Sierra Leone

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 0 (2021 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2021 est.) less than 1

Broadcast media

1 state-owned TV station; 3 private TV stations; 1 pay-TV service; 1 state-owned national radio station; about 24 private radio stations; transmissions of several international broadcasters available (2019)

Internet country code

.sl

Internet users

percent of population: 21% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 0 (2021 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2022 est.) less than 1

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 8.93 million (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 108 (2022 est.)

Agricultural products

cassava, rice, oil palm fruit, vegetables, sweet potatoes, milk, citrus fruits, fruits, groundnuts, sugarcane (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Budget

revenues: $740 million (2019 est.) expenditures: $867 million (2019 est.)

Current account balance

-$606.358 million (2023 est.) -$452.094 million (2022 est.) -$522.815 million (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Debt - external

$1.451 billion (2023 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

Economic overview

low-income West African economy; primarily subsistent agriculture; key iron and diamond mining activities suspended; slow recovery from 1990s civil war; systemic corruption; high-risk debt; high youth unemployment; natural resource rich

Exchange rates

leones (SLL) per US dollar - 21.305 (2023 est.) 14.048 (2022 est.) 10.439 (2021 est.) 9.83 (2020 est.) 9.01 (2019 est.)

Exports

$1.382 billion (2023 est.) $1.202 billion (2022 est.) $928.689 million (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

iron ore, titanium ore, diamonds, aluminum ore, cocoa beans (2023) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

China 67%, India 6%, Belgium 5%, Netherlands 4%, Ireland 3% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP (official exchange rate)

$7.548 billion (2024 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 87.6% (2024 est.) government consumption: 5.5% (2024 est.) investment in fixed capital: 29.5% (2024 est.) investment in inventories: 0% (2024 est.) exports of goods and services: 20.9% (2024 est.) imports of goods and services: -43.5% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 25.4% (2024 est.) industry: 27.3% (2024 est.) services: 44.8% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

35.7 (2018 est.) note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 3.4% (2018 est.) highest 10%: 29.4% (2018 est.) note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports

$2.264 billion (2023 est.) $2.074 billion (2022 est.) $1.91 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

rice, plastic products, packaged medicine, cement, cars (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

China 32%, India 15%, UAE 5%, USA 5%, Turkey 5% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

4.7% (2024 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

diamond mining; iron ore, rutile and bauxite mining; small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles, footwear)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

28.6% (2024 est.) 47.6% (2023 est.) 27.2% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

2.863 million (2024 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Population below poverty line

56.8% (2018 est.) note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt

54.9% of GDP (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$26.728 billion (2024 est.) $25.7 billion (2023 est.) $24.312 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP growth rate

4% (2024 est.) 5.7% (2023 est.) 5.3% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP per capita

$3,100 (2024 est.) $3,000 (2023 est.) $2,900 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

Remittances

4.6% of GDP (2023 est.) 4.1% of GDP (2022 est.) 2.6% of GDP (2021 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$495.699 million (2023 est.) $624.496 million (2022 est.) $945.908 million (2021 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Unemployment rate

3.2% (2024 est.) 3.2% (2023 est.) 3.2% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 3.6% (2024 est.) male: 4.8% (2024 est.) female: 2.5% (2024 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Electricity

installed generating capacity: 149,000 kW (2023 est.) consumption: 131.321 million kWh (2023 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 81.921 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 29.4% (2022 est.) electrification - urban areas: 55.3% electrification - rural areas: 5%

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels: 3.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) solar: 9.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) hydroelectricity: 84.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) biomass and waste: 2.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

2.301 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption: 9,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

1.342 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 1.342 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Climate

tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry season (December to April)

Environmental issues

overharvesting of timber, expansion of cattle grazing, and slash-and-burn agriculture resulting in deforestation, soil exhaustion, and flooding; loss of biodiversity; air pollution; water pollution; overfishing

International environmental agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Land use

agricultural land: 54.7% (2023 est.) arable land: 21.9% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 2.3% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 30.5% (2023 est.) forest: 34.3% (2023 est.) other: 11% (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

45.4 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

160 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

municipal: 111 million cubic meters (2022 est.) industrial: 55.5 million cubic meters (2022 est.) agricultural: 45.7 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 44.3% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 3.02% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually: 610,200 tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 9.7% (2022 est.)

