View source for Demographics of Sierra Leone

{{Short description|none}} <!-- "none" is a legitimate description when the title is already adequate; see [[WP:SDNONE]] -->
{{Infobox place demographics
 | place              = [[Sierra Leone]]
 | image              = Sierra Leone single age population pyramid 2020.png
| image_size              =350
 | caption            = Sierra Leone [[population pyramid]] in 2020

<!-- main demographics -->
 | size_of_population = {{UN_Population|Sierra Leone}}
 | density            = 80.06 inhabitants per sq km.
 | growth             = 15.40% (2004–2014 est.)
 | birth              = 37.40 births/1,000 inhabitants
 | death              = 11.03 deaths/1,000 inhabitants
 | life               = 57.39 years
 | life_male          = 54.85 years
 | life_female        = 60.00 years
 | infant_mortality   = 73.29 deaths/1,000 births
 | fertility          = 4.2 children born/women

<!-- age structure -->
 | age_0–14_years     = 41.9%
 | age_15–64_years    = 54.4%
 | age_65_years       = 3.7%

<!-- sex ratio -->
 | total_mf_ratio     = 0.94 male(s)/female
 | sr_at_birth        = 1.03 male(s)/female
 | sr_under_15        = 0.99 male(s)/female
 | sr_15–64_years     = 0.94 male(s)/female
 | sr_65_years_over   = 0.78 male(s)/female

<!-- nationality -->
 | nation             = Sierra Leonean(s)
 | major_ethnic       = Temne 25.2%, Mende 30.5%
 | minor_ethnic       = Fula 5.4%,  Limba 6.4%, Kono 10.4%, Loko 2.9%, Koranko 2.8%, Sherbro 2.6%, Mandingo 2.4%, Creole 5.2%, Other 5.2%

<!-- language -->
 | official           = English
 | spoken             = Krio, Temne, Mende
}}

The demographics of [[Sierra Leone]] are made up of an indigenous population from 18 ethnic groups. The [[Temne people|Temne]] in the north and the [[Mende people|Mende]] in the south are the largest. About 60,000 are [[Sierra Leone Krio people|Krio]], the descendants of freed slaves who returned to Sierra Leone from [[Great Britain]], [[North America]] and [[Slavery|slave]] ships captured on the high seas. 

In the past, some Sierra Leoneans were noted for their [[education]]al achievements, trading activity, entrepreneurial skills, and arts and crafts work, particularly [[wood carving|woodcarving]]. Many are part of larger ethnic networks extending into several countries, which link West African states in the area. Their level of education and [[infrastructure]] have declined sharply over the last 30 years.<ref name="statedept">{{cite web |url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5475.htm |title=Sierra Leone (02/08) |access-date=2008-02-17 |work=U.S. Department of State }}</ref>

== Population ==
{{Historical populations
|title       = Historical populations of Sierra Leone
|align       = left
|shading     = off
|percentages = pagr
|source      = <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sierra-leone.org/Census/ssl_final_results.pdf|title=FINAL RESULTS 2004 POPULATION AND HOUSING CENSUS|website=Sierra-leone.org|access-date=7 November 2017}}</ref>
|1963 | 2180355
|1974 | 2735159
|1985 | 3515812
|2004 | 4976871
|2014 | 5743725
}}

[[Image:Sierra-Leone-demography.png|thumb|450px|Sierra Leone's total population, from 1961 to 2013.]]

According to {{UN_Population|source}} the total population was {{UN_Population|Sierra Leone}} in {{UN_Population|Year}}, compared to only 1 895 000 in 1950. The proportion of children below the age of 15 in 2010 was 43%, 55.1% was between 15 and 65 years of age, while 1.9% was 65 years or older
.<ref name="WPP 2010">[http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/index.htm Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110506065230/http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/index.htm |date=May 6, 2011 }}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: right;"
|-
!
! width="80" |Total population
! width="80" |Population aged 0–14 (%)
! width="80" |Population aged 15–64 (%)
! width="80" |Population aged 65+ (%)
|-
| 1950
|1 895 000||39.4||57.6||3.0
|-
| 1955
|2 029 000||39.6||57.5||2.9
|-
| 1960
|2 187 000||39.6||57.5||2.9
|-
| 1965
|2 373 000||39.8||57.3||2.9
|-
| 1970
|2 593 000||40.5||56.9||2.9
|-
| 1975
|2 845 000||40.5||56.6||3.0
|-
| 1980
|3 162 000||41.1||56.0||2.9
|-
| 1985
|3 541 000||42.0||55.3||2.7
|-
| 1990
|3 982 000||42.4||55.1||2.6
|-
| 1995
|3 898 000||42.3||55.3||2.4
|-
| 2000
|4 143 000||42.4||55.5||2.1
|-
| 2005
|5 153 000||42.9||55.2||1.9
|-
| 2010
|5 868 000||43.0||55.1||1.9
|}

Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2020) (Estimates or projections based on the 2015 population census.): <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic-social/products/dyb/dyb_2020/|title=UNSD — Demographic and Social Statistics}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! width="80pt"|Age Group
! width="80pt"|Male
! width="80pt"|Female
! width="80pt"|Total
! width="80pt"|%
|-
| align="right" | Total
| align="right" | 3 987 250
| align="right" | 4 113 068
| align="right" | 8 100 318
| align="right" | 100
|-
| align="right" | 0–4
| align="right" | 620 177
| align="right" | 639 745
| align="right" | 1 259 922
| align="right" | 15.55
|-
| align="right" | 5–9
| align="right" | 546 368 
| align="right" | 563 608
| align="right" | 1 109 976
| align="right" | 13.70
|-
| align="right" | 10–14
| align="right" | 492 216
| align="right" | 507 749
| align="right" | 999 965
| align="right" | 12.34
|-
| align="right" | 15–19
| align="right" | 415 263
| align="right" | 428 368
| align="right" | 843 631
| align="right" | 10.30
|-
| align="right" | 20–24
| align="right" | 373 462
| align="right" | 385 247
| align="right" | 758 709
| align="right" | 9.37
|-
| align="right" | 25–29
| align="right" | 324 639
| align="right" | 334 883
| align="right" | 659 522
| align="right" | 8.14
|-
| align="right" | 30–34
| align="right" | 272 318
| align="right" | 280 911
| align="right" | 553 229
| align="right" | 6.83
|-
| align="right" | 35–39
| align="right" | 226 560
| align="right" | 233 708
| align="right" | 460 268
| align="right" | 5.68
|-
| align="right" | 40–44
| align="right" | 181 985
| align="right" | 187 730
| align="right" | 369 715
| align="right" | 4.56
|-
| align="right" | 45–49
| align="right" | 144 473
| align="right" | 149 031
| align="right" | 293 504
| align="right" | 3.62
|-
| align="right" | 50–54
| align="right" | 110 450
| align="right" | 113 934
| align="right" | 224 384
| align="right" | 2.77
|-
| align="right" | 55–59
| align="right" | 84 146
| align="right" | 86 801
| align="right" | 170 947
| align="right" | 2.11
|-
| align="right" | 60–64
| align="right" | 64 608
| align="right" | 66 647
| align="right" | 131 255
| align="right" | 1.62
|-
| align="right" | 65-69
| align="right" | 47 370
| align="right" | 48 865
| align="right" | 96 235
| align="right" | 1.19
|-
| align="right" | 70-74
| align="right" | 33 569
| align="right" | 34 630
| align="right" | 68 199
| align="right" | 0.84
|-
| align="right" | 75-79
| align="right" | 22 307
| align="right" | 23 010
| align="right" | 45 317
| align="right" | 0.56
|-
| align="right" | 80+
| align="right" | 27 339
| align="right" | 28 201
| align="right" | 55 540
| align="right" | 0.69
|-
! width="50"|Age group 
! width="80pt"|Male
! width="80"|Female
! width="80"|Total
! width="50"|Percent
|-
| align="right" | 0–14
| align="right" | 1 658 761
| align="right" | 1 711 102
| align="right" | 3 369 863
| align="right" | 41.60
|-
| align="right" | 15–64
| align="right" | 2 197 904
| align="right" | 2 267 260
| align="right" | 4 465 164 
| align="right" | 55.12
|-
| align="right" | 65+
| align="right" | 130 585
| align="right" | 134 706
| align="right" | 265 291
| align="right" | 3.28
|-
|}

