Population density in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Population density was 117.21 people per sq. km of land area in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
117.21 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 2.2%
World rank
90th
of 215 countries
All-time high
117.21 people per sq. km of land area
in 2023
All-time low
31.92 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Population density in Sierra Leone, 1961–2023
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
Sierra Leone recorded 117.21 people per sq. km of land area for population density in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.2% on the previous year and up 26.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Sierra Leone peaked at 117.21 people per sq. km of land area in 2023 and was at its lowest, 31.92 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
That places Sierra Leone 90th out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Population density in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 31.92 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 32.45 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 1963 | 33 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 1964 | 33.59 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1965 | 34.2 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1966 | 34.84 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1967 | 35.5 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1968 | 36.18 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1969 | 36.87 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1970 | 37.58 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1971 | 38.28 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1972 | 38.99 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1973 | 39.72 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1974 | 40.46 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1975 | 41.21 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1976 | 41.96 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1977 | 42.75 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1978 | 43.58 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1979 | 44.44 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1980 | 45.33 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1981 | 46.26 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1982 | 47.22 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1983 | 48.24 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1984 | 49.3 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1985 | 50.41 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1986 | 51.65 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1987 | 53.06 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1988 | 54.51 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1989 | 55.89 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1990 | 58.14 people per sq. km of land area | +4.0% |
| 1991 | 58.83 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1992 | 57.72 people per sq. km of land area | -1.9% |
| 1993 | 57.59 people per sq. km of land area | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 57.82 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 57.9 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 58.18 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 58.93 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1998 | 59.51 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1999 | 59.82 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 61.29 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2001 | 65.01 people per sq. km of land area | +6.1% |
| 2002 | 68.88 people per sq. km of land area | +5.9% |
| 2003 | 71.73 people per sq. km of land area | +4.1% |
| 2004 | 74.2 people per sq. km of land area | +3.4% |
| 2005 | 76.22 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 2006 | 77.92 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 2007 | 79.65 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 2008 | 81.67 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 2009 | 83.9 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 2010 | 86.21 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 2011 | 88.49 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 2012 | 90.76 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 2013 | 93.02 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 95.27 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 97.5 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 2016 | 99.82 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2017 | 102.23 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2018 | 104.66 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2019 | 107.12 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 2020 | 109.62 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 2021 | 112.14 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 2022 | 114.67 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 2023 | 117.21 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 34.28 people per sq. km of land area | 31.92 people per sq. km of land area | 36.87 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 40.9 people per sq. km of land area | 37.58 people per sq. km of land area | 44.44 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 50.19 people per sq. km of land area | 45.33 people per sq. km of land area | 55.89 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 58.45 people per sq. km of land area | 57.59 people per sq. km of land area | 59.82 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 74.05 people per sq. km of land area | 61.29 people per sq. km of land area | 83.9 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 96.51 people per sq. km of land area | 86.21 people per sq. km of land area | 107.12 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 113.41 people per sq. km of land area | 109.62 people per sq. km of land area | 117.21 people per sq. km of land area | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 87 Benin 125.14 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 88 Azerbaijan 122.86 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 89 Poland 119.79 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 91 Portugal 115.47 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 92 Egypt 115.06 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 93 Ethiopia 114.04 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Sierra Leone
- Population in the largest city 34.3% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 22.46 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.1573 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 1.39 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 2.95 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per unit 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per square 18.14 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 1.39 million (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 25.86 Hectares (2020)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO 100.0% (2017)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Sierra Leone?
- Population density in Sierra Leone was 117.21 people per sq. km of land area in 2023, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 117.21 people per sq. km of land area in 2023.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 31.92 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for population density?
- Sierra Leone ranks 90th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population density rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 26.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.