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Statistics · Country
Population growth in Sierra Leone
1961 – 2025 · 65 data points
7 of 42 · Countries
Updated 22 Oct 2026
Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1961 – 2025
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Latest value · 2025
2.04%
−0.09 pp
since 2024
Countries · 2025
7 of 42
Place 1 is the highest value.
since 2015
−0.28 pp
vs World
+1.12 pp
World: 0.91% · 2025
Population growth, 1961 – 2025 percent · Sierra Leone · World
−0.28 pp since 2015
-2%
0%
2%
4%
6%
1961
1980
1990
2000
2010
2025
Sierra Leone
World
Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1961 – 2025
Compared with Population growth · percent
Sierra Leone
2.04%
World
0.91%
Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators
The series at a glance Sierra Leone · 1961 – 2025
Latest value
2.04% · 2025
First value
1.57% · 1961
Highest
5.91% · 2001
Lowest
-1.90% · 1992
Data points
65
By year
All years · 1961 – 2025
| Year | Sierra Leone | Change | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.04% | −0.09 pp | 0.91% |
| 2024 | 2.12% | −0.07 pp | 0.96% |
| 2023 | 2.20% | −0.03 pp | 0.93% |
| 2022 | 2.23% | −0.05 pp | 0.87% |
| 2021 | 2.27% | −0.03 pp | 0.83% |
| 2020 | 2.31% | −0.01 pp | 0.98% |
| 2019 | 2.32% | −0.03 pp | 1.05% |
| 2018 | 2.35% | −0.04 pp | 1.08% |
| 2017 | 2.39% | +0.03 pp | 1.13% |
| 2016 | 2.35% | +0.04 pp | 1.16% |
| 2015 | 2.32% | −0.07 pp | 1.18% |
| 2014 | 2.39% | −0.07 pp | 1.21% |
| 2013 | 2.46% | −0.08 pp | 1.23% |
| 2012 | 2.53% | −0.08 pp | 1.26% |
| 2011 | 2.61% | −0.11 pp | 1.22% |
| 2010 | 2.72% | +0.03 pp | 1.22% |
| 2009 | 2.69% | +0.20 pp | 1.25% |
| 2008 | 2.50% | +0.30 pp | 1.27% |
| 2007 | 2.20% | −0.01 pp | 1.26% |
| 2006 | 2.21% | −0.48 pp | 1.27% |
| 2005 | 2.69% | −0.69 pp | 1.27% |
| 2004 | 3.38% | −0.68 pp | 1.29% |
| 2003 | 4.06% | −1.70 pp | 1.29% |
| 2002 | 5.77% | −0.14 pp | 1.31% |
| 2001 | 5.91% | +3.49 pp | 1.34% |
| 2000 | 2.42% | +1.90 pp | 1.36% |
| 1999 | 0.52% | −0.47 pp | 1.40% |
| 1998 | 0.98% | −0.31 pp | 1.44% |
| 1997 | 1.29% | +0.81 pp | 1.46% |
| 1996 | 0.48% | +0.33 pp | 1.49% |
| 1995 | 0.15% | −0.24 pp | 1.50% |
| 1994 | 0.38% | +0.61 pp | 1.54% |
| 1993 | -0.22% | +1.68 pp | 1.59% |
| 1992 | -1.90% | −3.07 pp | 1.63% |
| 1991 | 1.17% | −2.79 pp | 1.67% |
| 1990 | 3.96% | +1.46 pp | 1.74% |
| 1989 | 2.50% | −0.20 pp | 1.75% |
| 1988 | 2.70% | +0.02 pp | 1.78% |
| 1987 | 2.68% | +0.24 pp | 1.79% |
| 1986 | 2.44% | +0.23 pp | 1.78% |
| 1985 | 2.21% | +0.02 pp | 1.76% |
| 1984 | 2.19% | +0.06 pp | 1.76% |
| 1983 | 2.13% | +0.08 pp | 1.80% |
| 1982 | 2.05% | +0.03 pp | 1.81% |
| 1981 | 2.02% | +0.03 pp | 1.77% |