== Vital statistics ==
Registration of vital events is in Sierra Leone not complete.
The website [[Our World in Data]] prepared the following estimates based on statistics from the Population Department of the [[United Nations]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Population & Demography Data Explorer |url=https://ourworldindata.org/explorers/population-and-demography?facet=none&Metric=Population&Sex=Both+sexes&Age+group=Total&Projection+Scenario=None&country=~SLE |access-date=2022-07-22 |website=Our World in Data}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right"
|-
!
! style="width:80pt;"|Mid-year population (thousands)
! style="width:80pt;"|Live births (thousands)
! style="width:80pt;"|Deaths (thousands)
! style="width:80pt;"|Natural change (thousands)
! style="width:80pt;"|Crude birth rate (per 1000)
! style="width:80pt;"|Crude death rate (per 1000)
! style="width:80pt;"|Natural change (per 1000)
! style="width:80pt;"|[[Total fertility rate]] (TFR)
! style="width:80pt;"|[[Infant mortality]] (per 1000 live births)
! style="width:80pt;"|[[Life expectancy]] (in years)
|-
|1950
|2 001
|   97
|   68
|   29
|48.6
|34.1
|14.5
|6.09
|251.2
|29.6
|-
|1951
|  2 027
|  98
|  69
|  30
|48.5
|33.8
|14.7
|6.07
|249.5
|29.8
|-
|1952
|  2 053
|  99
|  68
|  31
|48.2
|33.3
|15.0
|6.03
|246.1
|30.3
|-
|1953
|  2 079
|  100
|  68
|  32
|48.0
|32.7
|15.2
|6.00
|242.9
|30.9
|-
|1954
|  2 107
|  102
|  68
|  33
|48.3
|32.4
|15.9
|6.05
|239.9
|31.3
|-
|1955
|  2 136
|  104
|  69
|  35
|48.4
|32.1
|16.4
|6.07
|237.0
|31.8
|-
|1956
|  2 166
|  105
|  69
|  36
|48.6
|31.8
|16.8
|6.10
|234.3
|32.2
|-
|1957
|  2 198
|  107
|  69
|  38
|48.6
|31.6
|17.1
|6.12
|231.4
|32.6
|-
|1958
|  2 230
|  109
|  70
|  39
|48.7
|31.3
|17.4
|6.13
|228.5
|33.0
|-
|1959
|  2 264
|  110
|  70
|  40
|48.7
|30.9
|17.8
|6.15
|225.6
|33.5
|-
|1960
|  2 301
|  113
|  71
|  42
|48.9
|30.6
|18.3
|6.18
|222.7
|34.0
|-
|1961
|  2 341
|  115
|  71
|  44
|49.0
|30.3
|18.7
|6.21
|219.8
|34.4
|-
|1962
|  2 383
|  117
|  71
|  45
|49.0
|30.0
|19.1
|6.22
|217.0
|34.9
|-
|1963
|  2 427
|  119
|  72
|  47
|49.1
|29.6
|19.5
|6.26
|214.1
|35.3
|-
|1964
|  2 473
|  121
|  72
|  49
|style="color:blue"|49.1
|29.2
|19.9
|6.29
|211.1
|35.9
|-
|1965
|  2 521
|  123
|  72
|  51
|48.8
|28.7
|20.1
|6.31
|208.2
|36.4
|-
|1966
|  2 570
|  125
|  73
|  52
|48.7
|28.3
|20.4
|6.35
|205.2
|36.9
|-
|1967
|  2 620
|  127
|  73
|  55
|48.6
|27.8
|20.8
|6.38
|202.3
|37.4
|-
|1968
|  2 672
|  129
|  73
|  56
|48.3
|27.4
|20.9
|6.39
|199.5
|37.8
|-
|1969
|  2 725
|  131
|  74
|  57
|48.0
|27.0
|21.0
|6.39
|196.7
|38.2
|-
|1970
|  2 779
|  133
|  74
|  59
|47.8
|26.5
|21.3
|6.41
|194.0
|38.8
|-
|1971
|  2 832
|  135
|  74
|  61
|47.7
|26.0
|21.7
|6.43
|191.4
|39.3
|-
|1972
|  2 887
|  137
|  74
|  63
|47.5
|25.6
|22.0
|6.45
|188.8
|39.8
|-
|1973
|  2 942
|  140
|  74
|  65
|47.4
|25.2
|22.2
|6.47
|186.4
|40.2
|-
|1974
|  2 999
|  143
|  74
|  68
|47.5
|24.8
|22.7
|6.53
|184.0
|40.7
|-
|1975
|  3 056
|  145
|  75
|  70
|47.3
|24.4
|23.0
|6.55
|181.5
|41.2
|-
|1976
|  3 113
|  147
|  75
|  72
|47.1
|24.0
|23.2
|6.55
|179.2
|41.6
|-
|1977
|  3 172
|  149
|  75
|  74
|47.0
|23.6
|23.4
|6.57
|177.0
|42.1
|-
|1978
|  3 235
|  152
|  75
|  77
|47.0
|23.2
|23.7
|6.59
|174.9
|42.5
|-
|1979
|  3 300
|  155
|  76
