Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Population density (people per sq. km of land area) was 119.73 people per sq. km of land area in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
119.73 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 2.1%
World rank
90th
of 216 countries
All-time high
119.73 people per sq. km of land area
in 2024
All-time low
31.92 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Population density in Sierra Leone, 1961–2024
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 119.73 people per sq. km of land area for population density in 2024. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.1% on the previous year and up 25.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Sierra Leone peaked at 119.73 people per sq. km of land area in 2024 and was at its lowest, 31.92 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
That places Sierra Leone 90th out of 216 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Population density (people per sq. km of land area) 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% |
| 2024 | 119.73 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 119.73 people per sq. km of land area is above the median for low income countries, which is 65.39 people per sq. km of land area, 1.8× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 119.73 people per sq. km of land area is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 69.86 people per sq. km of land area, 1.7× the median. (48 countries reporting)
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 | 114.68 people per sq. km of land area | 109.62 people per sq. km of land area | 119.73 people per sq. km of land area | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 87 Benin 128.26 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 88 France 127.19 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 89 Azerbaijan 123.45 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 91 Poland 119.45 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 92 Ethiopia 117.69 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 93 Egypt 117.07 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 119.73 people per sq. km of land area in 2024, 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 119.73 people per sq. km of land area in 2024.
- 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 216 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population density rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 25.7%. 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.