Age dependency ratio, old (% of working-age population) in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Age dependency ratio, old (% of working-age population) was 5.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Age dependency ratio, old in Sierra Leone, 1960–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in % of working-age population.
Analysis
In 2025, age dependency ratio, old in Sierra Leone stood at 5.6%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% on the previous year and down 3.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio, old in Sierra Leone peaked at 7.7% in 1979 and was at its lowest, 5.5%, in 2021.
That places Sierra Leone 190th out of 218 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Age dependency ratio, old (% of working-age population) in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | % of working-age population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 6.6% | — |
| 1961 | 6.7% | +1.4% |
| 1962 | 6.8% | +1.3% |
| 1963 | 6.9% | +1.4% |
| 1964 | 7.0% | +1.5% |
| 1965 | 7.1% | +1.4% |
| 1966 | 7.2% | +1.2% |
| 1967 | 7.2% | +1.1% |
| 1968 | 7.3% | +1.0% |
| 1969 | 7.4% | +0.9% |
| 1970 | 7.4% | +0.8% |
| 1971 | 7.5% | +0.7% |
| 1972 | 7.5% | +0.6% |
| 1973 | 7.6% | +0.5% |
| 1974 | 7.6% | +0.4% |
| 1975 | 7.6% | +0.3% |
| 1976 | 7.7% | +0.3% |
| 1977 | 7.7% | +0.2% |
| 1978 | 7.7% | +0.1% |
| 1979 | 7.7% | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 7.7% | -0.0% |
| 1981 | 7.7% | -0.1% |
| 1982 | 7.7% | -0.1% |
| 1983 | 7.6% | -0.2% |
| 1984 | 7.6% | -0.3% |
| 1985 | 7.6% | -0.3% |
| 1986 | 7.6% | -0.4% |
| 1987 | 7.5% | -0.4% |
| 1988 | 7.5% | -0.5% |
| 1989 | 7.5% | -0.6% |
| 1990 | 7.4% | -0.6% |
| 1991 | 7.4% | -0.7% |
| 1992 | 7.3% | -0.8% |
| 1993 | 7.2% | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 7.2% | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 7.1% | -1.0% |
| 1996 | 7.0% | -1.0% |
| 1997 | 6.9% | -1.0% |
| 1998 | 6.9% | -1.1% |
| 1999 | 6.8% | -1.1% |
| 2000 | 6.7% | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 6.7% | -1.0% |
| 2002 | 6.6% | -1.0% |
| 2003 | 6.5% | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 6.5% | -1.0% |
| 2005 | 6.4% | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 6.3% | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 6.3% | -0.9% |
| 2008 | 6.2% | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 6.2% | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 6.1% | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 6.1% | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 6.0% | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 6.0% | -1.4% |
| 2014 | 5.8% | -2.0% |
| 2015 | 5.7% | -1.7% |
| 2016 | 5.7% | -1.2% |
| 2017 | 5.6% | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 5.6% | -0.8% |
| 2019 | 5.5% | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 5.5% | -0.5% |
| 2021 | 5.5% | -0.4% |
| 2022 | 5.5% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 5.5% | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 5.5% | +0.4% |
| 2025 | 5.6% | +0.6% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 5.6% is above the median for low income countries, which is 5.2%, 1.1× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 5.6% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.7%, 97% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 7.0% | 6.6% | 7.4% | 10 |
| 1970s | 7.6% | 7.4% | 7.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 7.6% | 7.5% | 7.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 7.1% | 6.8% | 7.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.4% | 6.2% | 6.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.8% | 5.5% | 6.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.5% | 5.5% | 5.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
More health data for Sierra Leone
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.34 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.773 % change on previous year (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 4,209 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 38 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.6447 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0663 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.6611 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0676 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio, old in Sierra Leone?
- Age dependency ratio, old in Sierra Leone was 5.6% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio, old recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 7.7% in 1979.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio, old recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.5% in 2021.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for age dependency ratio, old?
- Sierra Leone ranks 190th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio, old rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Age dependency ratio, old (% of working-age population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Age dependency ratio, old, is the ratio of older dependents--people older than 64--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population.