Area

total : 71,740 sq km land: 71,620 sq km water: 120 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than South Carolina

Climate

tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry season (December to April)

Coastline

402 km

Elevation

highest point: Loma Mansa (Bintimani) 1,948 m lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 279 m

Geographic coordinates

8 30 N, 11 30 W

Geography - note

rainfall along the coast can reach 495 cm (195 in) a year, making it one of the wettest places along coastal western Africa

Irrigated land

300 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total: 1,093 km border countries (2): Guinea 794 km; Liberia 299 km

Land use

agricultural land: 54.7% (2023 est.) arable land: 21.9% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 2.3% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 30.5% (2023 est.) forest: 34.3% (2023 est.) other: 11% (2023 est.)

Location

Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Niger (2,261,741 sq km)

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm

Natural hazards

dry, sand-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to February); sandstorms, dust storms

Natural resources

diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite

Population distribution

population clusters are found in the lower elevations of the south and west; the northern third of the country is less populated, as shown on this population distribution map

Terrain

coastal belt of mangrove swamps, wooded hill country, upland plateau, mountains in east

Administrative divisions

4 provinces and 1 area*; Eastern, Northern, North Western, Southern, Western*

Capital

name: Freetown geographic coordinates: 8 29 N, 13 14 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: the name described the original settlement in 1781, which served as a haven for free-born and freed African Americans

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent or grandparent must be a citizen of Sierra Leone dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Constitution

history: several previous; latest effective 1 October 1991 amendment process: proposed by Parliament; passage of amendments requires at least two-thirds majority vote of Parliament in two successive readings and assent of the president of the republic; passage of amendments affecting fundamental rights and freedoms and many other constitutional sections also requires approval in a referendum with participation of at least one half of qualified voters and at least two thirds of votes cast

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Sierra Leone conventional short form: Sierra Leone local long form: Republic of Sierra Leone local short form: Sierra Leone etymology: Portuguese explorer Pedro de SINTRA is usually credited with naming the country "Serra da Leao" (Lion Mountains) in 1462, but Venetian explorer Alvise CA' DA MOSTO recorded the name as "Serre-Lionne" in 1457, referring to the rumbling of thunder over the mountains

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charg d'Affaires Jared M. YANCEY (since 18 September 2025) embassy: Southridge-Hill Station, Freetown mailing address: 2160 Freetown Place, Washington DC 20521-2160 telephone: [232] 99 105 000 email address and website: consularfreetown@state.gov https://sl.usembassy.gov/

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Amara Sheikh Mohammed SOWA (since 24 July 2025) chancery: 1701 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009-1605 telephone: [1] (202) 939-9261 FAX: [1] (202) 483-1793 email address and website: info@embassyofsierraleone.net https://embassyofsierraleone.net/

Executive branch

chief of state: President Julius Maada BIO (since 27 June 2023) head of government: President Julius Maada BIO (since 27 June 2023) cabinet: Ministers of State appointed by the president, approved by Parliament; the cabinet is responsible to the president election/appointment process: president directly elected by 55% in the first round or absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term) most recent election date: 24 June 2023 election results: 2023: Julius Maada BIO reelected president in first round; percent of vote - Julius Maada BIO (SLPP) 56.2%, Samura KAMARA (APC) 41.2%, other 2.6% 2018: Julius Maada BIO elected president in second round; percent of vote - Julius Maada BIO (SLPP) 51.8%, Samura KAMARA (APC) 48.2% expected date of next election: June 2028 note: the president is chief of state, head of government, and minister of defense