|  79
|46.7
|22.9
|23.9
|6.58
|172.9
|42.9
|-
|1980
|  3 367
|  157
|  76
|  81
|46.5
|22.6
|23.9
|6.56
|171.1
|43.1
|-
|1981
|  3 437
|  160
|  77
|  83
|46.4
|22.4
|24.1
|6.55
|169.3
|43.4
|-
|1982
|  3 509
|  163
|  78
|  85
|46.5
|22.2
|24.3
|6.56
|167.5
|43.6
|-
|1983
|  3 586
|  167
|  79
|  88
|46.5
|22.0
|24.5
|6.57
|165.9
|43.8
|-
|1984
|  3 666
|  171
|  80
|  91
|46.5
|21.9
|24.7
|6.59
|164.4
|43.9
|-
|1985
|  3 749
|  174
|  82
|  92
|46.4
|21.8
|24.6
|6.59
|163.1
|43.9
|-
|1986
|  3 843
|  178
|  84
|  94
|46.4
|21.8
|24.6
|6.60
|161.9
|43.8
|-
|1987
|  3 948
|  183
|  85
|  98
|46.4
|21.6
|24.8
|style="color:blue"|6.61
|160.3
|44.0
|-
|1988
|  4 056
|  187
|  87
|  100
|46.2
|21.5
|24.6
|6.59
|159.0
|44.0
|-
|1989
|  4 159
|  191
|  89
|  102
|45.9
|21.4
|24.4
|6.57
|157.9
|44.0
|-
|1990
|  4 325
|  195
|  91
|  104
|45.8
|21.3
|24.5
|6.57
|156.9
|44.1
|-
|1991
|  4 378
|  206
|  97
|  109
|45.8
|21.7
|24.2
|6.55
|156.4
|43.5
|-
|1992
|  4 302
|  201
|  94
|  107
|45.9
|21.5
|24.4
|6.56
|154.8
|43.6
|-
|1993
|  4 296
|  200
|  93
|  107
|46.0
|21.5
|24.5
|6.57
|153.6
|43.6
|-
|1994
|  4 315
|  200
|  95
|  105
|46.0
|21.9
|24.1
|6.56
|153.4
|42.9
|-
|1995
|  4 324
|  200
|  96
|  104
|45.7
|22.0
|23.7
|6.56
|152.0
|42.7
|-
|1996
|  4 347
|  200
|  93
|  108
|45.8
|21.2
|24.6
|6.55
|149.2
|43.7
|-
|1997
|  4 405
|  202
|  93
|  108
|45.5
|21.1
|24.5
|6.53
|147.1
|43.7
|-
|1998
|  4 450
|  204
|  97
|  107
|45.4
|21.6
|23.8
|6.50
|145.8
|42.8
|-
|1999
|  4 475
|  204
|style="color:red"|  99
|  105
|45.2
|21.9
|23.3
|6.42
|141.6
|42.1
|-
|2000
|  4 584
|  204
|  90
|  114
|45.0
|19.8
|25.2
|6.36
|139.2
|45.1
|-
|2001
|  4 857
|  212
|  91
|  121
|44.7
|19.2
|25.5
|6.31
|136.0
|45.7
|-
|2002
|  5 140
|  226
|  95
|  131
|44.3
|18.7
|25.7
|6.23
|133.1
|46.4
|-
|2003
|  5 351
|  231
|  96
|  135
|43.5
|18.1
|25.4
|6.09
|130.0
|47.0
|-
|2004
|  5 533
|  233
|  97
|  137
|42.3
|17.5
|24.8
|5.92
|126.8
|47.6
|-
|2005
|  5 683
|  237
|  96
|  141
|41.7
|16.9
|24.8
|5.81
|123.4
|48.2
|-
|2006
|  5 810
|  241
|  94
|  148
|41.4
|16.1
|25.3
|5.74
|119.9
|49.3
|-
|2007
|  5 939
|  242
|  91
|  151
|40.8
|15.3
|25.5
|5.64
|116.1
|50.4
|-
|2008
|  6 091
|  246
|  89
|  157
|40.3
|14.5
|25.8
|5.56
|112.2
|51.5
|-
|2009
|  6 260
|  248
|  86
|  162
|39.7
|13.8
|style="color:blue"|25.9
|5.45
|108.5
|52.6
|-
|2010
|  6 437
|  250
|  84
|  166
|38.9
|13.1
|25.8
|5.33
|104.4
|53.7
|-
|2011
|  6 612
|  253
|  82
|  171
|38.3
|12.5
|25.8
|5.21
|100.6
|54.6
|-
|2012
|  6 789
|  255
|  81
|  174
|37.6
|11.9
|25.6
|5.06
|97.1
|55.5
|-
|2013
|  6 965
|  254
|  79
|  175
|36.5
|11.4
|25.1
|4.87
|93.6
|56.3
|-
|2014
|  7 141
|  254
|  80
|  174
|35.5
|11.2
|24.3
|4.70
|91.2
|56.4
|-
|2015
|  7 315
|  253
|  78
|  174
|34.6
|10.7
|23.8
|4.55
|88.1
|57.2
|-
|2016
|  7 494
|  255
|  75
|  180
|34.0
|10.0
|24.0
|4.47
|84.6
|58.4
|-
|2017
|  7 678
|  258
|  76
|  182
|33.6
|9.9
|23.7
|4.39
|82.1
|58.7
|-
|2018
|  7 861
|  260
|  73
|  187
|33.1
|9.3
|23.8
|4.29
|79.2
|59.8
|-
|2019
|  8 047
|  262
|  73
|style="color:blue"|  189
|32.5
|style="color:blue"|9.1
|23.5
|4.19
|76.7
|60.3
|-
|2020
|  8 234
|  263
|  77
|  186
|31.9
|9.3
|22.6
|4.08
|74.3
|59.8
|-
|2021
|  8 421
|  264
|  77
|  187
|style="color:red"|31.4
|9.1
|22.2
|style="color:red" |3.98
|72.0
|60.1
|-
|}

