Country page · Sub-Saharan Africa
If you were born in Sierra Leone
1 in 505 babies · 0.20% of births · about 265,546 a year
Right now, about 0.20% of the world's babies are born in Sierra Leone — 1 in 505, or roughly 265,546 a year and 728 a day. Life expectancy there is 62.0 years.
How the 1 in 505 is calculated
This number is not based on population. It uses births: Sierra Leone has about 265,546 births a year, and the world has about 134,147,481. Divide one by the other and you get 0.20% — 1 in 505. Using population instead would understate young countries and overstate ageing ones, so every draw is weighted by births.
Birth odds, country by country
Population and births
Sierra Leone has 8,819,794 people — 0.11% of the 8,185,260,817 people in this 172-country group, ranking 100th of 172 by population. Its 265,546 births a year are 0.20% of the world's births, so its birth share is 1.84× its population share. A ratio below 1 usually means an older age structure than the group average; above 1 means younger. Population is the 2025 estimate; births use the latest birth rate (2024).
| Measure | Value | Share of world | World rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2025) | 8,819,794 | 0.11% | 100th of 172 |
| Births per year (2024) | 265,546 | 0.20% | 74th of 172 |
| Birth share ÷ population share | 1.84× | — | — |
How the population is changing
Sierra Leone is changing by 2.04% a year. About 265,546 babies are born and 72,419 people die each year, a natural change of +193.1K; net migration is -11.3K. Population density is 120 people per km². About 4.1M people live in cities. 37.7% of the population is under 15 and 3.3% is 65 or older.
| Measure | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Annual population growth | 2.04% | 2025 |
| Deaths per year | 72,419 | 2024 |
| Natural change (births − deaths) | +193,127 | 2024 |
| Net migration | -11,309 | 2025 |
| Population density | 120 /km² | 2024 |
| Urban population | 4,050,647 | 2025 |
| Age 0–14 | 37.7% | 2025 |
| Age 15–64 | 59.1% | 2025 |
| Age 65+ | 3.3% | 2025 |
Components use the latest available year for each series and may not add exactly to the published growth rate.
Median age and the 2050 outlook
Sierra Leone's median age is 19.7 years, against a world median of 30.9. The UN projects 26.3 years by 2050, 12,948,325 people (46.8% more than in 2025), and life expectancy at birth of 66.0 years (women 68.1, men 63.9).
| Year | Population (UN WPP 2024) |
|---|---|
| 1970 | 2,712,286 |
| 2000 | 4,423,612 |
| 2030 | 9,694,858 |
| 2050 | 12,948,325 |
Median age, 2050 population and 2050 life expectancy: UN WPP 2024. The population table above uses the World Bank snapshot; the projection table above uses UN WPP 2024.
Age structure in 2025
Male and female shares of the total population in Sierra Leone, by age group.
UN WPP 2024, 2025 estimate. Male and female shares are of the total population, so they add to 100%.
Life in Sierra Leone, in numbers
| Indicator | Value | Year | World rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy women 63.7 · men 60.2 | 62.0 years | 2024 | 161st highest of 172 countries |
| Chance of dying before 5 90.5 / 1,000 | 9.1% | 2024 | 164th lowest of 170 countries |
| Chance of dying before 1 54.6 / 1,000 | 5.5% | 2024 | 159th lowest of 170 countries |
| Mothers who die giving birth per 100,000 births | 354 | 2023 | 152nd lowest of 170 countries |
| Children per woman | 3.70 | 2024 | 139th lowest of 172 countries |
| Expected years of schooling | 6.4 years | 2001 | 166th highest of 168 countries |
| Tertiary enrollment | 2.0% | 2002 | 165th highest of 168 countries |
| Income per person (PPP) GDP per capita, PPP | $3,717 | 2025 | 146th highest of 170 countries |
| Income inequality closer to 0 = more equal | 35.70 | 2018 | 78th highest of 157 countries |
| People living in cities | 45.9% | 2025 | 125th highest of 172 countries |
| People working in farming | 44.5% | 2025 | 140th lowest of 171 countries |
| People using the internet | 25.1% | 2024 | 152nd highest of 172 countries |
| Homicide per 100,000 people | 2.2 | 2020 | 76th lowest of 155 countries |
| Health costs paid out of pocket share of health spending | 54.5% | 2023 | 144th lowest of 168 countries |
| Adults living with HIV | 1.40% | 2024 | 28th highest of 142 countries |
| People who smoke | 11.3% | 2024 | 41st lowest of 151 countries |
Chance of reaching each age
Of 100 babies born in Sierra Leone, about 90.6% reach age 5 and 23.0% reach 80. The world averages are 96.5% and 48.3%.
| Age | This country | World |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 90.6% | 96.5% |
| 20 | 88.5% | 95.1% |
| 40 | 83.7% | 92.0% |
| 60 | 70.0% | 82.9% |
| 80 | 23.0% | 48.3% |
UN WPP 2024 life table, 2025, both sexes combined.
How to read these numbers
Income is shown in purchasing-power-parity dollars, so it compares what money buys locally rather than market exchange rates. The under-5 rate is the share of babies who die before their fifth birthday; the maternal mortality ratio is per 100,000 live births. A Gini index closer to 0 means a more equal income distribution, and a higher number means a more unequal one.
Each indicator uses the most recent year with a non-empty value, which can differ by country; the rank compares this country with the other 171 in the dataset, not with every country on Earth. Where a value is missing, the page shows a dash rather than an estimate. World and regional figures are weighted by population; the under-5 rate is weighted by births.
Sierra Leone compared with Sub-Saharan Africa
Life expectancy in Sierra Leone is 62.0 years, against a Sub-Saharan Africa average of 62.8. The under-5 death rate is 9.1%, versus 7.1% across the region. Income per person is $3,717, against $5,782 regionally; expected schooling is 6.4 years against 9.4. 45.9% of people live in cities, against 44.7% in the region.
| Indicator | Sierra Leone | Sub-Saharan Africa | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy | 62.0 years old | 62.8 years old | 73.4 years old |
| Under-5 deaths | 9.1% | 7.1% | 3.8% |
| Income per person (PPP) | $3,717 | $5,782 | $25,560 |
| Expected schooling | 6.4 years | 9.4 years | 12.5 years |
| People in cities | 45.9% | 44.7% | 57.8% |
What a life there looks like
Put those numbers together and you get a life: about 62.0 years on average, with roughly 90.5 of every 1,000 babies dying before their fifth birthday. A child can expect 6.4 years of school, and income per person is around $3,717. These are averages — every life still lands somewhere on the distribution.
If you play as someone born in Sierra Leone
The game draws Sierra Leone in about 1 of every 505 births. From there the life runs year by year: 62.0 years of life expectancy on average, a 9.1% chance of dying before five, and an income of about $3,717 per person. Choices move the odds; the starting statistics do not.
How the life simulator works · How a life is played · Install it on your home screen
Frequently asked questions
What are the odds of being born in Sierra Leone?
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Source: World Bank World Development Indicators, with UN World Population Prospects 2024 and UN IGME for births and mortality. Values are the most recent non-empty year for each indicator; the year is noted where it differs. Page updated Oct 25, 2026.