Flag

description: three equal horizontal bands of light green (top), white, and light blue meaning: green stands for agriculture, mountains, and natural resources; white for unity and justice; and blue for the sea and the natural harbor in Freetown

Government type

presidential republic

Independence

27 April 1961 (from the UK)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, ATMIS, AU, C, ECOWAS, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNOOSA, UNSOM, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Superior Court of Judicature (consists of the Supreme Court at the top, with the chief justice and 4 other judges, the Court of Appeal with the chief justice and 7 other judges, and the High Court of Justice with the chief justice and 9 other judges) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court chief justice and other judges of the Judicature appointed by the president on the advice of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission, a 7-member independent body of judges, presidential appointees, and the Commission chairman, and are subject to approval by Parliament; all Judicature judges serve until retirement at age 65 subordinate courts: magistrates' courts; District Appeals Court; local courts

Legal system

mixed system of English common law and customary law

Legislative branch

legislature name: Parliament legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 149 (135 directly elected; 14 indirectly elected) electoral system: proportional representation scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 5 years most recent election date: 6/24/2023 parties elected and seats per party: Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) (81); All People's Congress (APC) (54) percentage of women in chamber: 29.5% expected date of next election: June 2028 note: 14 seats are reserved for "paramount chiefs," who are indirectly elected to represent the 14 provincial districts

National anthem(s)

title: "High We Exalt Thee, Realm of the Free" lyrics/music: Clifford Nelson FYLE/John Joseph AKA history: adopted 1961

National color(s)

green, white, blue

National heritage

total World Heritage Sites: 1 (natural) selected World Heritage Site locales: Gola-Tiwai Complex (n)

National holiday

Independence Day, 27 April (1961)

National symbol(s)

lion

Political parties

All People's Congress or APC Sierra Leone People's Party or SLPP

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

Continuously populated for at least 2,500 years, the area now known as Sierra Leone is covered with dense jungle that allowed the region to remain relatively protected from invading West African empires. Traders introduced Sierra Leone to Islam, which occupies a central role in Sierra Leonean culture and history. In the 17 th century, the British set up a trading post near present-day Freetown. The trade originally involved timber and ivory but later expanded to enslaved people. In 1787, after the American Revolution, Sierra Leone became a destination for Black British loyalists from the new United States. When Britain abolished the slave trade in 1807, British ships delivered thousands of liberated Africans to Sierra Leone. During the 19 th century, the colony gradually expanded inland. In 1961, Sierra Leone became independent of the UK. Sierra Leone held free and fair elections in 1962 and 1967, but Siaka STEVENS -- Sierra Leone s second prime minister -- quickly reverted to authoritarian tendencies, outlawing most political parties and ruling from 1967 to 1985. In 1991, Sierra Leonean soldiers launched a civil war against STEVENS ruling party. The war caused tens of thousands of deaths and displaced more than 2 million people (about one third of the population). In 1998, a Nigerian-led West African coalition military force intervened, installing Tejan KABBAH -- who was originally elected in 1996 -- as prime minister. In 2002, KABBAH officially announced the end of the war. Since 1998, Sierra Leone has conducted democratic elections dominated by the two main political parties, the Sierra Leone People s Party (SLPP) and the All People s Congress (APC) party. In 2018, Julius Maada BIO of the Sierra Leone People s Party won the presidential election that saw a high voter turnout despite some allegations of voter intimidation. BIO won again in June 2023, although irregularities were noted that called into question the integrity of the results. In October 2023, the Government of Sierra Leone and the main opposition party, the All People s Congress, signed the Agreement for National Unity to boost cooperation between political parties and begin the process of reforming the country s electoral system.