{{GraphChart
| width = 450
| height = 150
| xAxisTitle=year
| yAxisTitle= million
| yAxisMin=
| yGrid= 0,1
| xGrid= 10
| legend=
| type = line
| x = 1950,1951,1952,1953,1954,1955,1956,1957,1958,1959,1960,1961,1962,1963,1964,1965,1966,1967,1968,1969,1970,1971,1972,1973,1974,1975,1976,1977,1978,1979,1980,1981,1982,1983,1984,1985,1986,1987,1988,1989,1990,1991,1992,1993,1994,1995,1996,1997,1998,1999,2000,2001,2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021

| y1= 2,2.03,2.05,2.08,2.11,2.14,2.17,2.2,2.23,2.26,2.3,2.34,2.38,2.43,2.47,2.52,2.57,2.62,2.67,2.73,2.78,2.83,2.89,2.94,3,3.06,3.11,3.17,3.24,3.3,3.37,
3.44,3.51,3.59,3.67,3.75,3.84,3.95,4.06,4.16,4.33,4.38,4.3,4.3,4.32,4.32,4.35,4.41,4.45,4.47,4.58,4.86,5.14,5.35,5.53,5.68,5.81,5.94,6.09,6.26,6.44,6.61,6.79,6.97,7.14,7.32,7.49,7.68,7.86,8.05,8.23,8.42

| y1Title= population (million)

}}
{{GraphChart
| width = 450
| height = 150
| xAxisTitle=years
| yAxisTitle= ‰
| yAxisMin=
| yGrid= 0,1
| xGrid= 10
| hAnnotatonsLine=
| hAnnotatonsLabel=
| legend=
| type = line
| x = 1950,1951,1952,1953,1954,1955,1956,1957,1958,1959,1960,1961,1962,1963,1964,1965,1966,1967,1968,1969,1970,1971,1972,1973,1974,1975,1976,1977,1978,1979,1980,1981,1982,1983,1984,1985,1986,1987,1988,1989,1990,1991,1992,1993,1994,1995,1996,1997,1998,1999,2000,2001,2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021

| y1= 14.5,14.7,15.0,15.2,15.9,16.4,16.8,17.1,17.4,17.8,18.3,18.7,19.1,19.5,19.9,20.1,20.4,20.8,20.9,21.0,21.3,21.7,22.0,22.2,22.7,23.0,23.2,23.4,23.7,
23.9,23.9,24.1,24.3,24.5,24.7,24.6,24.6,24.8,24.6,24.4,24.5,24.2,24.4,24.5,24.1,23.7,24.6,24.5,23.8,23.3,25.2,25.5,25.7,25.4,24.8,24.8,25.3,25.5,
25.8,25.9,25.8,25.8,25.6,25.1,24.3,23.8,24.0,23.7,23.8,23.5,22.6,22.2

