Sierra Leone Population (1960-2026) & Projected growth

The current population of Sierra Leone is 9,049,533 people, as of 2026 based on the adjusted UN estimation. The latest officially reported number was 8,642,022 in 2024.

For the last 20 years, Sierra Leone has had an average growth rate of 3.04% per year.
Sierra Leone is projected to reach 16.2M people in 2093.
Sierra Leone is ranked 101/197 by population and was ranked 106th in 2006.
Since 2006, population has increased from 5.62M people to 9.05M (60.9% growth in 20 years).
Sierra Leone accounts for 0.11% of the world's population.

Sierra Leone population and growth rate by year

1x

Year	Population	Growth rate
2100	16,111,324	-0.09%
2099	16,126,181	-0.08%
2098	16,139,280	-0.09%
2097	16,154,153	-0.07%
2096	16,164,923	-0.05%
2095	16,173,557	0.002%
2094	16,173,155	-0.03%
2093	16,177,864	0.02%
2092	16,175,032	0.04%
2091	16,168,153	0.06%
2090	16,158,415	0.07%
2089	16,146,773	0.09%
2088	16,133,018	0.1%
2087	16,116,823	0.17%
2086	16,089,780	0.13%
2085	16,068,438	0.15%
2084	16,044,782	0.21%
2083	16,011,134	0.23%
2082	15,975,073	0.25%
2081	15,935,071	0.24%
2080	15,896,846	0.26%
2079	15,854,898	0.31%
2078	15,805,607	0.32%
2077	15,754,551	0.35%
2076	15,699,439	0.38%
2075	15,639,458	0.35%
2074	15,584,377	0.44%
2073	15,516,736	0.45%
2072	15,446,543	0.47%
2071	15,374,790	0.51%
2070	15,297,449	0.53%
2069	15,216,666	0.59%
2068	15,128,048	0.64%
2067	15,032,144	0.65%
2066	14,935,222	0.66%
2065	14,837,697	0.66%
2064	14,740,749	0.67%
2063	14,642,031	0.77%
2062	14,529,557	0.73%
2061	14,423,861	0.79%
2060	14,311,215	0.79%
2059	14,198,706	0.84%
2058	14,080,827	0.86%
2057	13,960,869	0.9%
2056	13,836,132	0.95%
2055	13,706,113	0.93%
2054	13,579,802	1.01%
2053	13,444,465	1.06%
2052	13,303,409	1.12%
2051	13,156,370	1.12%
2050	13,010,109	1.11%
2049	12,867,021	1.19%
2048	12,716,015	1.16%
2047	12,570,250	1.26%
2046	12,414,307	1.28%
2045	12,257,874	1.37%
2044	12,092,075	1.35%
2043	11,931,531	1.37%
2042	11,770,467	1.44%
2041	11,602,993	1.5%
2040	11,431,337	1.5%
2039	11,262,807	1.47%
2038	11,100,099	1.54%
2037	10,931,629	1.59%
2036	10,760,758	1.65%
2035	10,585,702	1.65%
2034	10,413,826	1.69%
2033	10,241,196	1.78%
2032	10,062,575	1.81%
2031	9,883,708	1.81%
2030	9,708,038	1.85%
2029	9,532,000	1.83%
2028	9,360,873	1.97%
2027	9,179,702	1.98%
2026	9,001,269	2.03%
2025	8,822,114	2.08%
2024	8,642,022	2.15%
2023	8,460,512	2.22%
2022	8,276,807	2.25%
2021	8,094,602	2.3%
2020	7,912,558	2.34%
2019	7,731,991	2.35%
2018	7,554,563	2.38%
2017	7,379,299	2.41%
2016	7,205,328	2.38%
2015	7,037,655	2.35%
2014	6,876,385	2.42%
2013	6,714,051	2.49%
2012	6,551,080	2.56%
2011	6,387,251	2.64%
2010	6,222,714	2.76%
2009	6,055,646	2.73%
2008	5,894,722	2.53%
2007	5,749,352	2.22%
2006	5,624,466	2.23%
2005	5,501,712	2.73%
2004	5,355,717	3.44%
2003	5,177,687	4.15%
2002	4,971,435	5.94%
2001	4,692,716	6.08%
2000	4,423,611	2.44%
1999	4,318,043	0.52%
1998	4,295,785	0.99%
1997	4,253,716	1.3%
1996	4,199,210	0.48%
1995	4,179,179	0.15%
1994	4,173,105	0.38%
1993	4,157,130	-0.22%
1992	4,166,366	-1.88%
1991	4,246,267	1.18%
1990	4,196,828	4.04%
1989	4,034,037	2.53%
1988	3,934,517	2.74%
1987	3,829,718	2.72%
1986	3,728,380	2.47%
1985	3,638,438	2.24%
1984	3,558,758	2.21%
1983	3,481,646	2.16%
1982	3,408,183	2.07%
1981	3,338,940	2.04%
1980	3,272,089	2.01%
1979	3,207,499	1.97%
1978	3,145,517	1.95%
1977	3,085,354	1.87%
1976	3,028,820	1.82%
1975	2,974,657	1.86%
1974	2,920,459	1.87%
1973	2,866,955	1.87%
1972	2,814,388	1.85%
1971	2,763,222	1.88%
1970	2,712,286	1.91%
1969	2,661,365	1.91%
1968	2,611,532	1.92%
1967	2,562,384	1.9%
1966	2,514,638	1.86%
1965	2,468,666	1.83%
1964	2,424,390	1.77%
1963	2,382,258	1.71%
1962	2,342,242	1.65%
1961	2,304,227	1.58%
1960	2,268,356	-

Data sources: United Nations | World Population Prospects (2025–2100, retrieved 2026-03-10); World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/sierra-leone | CC BY

Sierra Leone has a population of 9.05M as of 2026, compared to 7.21M in 2016, 5.62M in 2006, and 4.2M in 1996.