Military - note

the RSLAF s primary responsibilities are securing the country's borders and territorial waters, supporting civil authorities during internal emergencies, and participating in peacekeeping missions; since the end of the civil war in 2002, it has received assistance from several foreign militaries, including those of Canada, China, France, the UK, and the US the RSLAF s origins lie in the Sierra Leone Battalion of the Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF), a multi-regiment force formed by the British colonial office in 1900 to garrison the West African colonies of Gold Coast (Ghana), Nigeria (Lagos and the protectorates of Northern and Southern Nigeria), Sierra Leone, and The Gambia; the RWAFF fought in both World Wars (2025)

Military and security forces

Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF): organized as a Joint Force Command with land, air, and maritime components Ministry of Internal Affairs: Sierra Leone Police (2025)

Military and security service personnel strengths

estimated 10,000 active Armed Forces (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the RSLAF has a small inventory comprised of obsolescent or secondhand imported armaments (2025)

Military expenditures

0.5% of GDP (2024 est.) 0.6% of GDP (2023 est.) 0.6% of GDP (2022 est.) 0.3% of GDP (2021 est.) 0.3% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-25 for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (2025)

Age structure

0-14 years: 40.1% (male 1,843,606/female 1,812,304) 15-64 years: 57.4% (male 2,557,715/female 2,675,418) 65 years and over: 2.5% (2024 est.) (male 114,405/female 117,601)

Alcohol consumption per capita

total: 3.22 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 0.17 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 0.15 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 2.9 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

30.04 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Child marriage

women married by age 15: 8.6% (2019) women married by age 18: 29.6% (2019) men married by age 18: 4.1% (2019)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

12% (2021 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

61.5% (2019 est.)

Death rate

8.8 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 72.7 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 68.4 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 4.4 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 22.9 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 79.8% of population (2022 est.) rural: 54.1% of population (2022 est.) total: 65.3% of population (2022 est.) urban: 20.2% of population (2022 est.) rural: 45.9% of population (2022 est.) total: 34.7% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

2.6% of GDP (2023 est.) 20.5% national budget (2025 est.)

Ethnic groups

Temne 35.4%, Mende 30.8%, Limba 8.8%, Kono 4.3%, Korankoh 4%, Fullah 3.8%, Mandingo 2.8%, Loko 2%, Sherbro 1.9%, Creole 1.2% (descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area in the late-18th century; also known as Krio), other 5% (2019 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

1.73 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

8.6% of GDP (2021) 5.2% of national budget (2022 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 70.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 76 deaths/1,000 live births female: 66.2 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

English (official, regular use limited to literate minority), Mende (principal vernacular in the south), Temne (principal vernacular in the north), Krio (English-based Creole, spoken by the descendants of freed Jamaican slaves; a first language for 10% of the population but understood by 95%)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 59.4 years (2024 est.) male: 57.8 years female: 61 years

Literacy

total population: 43.6% (2019 est.) male: 54.6% (2019 est.) female: 33.9% (2019 est.)

Major urban areas - population

1.309 million FREETOWN (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

354 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

total: 19.7 years (2025 est.) male: 19 years female: 19.9 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

19.6 years (2019 est.) note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49

Nationality

noun: Sierra Leonean(s) adjective: Sierra Leonean

Net migration rate

1.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

8.7% (2016)

Physician density

0.13 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Population

total: 9,331,203 (2025 est.) male: 4,620,638 female: 4,710,565

Population distribution

population clusters are found in the lower elevations of the south and west; the northern third of the country is less populated, as shown on this population distribution map

Population growth rate

2.24% (2025 est.)

Religions

Muslim 77.1%, Christian 22.9% (2019 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 81.9% of population (2022 est.) rural: 37.9% of population (2022 est.) total: 57.2% of population (2022 est.) urban: 18.1% of population (2022 est.) rural: 62.1% of population (2022 est.) total: 42.8% of population (2022 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

total: 9.8% (2025 est.) male: 14.8% (2025 est.) female: 4.9% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.52 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 44.3% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 3.02% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Airports

8 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

9L

Heliports

3 (2025)

Merchant marine

total: 584 (2023) by type: bulk carrier 33, container ship 8, general cargo 320, oil tanker 97, other 126

Ports

total ports: 3 (2024) large: 0 medium: 0 small: 1 very small: 2 ports with oil terminals: 2 key ports: Bonthe, Freetown, Pepel