| y1Title=Natural change (per 1000)
}}
{{GraphChart
| width = 450
| height = 150
| xAxisTitle=years
| yAxisTitle= ‰
| yAxisMin=
| yGrid= 0,1
| xGrid= 10
| hAnnotatonsLine=
| hAnnotatonsLabel=
| legend=
| type = line
| x = 1950,1951,1952,1953,1954,1955,1956,1957,1958,1959,1960,1961,1962,1963,1964,1965,1966,1967,1968,1969,1970,1971,1972,1973,1974,1975,1976,1977,1978,1979,1980,1981,1982,1983,1984,1985,1986,1987,1988,1989,1990,1991,1992,1993,1994,1995,1996,1997,1998,1999,2000,2001,2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021

| y1= 251.2,249.5,246.1,242.9,239.9,237.0,234.3,231.4,228.5,225.6,222.7,219.8,217.0,214.1,211.1,208.2,205.2,202.3,199.5,196.7,194.0,191.4,188.8,
186.4,184.0,181.5,179.2,177.0,174.9,172.9,171.1,169.3,167.5,165.9,164.4,163.1,161.9,160.3,159.0,157.9,156.9,156.4,154.8,153.6,153.4,152.0,149.2,147.1,
145.8,141.6,139.2,136.0,133.1,130.0,126.8,123.4,119.9,116.1,112.2,108.5,104.4,100.6,97.1,93.6,91.2,88.1,84.6,82.1,79.2,76.7,74.3,72.0

| y1Title=Infant Mortality (per 1000 live births)
}}
{{GraphChart
| width = 450
| height = 150
| xAxisTitle=years
| yAxisTitle= TFR
| yAxisMin=
| yGrid= 0,1
| xGrid= 10
| hAnnotatonsLine=
| hAnnotatonsLabel=
| legend=
| type = line
| x = 1950,1951,1952,1953,1954,1955,1956,1957,1958,1959,1960,1961,1962,1963,1964,1965,1966,1967,1968,1969,1970,1971,1972,1973,1974,1975,1976,1977,1978,1979,1980,1981,1982,1983,1984,1985,1986,1987,1988,1989,1990,1991,1992,1993,1994,1995,1996,1997,1998,1999,2000,2001,2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021

| y1= 6.09,6.07,6.03,6.00,6.05,6.07,6.10,6.12,6.13,6.15,6.18,6.21,6.22,6.26,6.29,6.31,6.35,6.38,6.39,6.39,6.41,6.43,6.45,6.47,6.53,6.55,6.55,6.57,6.59,6.58,6.56,6.55,6.56,6.57,6.59,6.59,6.60,6.61,6.59,6.57,6.57,6.55,6.56,6.57,6.56,6.56,6.55,6.53,6.50,6.42,6.36,6.31,6.23,6.09,5.92,5.81,5.74,5.64,5.56,5.45,5.33,5.21,5.06,4.87,
4.70,4.55,4.47,4.39,4.29,4.19,4.08,3.98

| y1Title=Total Fertility Rate
}}

=== Fertility and Births ===
Total Fertility Rate (TFR) (Wanted Fertility Rate) and Crude Birth Rate (CBR):<ref>{{cite web|url=http://microdata.worldbank.org/index.php/catalog/1490|title=Sierra Leone - Demographic and Health Survey 2008|website=microdata.worldbank.org}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! style="width:50pt;"| Year
! style="width:50pt;"| CBR (Total)
! style="width:50pt;"| TFR (Total)
! style="width:50pt;"| CBR (Urban)
! style="width:50pt;"| TFR (Urban)
! style="width:50pt;"| CBR (Rural)
! style="width:50pt;"| TFR (Rural)
|-
| 2008
| style="text-align:right;"| 31.5
| style="text-align:right;"| 5.1 (4.5)
| style="text-align:right;"| 27.3
| style="text-align:right;"| 3.8 (3.4)
| style="text-align:right;"| 33.4
| style="text-align:right;"| 5.8 (5.2)
|-
| 2013
| style="text-align:right;"| 35.7
| style="text-align:right;"| 4.9 (4.2)
| style="text-align:right;"| 29.5
| style="text-align:right;"| 3.5 (3.0)
| style="text-align:right;"| 38.2
| style="text-align:right;"| 5.7 (4.9)
|-
| 2019
| style="text-align:right;"| 30.0
| style="text-align:right;"| 4.2 (3.8)
| style="text-align:right;"| 26
| style="text-align:right;"| 3.1 (2.9)
| style="text-align:right;"| 33
| style="text-align:right;"| 5.1 (4.7)
|-
|}