Over the past 10 years, the population has had a trend to increase by an average of 2.56% per year. Sierra Leone is ranked 43rd out of 197 countries by a 10-year average growth rate.

The UN's World Population Prospects forecasts that with changing growth rate trends in 20 years (in 2046) Sierra Leone will have 12,414,307 people (37.2% growth) with a rank change from 101st to 91st.

By the year 2100, Sierra Leone's population is projected to grow by 78% from its current level to 16.1M people.

Natural change and net migration by year

1x

Year	Population change
Year	Total	Natural	Net migration
2025	-	-	-11,309
2024	-	-	-11,000
2023	184,788	188,788	-4,000
2022	182,625	186,625	-4,000
2021	181,782	183,326	-1,544
2020	182,307	181,015	1,292
2019	178,830	181,068	-2,238
2018	176,031	178,772	-2,741
2017	174,493	173,259	1,234
2016	173,441	168,784	4,657
2015	161,919	162,275	-356
2014	160,622	160,137	485
2013	164,038	161,265	2,773
2012	161,903	160,915	988
2011	165,753	158,858	6,895
2010	163,321	155,338	7,983
2009	170,814	152,669	18,145
2008	151,037	149,855	1,182
2007	139,698	145,740	-6,042
2006	110,075	144,127	-34,052
2005	135,429	137,234	-1,805
2004	156,558	132,661	23,897
2003	199,497	130,312	69,185
2002	213,007	126,429	86,578
2001	344,438	116,647	227,791
2000	193,767	110,754	83,013
1999	17,369	102,295	-84,926
1998	27,140	103,906	-76,766
1997	56,996	105,433	-48,437
1996	52,030	104,140	-52,110
1995	-11,972	100,885	-112,857
1994	24,115	101,486	-77,371
1993	7,841	103,317	-95,476
1992	-26,314	103,251	-129,565
1991	-133,488	105,477	-238,965
1990	232,365	100,778	131,587
1989	93,219	98,298	-5,079
1988	105,814	96,344	9,470
1987	103,793	94,235	9,558
1986	98,894	90,902	7,992
1985	80,996	88,869	-7,873
1984	78,364	87,072	-8,708
1983	75,845	84,628	-8,783
1982	71,078	82,457	-11,379
1981	67,412	80,111	-12,699
1980	66,291	77,932	-11,641
1979	62,897	75,992	-13,095
1978	61,057	74,130	-13,073
1977	59,264	71,663	-12,399
1976	53,820	69,506	-15,686
1975	54,502	67,560	-13,058
1974	53,884	65,357	-11,473
1973	53,121	62,443	-9,322
1972	52,012	60,279	-8,267
1971	50,322	58,484	-8,162
1970	51,556	56,513	-4,957
1969	50,283	54,768	-4,485
1968	49,383	53,126	-3,743
1967	48,915	51,734	-2,819
1966	46,575	49,486	-2,911
1965	45,372	47,223	-1,851
1964	43,179	45,487	-2,308
1963	41,089	43,569	-2,480
1962	38,945	41,603	-2,658
1961	37,075	40,022	-2,947
1960	34,664	38,192	-3,528

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/sierra-leone | CC BY

Over the last 10 years, 99.6% of the population change in Sierra Leone is from natural causes (a gain of 1,764,049 people) and 0.41% is from migration (a loss of 7,211 people).

As of 2024, 49,997 residents or 0.6% of the population were not native-born in Sierra Leone, compared to 79,265 and 1.3% in 2010.

Sierra Leone population clock

	Sierra Leone	Rank
Current population	9049533	101/197
Percent of world population	0.11%	101/197
One net population change	2.9 minutes	67/197
One birth every	2.03 minutes	76/196
One death every	7.5 minutes	97/196
Daily growth/decline	+497	67/197
Annual growth/decline	+181,510	67/197
Annual growth/decline rate	+2.15%	47/197
One migration net change every	46.6 minutes	136/196
Annual migration change	-11,309	136/196
Foreign-born residents	49,997	151/195
Foreign-born share of population	0.6%	174/195

Largest cities by population

Sierra Leone
City	Population
Freetown	951K
Bo	234K
Kenema	188K

Sierra Leone population statistics

	Sierra Leone	World
Life expectancy	62.3 years	73.8 years
Average age	24.4 years	33.8 years
Median age	20.5 years	31.6 years
Male:Female ratio	49.9:50.1	50.3:49.7
Fertility rate	3.79 births per woman	2.2 births per woman
Population density	323 ppl/mi²	144 ppl/mi²

More about the demographics of Sierra Leone.

Population map with other countries

1x

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1960–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10); U.S. Census Bureau (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20).

GeoRank.org/population/sierra-leone | CC BY