PopulationTracker

Sierra Leone population

Current population of Sierra Leone

9,018,050

Live estimate, extrapolated from the latest official figures

Births today
151
Deaths today
41
Change today (UTC)
+102
World rank
101st of 218
0.11% of world population
Population
8,819,794
2025 estimate
Annual growth
+2.04%
2025
Density
117 /km²
2023
Land area
72,180 km²
Urban population
46%
2025
Median age
19.7 yrs
2025 (UN WPP)
Fertility rate
3.70
births per woman, 2024
Life expectancy
62.0 yrs
2024
Net migration
−11,309
2025
Capital
Freetown
Region
Sub-Saharan Africa

Population of Sierra Leone: overview

Sierra Leone has a population of 8,819,794 according to the latest official estimates (2025), the 101st largest in the world. Sierra Leone is part of the Sub-Saharan Africa region and its capital is Freetown.

The population is expanding quickly, at 2.04% per year. In absolute terms that meant roughly 177,772 additional people over the past year. That growth comes despite net emigration of about 11,309 people in 2025.

Population density is moderate — about 117 people per km², spread across 72,180 km² of land. The country remains predominantly rural, though cities are growing: 46% of residents are urban.

With a median age of just 19.7 years, Sierra Leone has one of the youngest populations in the world. The fertility rate of 3.70 children per woman sits above the replacement level of 2.1. Life expectancy at birth is 62.0 years (2024).

The UN projects strong growth ahead: 12.95 million people by 2050, about 47% more than today. The 2030 projection is 9,694,858.

Sierra Leone population, 1960–2025 and projections

03M6M9M12M15M19601980200020202040projected2025: 8.82M1960: 2,268,3561961: 2,304,2271962: 2,342,2421963: 2,382,2581964: 2,424,3901965: 2,468,6661966: 2,514,6381967: 2,562,3841968: 2,611,5321969: 2,661,3651970: 2,712,2861971: 2,763,2221972: 2,814,3881973: 2,866,9551974: 2,920,4591975: 2,974,6571976: 3,028,8201977: 3,085,3541978: 3,145,5171979: 3,207,4991980: 3,272,0891981: 3,338,9401982: 3,408,1831983: 3,481,6461984: 3,558,7581985: 3,638,4381986: 3,728,3801987: 3,829,7181988: 3,934,5171989: 4,034,0371990: 4,196,8281991: 4,246,2671992: 4,166,3661993: 4,157,1301994: 4,173,1051995: 4,179,1791996: 4,199,2101997: 4,253,7161998: 4,295,7851999: 4,318,0432000: 4,423,6112001: 4,692,7162002: 4,971,4352003: 5,177,6872004: 5,355,7172005: 5,501,7122006: 5,624,4662007: 5,749,3522008: 5,894,7222009: 6,055,6462010: 6,222,7142011: 6,387,2512012: 6,551,0802013: 6,714,0512014: 6,876,3852015: 7,037,6552016: 7,205,3282017: 7,379,2992018: 7,554,5632019: 7,731,9912020: 7,912,5582021: 8,094,6022022: 8,276,8072023: 8,460,5122024: 8,642,0222025: 8,819,7942030: 9,694,8582050: 12,948,325
Population of Sierra Leone by year
YearPopulationGrowth rateAnnual change
20258,819,794+2.04%+177,772
20248,642,022+2.12%+181,510
20238,460,512+2.20%+183,705
20228,276,807+2.23%+182,205
20218,094,602+2.27%+182,044
20207,912,558+2.31%+180,567
20197,731,991+2.32%+177,428
20187,554,563+2.35%+175,264
20177,379,299+2.39%+173,971
20167,205,328+2.35%+167,673
20157,037,655+2.32%+161,270
20146,876,385+2.39%+162,334
20106,222,714+2.72%+167,068
20055,501,712+2.69%+145,995
20004,423,611+2.42%+105,568
19954,179,179+0.15%+6,074
19904,196,828+3.96%+162,791
19853,638,438+2.21%+79,680
19803,272,089+1.99%+64,590
19752,974,657+1.84%+54,198
19702,712,286+1.90%+50,921
19652,468,666+1.81%+44,276
19602,268,356––

Recent years annually, earlier years at five-year steps. Annual change compares against the immediately preceding year.

Sierra Leone population forecast

United Nations World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant.

Projected population of Sierra Leone
YearProjected populationvs today
20309,694,858+9.9%
205012,948,325+46.8%

Sierra Leone population pyramid (2025)

Age and sex structure from UN World Population Prospects 2024: 37.7% of Sierra Leone's population is under 15, 59.1% is of working age (15–64), and 3.3% is 65 or older. Hover any bar for the group's size.

MaleFemale
0%2%2%4%4%6%6%8%8%0-4 male: 595,946 (6.8%)0-4 female: 584,610 (6.6%)0-45-9 male: 553,548 (6.3%)5-9 female: 545,574 (6.2%)10-14 male: 523,343 (5.9%)10-14 female: 517,694 (5.9%)10-1415-19 male: 483,492 (5.5%)15-19 female: 477,787 (5.4%)20-24 male: 430,959 (4.9%)20-24 female: 425,721 (4.8%)20-2425-29 male: 372,019 (4.2%)25-29 female: 371,129 (4.2%)30-34 male: 312,865 (3.5%)30-34 female: 312,290 (3.5%)30-3435-39 male: 263,789 (3.0%)35-39 female: 262,476 (3.0%)40-44 male: 219,197 (2.5%)40-44 female: 219,048 (2.5%)40-4445-49 male: 178,100 (2.0%)45-49 female: 181,364 (2.1%)50-54 male: 142,079 (1.6%)50-54 female: 148,140 (1.7%)50-5455-59 male: 111,493 (1.3%)55-59 female: 119,763 (1.4%)60-64 male: 83,889 (1.0%)60-64 female: 93,868 (1.1%)60-6465-69 male: 58,092 (0.7%)65-69 female: 68,671 (0.8%)70-74 male: 36,347 (0.4%)70-74 female: 45,787 (0.5%)70-7475-79 male: 20,434 (0.2%)75-79 female: 27,218 (0.3%)80-84 male: 9,790 (0.1%)80-84 female: 13,807 (0.2%)80-8485-89 male: 3,007 (0.0%)85-89 female: 4,670 (0.1%)90-94 male: 565 (0.0%)90-94 female: 1,018 (0.0%)90-9495-99 male: 61 (0.0%)95-99 female: 133 (0.0%)100+ male: 3 (0.0%)100+ female: 9 (0.0%)100+

Sierra Leone population FAQ

What is the population of Sierra Leone in 2026?

Sierra Leone's population is estimated at about 9.02 million in 2026, extrapolated from the latest official figure of 8,819,794 (2025). Sierra Leone ranks 101st in the world by population.

Is the population of Sierra Leone growing or shrinking?

Sierra Leone's population is growing at about 2.04% per year, an increase of roughly 177,772 people over the past year.

How densely populated is Sierra Leone?

Sierra Leone has about 117 people per square kilometre across a land area of 72,180 km².

What share of the world's population lives in Sierra Leone?

Sierra Leone is home to about 0.11% of the world's population.

What is Sierra Leone's projected population in 2050?

United Nations medium-variant projections put Sierra Leone's population at 12,948,325 in 2050, passing through 9,694,858 in 2030.

What is the median age in Sierra Leone?

The median age in Sierra Leone is 19.7 years (2025 estimate) — half the population is younger and half older than that.

Sources: World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0); median age and projections from UN World Population Prospects 2024. Live figures are estimates extrapolated from the latest official data — see methodology.