== Other demographic statistics ==
Demographic statistics according to the World Population Review in 2022.<ref name="WPR 2022">{{citation|url=worldpopulationreview.com/countries/sierra-leone-population/|title=Sierra Leone Population 2022|website=World Population Review}}</ref>

*One birth every 2 minutes	
*One death every 6 minutes	
*One net migrant every 131 minutes	
*Net gain of one person every 3 minutes

The following demographic are from the [[CIA World Factbook]]<ref name=".cia.gov">{{citation|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/sierra-leone/|title= The World FactBook - Sierra Leone|date=July 12, 2018|work=[[The World Factbook]]}}{{PD-notice}}</ref> unless otherwise indicated.

===Population===
:8,692,606 (2022 est.) 
:6,312,212 (July 2018 est.)

=== Religions ===
{{main article|Religion in Sierra Leone}}
Muslim 77.1%, Christian 22.9% (2019 est.)

===Age structure===
[[File:Sierra Leone single age population pyramid 2020.png|thumb|350px|Population pyramid of Sierra Leone in 2020]]
:''0-14 years:'' 41.38% (male 1,369,942/female 1,371,537)
:''15-24 years:'' 18.83% (male 610,396/female 636,880)
:''25-54 years:'' 32.21% (male 1,020,741/female 1,112,946)
:''55-64 years:'' 3.89% (male 121,733/female 135,664)
:''65 years and over:'' 3.7% (2020 est.) (male 100,712/female 144,382)

:''0-14 years:'' 41.71% (male 1,314,905 /female 1,317,921)
:''15-24 years:'' 18.6% (male 572,274 /female 602,105)
:''25-54 years:'' 32.23% (male 973,698 /female 1,060,688)
:''55-64 years:'' 3.7% (male 110,176 /female 123,268)
:''65 years and over:'' 3.76% (male 97,922 /female 139,255) (2018 est.)

=== Birth rate ===
:32.2 births/1,000 population (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 24th
:36 births/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 18th
:38.12 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)

=== Death rate ===
:9.32 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 50th
:10.2 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 33rd
:11.41 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)

=== [[Total fertility rate]] ===
:3.8 children born/woman (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 31st
:4.69 children born/woman (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 21st
:4.9 children born/woman (2012 est.)

=== Population growth rate ===
:2.49% (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 23rd
:2.4% (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 27th
:2.33%  growth rate (2014 est.)

===Median age===
:total: 19.1 years. Country comparison to the world: 206th
:male: 18.5 years
:female: 19.7 years (2020 est.)

:total: 19.1 years. Country comparison to the world: 201st
:male: 18.4 years
:female: 19.7 years (2018 est.)

===Mother's mean age at first birth===
:19.6 years (2019 est.)
:note: median age at first birth among women 20-49

===Contraceptive prevalence rate===
:21.2% (2019)
:16.6% (2013)

=== Net migration rate ===
:2.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 50th
:-1.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 160th
:-3.86 migrants/1,000 population (2012 est.)

===[[Dependency ratio]]s===
:total dependency ratio: 82.6 (2015 est.)
:youth dependency ratio: 78 (2015 est.)
:elderly dependency ratio: 4.6 (2015 est.)
:[[potential support ratio]]: 21.9 (2015 est.)

=== Sex ratio ===
:at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
:under 15 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
:15–64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
:65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
:total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

=== Maternal Mortality Ratio ===
:890 deaths/100 000 births (2010)

Sierra Leone's MMR is the worst of any country in the world, according to the 2000 [[World Health Organization|WHO]], [[UNICEF]] and [[UNFPA]] report.

=== Life expectancy at birth ===
:total population: 58.76 years. Country comparison to the world: 223rd
:male: 57.16 years
:female: 60.41 years (2022 est.)

:total population: 59 years
:male: 56.4 years
:female: 61.7 years (2018 est.)

:total population: 56.55 years
:male: 54.08 years
:female: 59.11 years (2012 est.)