| 1980 | 1.99% | +0.04 pp | 1.76% |
| 1979 | 1.95% | +0.02 pp | 1.77% |
| 1978 | 1.93% | +0.08 pp | 1.75% |
| 1977 | 1.85% | +0.04 pp | 1.75% |
| 1976 | 1.80% | −0.03 pp | 1.80% |
| 1975 | 1.84% | −0.01 pp | 1.86% |
| 1974 | 1.85% | −0.00 pp | 1.93% |
| 1973 | 1.85% | +0.02 pp | 1.98% |
| 1972 | 1.83% | −0.03 pp | 2.00% |
| 1971 | 1.86% | −0.03 pp | 2.10% |
| 1970 | 1.90% | +0.01 pp | 2.08% |
| 1969 | 1.89% | −0.01 pp | 2.08% |
| 1968 | 1.90% | +0.02 pp | 2.05% |
| 1967 | 1.88% | +0.04 pp | 2.04% |
| 1966 | 1.85% | +0.04 pp | 2.09% |
| 1965 | 1.81% | +0.06 pp | 2.06% |
| 1964 | 1.75% | +0.06 pp | 2.09% |
| 1963 | 1.69% | +0.06 pp | 2.12% |
| 1962 | 1.64% | +0.07 pp | 1.77% |
| 1961 | 1.57% | 1.36% |
Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1961 – 2025
Ranking · Countries
2016 · Place 1 is the highest value.
| # | Territory | Population growth | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saudi Arabia | 3.75% | |
| 2 | Congo - Kinshasa | 3.54% | |
| 3 | Yemen | 3.00% | |
| 4 | Gabon | 2.86% | |
| 5 | Congo - Brazzaville | 2.42% | |
| 6 | Sierra Leone | 2.35% | |
| 7 | Algeria | 2.06% | |
| 8 | Liberia | 2.04% | |
| 9 | Egypt | 2.03% | |
| 10 | Honduras | 1.88% | |
| 11 | Ecuador | 1.46% | |
| 12 | Türkiye | 1.35% | |
| 13 | Philippines | 1.34% | |
| 14 | Chile | 1.21% | |
| 15 | India | 1.19% | |
| 16 | Canada | 1.13% | |
| 17 | Indonesia | 1.07% | |
| 18 | Colombia | 0.99% | |
| 19 | Mexico | 0.97% | |
| 20 | Argentina | 0.97% | |
| 21 | Bangladesh | 0.89% | |
| 22 | Norway | 0.88% | |
| 23 | Germany | 0.81% | |
| 24 | United Kingdom | 0.79% | |
| 25 | United States | 0.79% | |
| 26 | Brazil | 0.76% | |
| 27 | Hong Kong SAR China | 0.62% | |
| 28 | China | 0.57% | |
| 29 | Netherlands | 0.53% | |
| 30 | South Korea | 0.40% | |
| 31 | Finland | 0.29% | |
| 32 | France | 0.26% | |
| 33 | Russia | 0.26% | |
| 34 | Czechia | 0.19% | |
| 35 | Spain | 0.08% | |
| 36 | Poland | -0.04% | |
| 37 | Italy | -0.19% | |
| 38 | Greece | -0.42% | |
| 39 | Romania | -0.57% | |
| 40 | Lithuania | -1.17% | |
| 41 | Bulgaria | -1.30% | |
| 42 | Lebanon | -2.34% |
Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 2016
What it means
How fast the population changes from one year to the next.
How it is calculated
Change in the number of residents over the year, as a percentage of the population at the start.
People
Sierra Leone in numbers
Population
8.8M
2025
Population density
120
2024
Median age
19.3
2023
Children under 15
37.7%
2025
Residents 65 and over
3.3%
2025
Life expectancy
62.0
2024
Births per woman
3.70
2024
Birth rate
30.1
2024
Infant mortality
54.6
2024
Net migration
-0.5
2023
Born abroad
0.6%
2024
Urban population
45.9%
2025