Page last updated on February 5, 2013
Nationality:
noun: Sierra Leonean(s)
adjective:
Sierra Leonean
Ethnic groups:
Temne 35%, Mende 31%, Limba 8%, Kono 5%, Kriole 2% (descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area in the late-18th century; also known as Krio), Mandingo 2%, Loko 2%, other 15% (includes refugees from Liberia's recent civil war, and small numbers of Europeans, Lebanese, Pakistanis, and Indians) (2008 census)
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 who were settled in the Freetown area, a lingua franca and a first language for 10% of the population but understood by 95%)
Religions:
Muslim 60%, Christian 10%, indigenous beliefs 30%
Population:
5,485,998 (July 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 112
[see also: Population country ranks ]
Age structure:
0-14 years: 41.9% (male 1,141,091/female 1,155,542)
[see also: Age structure 0-14 years country ranks ]
15-24 years:
19.2% (male 509,626/female 541,899)
25-54 years:
31.2% (male 822,671/female 886,578)
55-64 years:
4.1% (male 100,540/female 126,376)
65 years and over:
3.7% (male 88,127/female 113,548) (2012 est.)
Median age:
total: 19.1 years
[see also: Median age - total country ranks ]
male:
18.6 years
female:
19.6 years (2012 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.277% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39
[see also: Population growth rate country ranks ]
Birth rate:
38.12 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 16
[see also: Birth rate country ranks ]
Death rate:
11.49 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 34
[see also: Death rate country ranks ]
Net migration rate:
-3.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population
country comparison to the world: 188
note:
refugees currently in surrounding countries are slowly returning (2012 est.)
[see also: Net migration rate country ranks ]
Urbanization:
urban population: 38% of total population (2010)
[see also: Urbanization - urban population country ranks ]
rate of urbanization:
3.3% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Major cities - population:
FREETOWN (capital) 875,000 (2009)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - at birth country ranks ]
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 rate:
890 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
country comparison to the world: 3
[see also: Maternal mortality rate country ranks ]
Infant mortality rate:
total: 76.64 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 12
male:
85.37 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
67.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 56.55 years
country comparison to the world: 197
male:
54.08 years
female:
59.11 years (2012 est.)
Total fertility rate:
4.9 children born/woman (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 24
[see also: Total fertility rate country ranks ]
Health expenditures:
13.1% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 6
[see also: Health expenditures country ranks ]
Physicians density:
0.016 physicians/1,000 population (2008)
[see also: Physicians density country ranks ]
Hospital bed density:
0.4 beds/1,000 population (2006)
[see also: Hospital bed density country ranks ]
Sanitation facility access:
improved:
urban: 24% of population
rural: 6% of population
total: 13% of population
unimproved:
