5 ‰ | 3,190 M | 2.08 % | |
| 1964 | 2.47 M | 1.64 % | 47.6 ‰ | 31.2 ‰ | 3,255 M | 2.05 % | |
| 1965 | 2.51 M | 1.68 % | 47.7 ‰ | 30.8 ‰ | 3,322 M | 2.06 % | |
| 1966 | 2.55 M | 1.73 % | 47.7 ‰ | 30.4 ‰ | 3,392 M | 2.11 % | |
| 1967 | 2.60 M | 1.77 % | 47.7 ‰ | 29.9 ‰ | 3,462 M | 2.05 % | |
| 1968 | 2.64 M | 1.82 % | 47.7 ‰ | 29.5 ‰ | 3,533 M | 2.06 % | |
| 1969 | 2.69 M | 1.87 % | 47.7 ‰ | 29.0 ‰ | 3,607 M | 2.09 % | |
| 1970 | 2.74 M | 1.91 % | 47.7 ‰ | 28.5 ‰ | 3,682 M | 2.09 % | |
| 1971 | 2.80 M | 1.96 % | 47.7 ‰ | 28.1 ‰ | 3,761 M | 2.13 % | |
| 1972 | 2.85 M | 2.01 % | 47.6 ‰ | 27.6 ‰ | 3,837 M | 2.03 % | |
| 1973 | 2.91 M | 2.05 % | 47.6 ‰ | 27.2 ‰ | 3,913 M | 1.98 % | |
| 1974 | 2.97 M | 2.09 % | 47.5 ‰ | 26.8 ‰ | 3,988 M | 1.93 % | |
| 1975 | 3.04 M | 2.12 % | 47.5 ‰ | 26.4 ‰ | 4,063 M | 1.86 % | |
| 1976 | 3.10 M | 2.15 % | 47.5 ‰ | 26.0 ‰ | 4,135 M | 1.80 % | |
| 1977 | 3.17 M | 2.19 % | 47.4 ‰ | 25.6 ‰ | 4,208 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1978 | 3.24 M | 2.22 % | 47.5 ‰ | 25.3 ‰ | 4,281 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1979 | 3.31 M | 2.24 % | 47.5 ‰ | 25.0 ‰ | 4,357 M | 1.76 % | |
| 1980 | 3.39 M | 2.26 % | 47.5 ‰ | 24.8 ‰ | 4,433 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1981 | 3.46 M | 2.23 % | 47.5 ‰ | 24.6 ‰ | 4,511 M | 1.76 % | |
| 1982 | 3.54 M | 2.20 % | 47.5 ‰ | 24.4 ‰ | 4,592 M | 1.80 % | |
| 1983 | 3.62 M | 2.25 % | 47.5 ‰ | 24.3 ‰ | 4,674 M | 1.78 % | |
| 1984 | 3.71 M | 2.42 % | 47.4 ‰ | 24.3 ‰ | 4,756 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1985 | 3.81 M | 2.64 % | 47.3 ‰ | 24.3 ‰ | 4,839 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1986 | 3.92 M | 2.93 % | 47.2 ‰ | 24.4 ‰ | 4,925 M | 1.77 % | |
| 1987 | 4.04 M | 3.10 % | 47.0 ‰ | 24.6 ‰ | 5,013 M | 1.78 % | |
| 1988 | 4.16 M | 2.93 % | 46.9 ‰ | 24.8 ‰ | 5,101 M | 1.77 % | |
| 1989 | 4.25 M | 2.35 % | 46.7 ‰ | 25.1 ‰ | 5,190 M | 1.74 % | |
| 1990 | 4.32 M | 1.54 % | 46.6 ‰ | 25.4 ‰ | 5,280 M | 1.74 % | |
| 1991 | 4.35 M | 0.67 % | 46.4 ‰ | 25.7 ‰ | 5,368 M | 1.67 % | |
| 1992 | 4.35 M | -0.02 % | 46.2 ‰ | 25.9 ‰ | 5,453 M | 1.57 % | |
| 1993 | 4.33 M | -0.43 % | 46.0 ‰ | 26.1 ‰ | 5,538 M | 1.56 % | |
| 1994 | 4.31 M | -0.44 % | 45.8 ‰ | 26.2 ‰ | 5,622 M | 1.52 % | |
