Birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people) in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people) was 30.11 per 1,000 people in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
30.11 per 1,000 people
Change on year
down 1.6%
World rank
29th
of 218 countries
All-time high
48.21 per 1,000 people
in 1963
All-time low
30.11 per 1,000 people
in 2024
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Birth rate, crude in Sierra Leone, 1960–2024
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in per 1,000 people.
Analysis
In 2024, birth rate, crude in Sierra Leone stood at 30.11 per 1,000 people. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.6% on the previous year and down 15.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, birth rate, crude in Sierra Leone peaked at 48.21 per 1,000 people in 1963 and was at its lowest, 30.11 per 1,000 people, in 2024.
That places Sierra Leone 29th out of 218 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people) in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 48 per 1,000 people | — |
| 1961 | 48.12 per 1,000 people | +0.3% |
| 1962 | 48.11 per 1,000 people | -0.0% |
| 1963 | 48.21 per 1,000 people | +0.2% |
| 1964 | 48.2 per 1,000 people | -0.0% |
| 1965 | 48.02 per 1,000 people | -0.4% |
| 1966 | 47.96 per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 1967 | 47.92 per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 1968 | 47.65 per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1969 | 47.47 per 1,000 people | -0.4% |
| 1970 | 47.37 per 1,000 people | -0.2% |
| 1971 | 47.28 per 1,000 people | -0.2% |
| 1972 | 47.18 per 1,000 people | -0.2% |
| 1973 | 47.16 per 1,000 people | -0.0% |
| 1974 | 47.43 per 1,000 people | +0.6% |
| 1975 | 47.31 per 1,000 people | -0.2% |
| 1976 | 47.19 per 1,000 people | -0.2% |
| 1977 | 47.12 per 1,000 people | -0.2% |
| 1978 | 47.17 per 1,000 people | +0.1% |
| 1979 | 47 per 1,000 people | -0.4% |
| 1980 | 46.84 per 1,000 people | -0.3% |
| 1981 | 46.79 per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 1982 | 46.78 per 1,000 people | -0.0% |
| 1983 | 46.74 per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 1984 | 46.79 per 1,000 people | +0.1% |
| 1985 | 46.7 per 1,000 people | -0.2% |
| 1986 | 46.6 per 1,000 people | -0.2% |
| 1987 | 46.6 per 1,000 people | -0.0% |
| 1988 | 46.4 per 1,000 people | -0.4% |
| 1989 | 46.25 per 1,000 people | -0.3% |
| 1990 | 45.48 per 1,000 people | -1.7% |
| 1991 | 47.52 per 1,000 people | +4.5% |
| 1992 | 46.99 per 1,000 people | -1.1% |
| 1993 | 46.95 per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 46.78 per 1,000 people | -0.4% |
| 1995 | 46.77 per 1,000 people | -0.0% |
| 1996 | 46.48 per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 46.27 per 1,000 people | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 46.3 per 1,000 people | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 46.13 per 1,000 people | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 45.05 per 1,000 people | -2.3% |
| 2001 | 44.01 per 1,000 people | -2.3% |
| 2002 | 44.28 per 1,000 people | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 43.47 per 1,000 people | -1.8% |
| 2004 | 42.47 per 1,000 people | -2.3% |
| 2005 | 41.97 per 1,000 people | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 41.81 per 1,000 people | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 41.06 per 1,000 people | -1.8% |
| 2008 | 40.59 per 1,000 people | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 39.85 per 1,000 people | -1.8% |
| 2010 | 39.12 per 1,000 people | -1.9% |
| 2011 | 38.52 per 1,000 people | -1.5% |
| 2012 | 37.77 per 1,000 people | -1.9% |
| 2013 | 36.6 per 1,000 people | -3.1% |
| 2014 | 35.62 per 1,000 people | -2.7% |
| 2015 | 34.66 per 1,000 people | -2.7% |
| 2016 | 34.19 per 1,000 people | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 33.81 per 1,000 people | -1.1% |
| 2018 | 33.34 per 1,000 people | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 32.81 per 1,000 people | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 32.2 per 1,000 people | -1.9% |
| 2021 | 31.64 per 1,000 people | -1.7% |
| 2022 | 31.07 per 1,000 people | -1.8% |
| 2023 | 30.6 per 1,000 people | -1.5% |
| 2024 | 30.11 per 1,000 people | -1.6% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 30.11 per 1,000 people is below the median for low income countries, which is 31.71 per 1,000 people, 95% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 30.11 per 1,000 people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 30.86 per 1,000 people, 98% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 47.97 per 1,000 people | 47.47 per 1,000 people | 48.21 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 47.22 per 1,000 people | 47 per 1,000 people | 47.43 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 46.65 per 1,000 people | 46.25 per 1,000 people | 46.84 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 46.57 per 1,000 people | 45.48 per 1,000 people | 47.52 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 42.46 per 1,000 people | 39.85 per 1,000 people | 45.05 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 35.64 per 1,000 people | 32.81 per 1,000 people | 39.12 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 31.12 per 1,000 people | 30.11 per 1,000 people | 32.2 per 1,000 people | 5 |
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)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 4,209 (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 birth rate, crude in Sierra Leone?
- Birth rate, crude in Sierra Leone was 30.11 per 1,000 people in 2024, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest birth rate, crude recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 48.21 per 1,000 people in 1963.
- What is the lowest birth rate, crude recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 30.11 per 1,000 people in 2024.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for birth rate, crude?
- Sierra Leone ranks 29th out of 218 countries with data for 2024.
- Is birth rate, crude rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.5%. 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 Birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Crude birth rate indicates the number of live births occurring during the year, per 1,000 population estimated at midyear. Subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate provides the rate of natural increase, which is equal to the rate of population change in the absence of migration.