:total population: 45.25 years
:male: 42.37 years
:female: 48.21 years (2000 est.)

===Urbanization===
:urban population: 43.8% of total population (2022)
:rate of urbanization: 3.02% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

:urban population: 42.1% of total population (2018)
:rate of urbanization: 3.12% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

===Education expenditures===
:4.6% of GDP (2017)

=== Health expenditures ===
:11.1% of GDP (2014)

=== Physicians density ===
:0.02 physicians/1,000 population (2010)

=== Hospital bed density ===
:0.4 beds/1,000 population (2008)

=== HIV/AIDS ===
:adult prevalence rate: 1.4% (2017 est.)
:people living with HIV/AIDS: 61,000 (2017 est.)
:deaths: 2,600 (2017 est.)

=== Major infectious diseases ===
:degree of risk: very high (2020)
:food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
:vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever
:water contact diseases: schistosomiasis
:animal contact diseases: rabies
:aerosolized dust or soil contact diseases: Lassa fever

note: on 21 March 2022, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Travel Alert for polio in Africa; Sierra Leone is currently considered a high risk to travelers for circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPV); vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) is a strain of the weakened poliovirus that was initially included in oral polio vaccine (OPV) and that has changed over time and behaves more like the wild or naturally occurring virus; this means it can be spread more easily to people who are unvaccinated against polio and who come in contact with the stool or respiratory secretions, such as from a sneeze, of an "infected" person who received oral polio vaccine; the CDC recommends that before any international travel, anyone unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or with an unknown polio vaccination status should complete the routine polio vaccine series; before travel to any high-risk destination, CDC recommends that adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine

=== Nationality ===
:''noun:'' Sierra Leonean(s)
:''adjective:'' Sierra Leonean

=== Ethnic groups ===
{{Further information|Ethnic groups in Sierra Leone}}

:18 native African tribes 90% ([[Temne people|Temne]] 30.5%, [[Mende people|Mende]] 29.2%, [[Fula people of Sierra Leone|Fula]] 12.4% [[Limba people (Sierra Leone)|Limba]] 6.4%,  [[Kono people|Kono]] 4.4%, Mandingo 2.4, [[Sierra Leone Creole people|Creole]] 1.2%, other 13.5%)
:[[Sierra Leone Creole|Creole]] (descendants of freed [[Jamaica]]n slaves who were settled in the Freetown area in the late-18th century)
:Refugees from Liberia's recent civil war
:Small numbers of Lebanese<ref>{{cite web|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/outofdate/bgn/sierraleone/64695.htm|title=Sierra Leone (04/06) - State.gov}}</ref>

=== Languages ===
{{Further information|Languages of Sierra Leone}}

:English (official, regular use limited to literate minority)
:[[Mende language|Mende]] (principal vernacular in the south)
:[[Temne language|Temne]] (principal vernacular in the north)
:[[Fula language|Fula]] (principal language in Sierra Leone, it is also strongly and widely spoken across West Africa and beyond...)
:[[Krio language|Krio]] (English-based Creole, spoken by the descendants of freed [[United States|American]] and [[West India]]n slaves and Liberated Africans who were settled in the [[Freetown]] area, a lingua franca and a first language for 10% of the population but understood by 95%)

=== Education expenditure ===
:9.3% of GDP (2020) Country comparison to the world: 7th

=== Literacy ===
''Definition:''
Age 15 and over can read and write English, Mende, Temne, or Arabic

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Total population
! Male
! Female
|-
| 1995 est.
| {{percentage bar|31.4}}
| {{percentage bar|45.4}}
| {{percentage bar|18.2}}
|-
| 2004 est.
| {{percentage bar|35.1}}
| {{percentage bar|46.9}}
| {{percentage bar|24.4}}
|-
| 2015 est.
| {{percentage bar|48.1}}
| {{percentage bar|58.7}}
| {{percentage bar|37.7}}
|-
| 2018
| {{percentage bar|43.2}}
| {{percentage bar|51.6}}
| {{percentage bar|39.8}}
|}

===Unemployment, youth ages 15-24===
:total: 9.4%
:male: 14.8%
:female: 6.1% (2014 est.)

== References ==
{{Commons category|Demographics of Sierra Leone}}
{{Reflist}}

{{Ethnic groups in Sierra Leone}}
{{Sierra Leone topics}}
{{Africa in topic|Demographics of}}

[[Category:Demographics of Sierra Leone| ]]
[[Category:Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the World Factbook| ]]