| 1995 | 4.30 M | -0.14 % | 45.5 ‰ | 26.1 ‰ | 5,707 M | 1.51 % | |
| 1996 | 4.31 M | 0.20 % | 45.3 ‰ | 25.9 ‰ | 5,790 M | 1.45 % | |
| 1997 | 4.34 M | 0.52 % | 45.0 ‰ | 25.5 ‰ | 5,872 M | 1.43 % | |
| 1998 | 4.38 M | 1.07 % | 44.7 ‰ | 25.0 ‰ | 5,954 M | 1.39 % | |
| 1999 | 4.46 M | 1.85 % | 44.4 ‰ | 24.4 ‰ | 6,034 M | 1.35 % | |
| 2000 | 4.58 M | 2.74 % | 44.1 ‰ | 23.6 ‰ | 6,114 M | 1.32 % | |
| 2001 | 4.75 M | 3.70 % | 43.7 ‰ | 22.7 ‰ | 6,194 M | 1.30 % | |
| 2002 | 4.97 M | 4.45 % | 43.4 ‰ | 21.8 ‰ | 6,273 M | 1.28 % | |
| 2003 | 5.20 M | 4.74 % | 43.0 ‰ | 20.9 ‰ | 6,352 M | 1.26 % | |
| 2004 | 5.43 M | 4.48 % | 42.6 ‰ | 20.0 ‰ | 6,432 M | 1.25 % | |
| 2005 | 5.65 M | 3.89 % | 42.1 ‰ | 19.1 ‰ | 6,512 M | 1.25 % | |
| 2006 | 5.83 M | 3.25 % | 41.6 ‰ | 18.3 ‰ | 6,593 M | 1.24 % | |
| 2007 | 5.99 M | 2.75 % | 40.9 ‰ | 17.5 ‰ | 6,674 M | 1.24 % | |
| 2008 | 6.13 M | 2.40 % | 40.2 ‰ | 16.7 ‰ | 6,757 M | 1.24 % | |
| 2009 | 6.27 M | 2.27 % | 39.5 ‰ | 16.0 ‰ | 6,840 M | 1.22 % | |
| 2010 | 6.42 M | 2.28 % | 38.7 ‰ | 15.3 ‰ | 6,922 M | 1.20 % | |
| 2011 | 6.56 M | 2.30 % | 37.9 ‰ | 14.6 ‰ | 7,004 M | 1.18 % | |
| 2012 | 6.71 M | 2.28 % | 37.1 ‰ | 14.0 ‰ | 7,089 M | 1.22 % | |
| 2013 | 6.86 M | 2.26 % | 36.4 ‰ | 13.5 ‰ | 7,176 M | 1.22 % | |
| 2014 | 7.02 M | 2.23 % | 35.7 ‰ | 13.0 ‰ | 7,262 M | 1.20 % | |
| 2015 | 7.17 M | 2.21 % | 35.1 ‰ | 12.6 ‰ | 7,348 M | 1.18 % | |
| 2016 | 7.33 M | 2.19 % | 34.5 ‰ | 12.3 ‰ | 7,434 M | 1.17 % | |
| 2017 | 7.49 M | 2.18 % | 33.9 ‰ | 12.0 ‰ | 7,519 M | 1.15 % | |
| 2018 | 7.65 M | 2.16 % | 33.4 ‰ | 11.7 ‰ | 7,602 M | 1.11 % | |
| 2019 | 7.81 M | 2.13 % | 32.9 ‰ | 11.5 ‰ | 7,683 M | 1.06 % | |
| 2020 | 7.98 M | 2.10 % | 7,762 M | 1.02 % |
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 2019 in the graph: The population in Sierra Leone increased by about 163,000 inhabitants. In the same year, the death rate was 11.5 per 1000 people (~ 88,100 deaths) and the birth rate was 32.9 per 1000 people (~ 252,000 births). As a result, around 900 inhabitants have migrated to other countries.Over the past 10 years, the number of average deaths per year was 92,198 in Sierra Leone. The number of births was 251,630 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
Comparison of the global population density
Quality of life in country comparison