Birth rates and death rates in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Birth rates and death rates was 8.29 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
8.29
Change on year
down 2.8%
World rank
91st
of 236 countries
All-time high
34.49
in 1950
All-time low
8.29
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Birth rates and death rates in Sierra Leone, 1950–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2023, birth rates and death rates in Sierra Leone stood at 8.29. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.8% on the previous year and down 34.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, birth rates and death rates in Sierra Leone peaked at 34.49 in 1950 and was at its lowest, 8.29, in 2023.
Sierra Leone ranks 91st of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Birth rates and death rates in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 34.49 | — |
| 1951 | 34.06 | -1.2% |
| 1952 | 33.61 | -1.3% |
| 1953 | 33.23 | -1.1% |
| 1954 | 32.94 | -0.9% |
| 1955 | 32.67 | -0.8% |
| 1956 | 32.43 | -0.7% |
| 1957 | 32.12 | -1.0% |
| 1958 | 31.89 | -0.7% |
| 1959 | 31.58 | -1.0% |
| 1960 | 31.16 | -1.3% |
| 1961 | 30.75 | -1.3% |
| 1962 | 30.35 | -1.3% |
| 1963 | 29.92 | -1.4% |
| 1964 | 29.43 | -1.6% |
| 1965 | 28.89 | -1.9% |
| 1966 | 28.28 | -2.1% |
| 1967 | 27.73 | -1.9% |
| 1968 | 27.31 | -1.5% |
| 1969 | 26.89 | -1.6% |
| 1970 | 26.53 | -1.3% |
| 1971 | 26.12 | -1.6% |
| 1972 | 25.77 | -1.4% |
| 1973 | 25.38 | -1.5% |
| 1974 | 25.05 | -1.3% |
| 1975 | 24.6 | -1.8% |
| 1976 | 24.25 | -1.4% |
| 1977 | 23.89 | -1.4% |
| 1978 | 23.6 | -1.2% |
| 1979 | 23.31 | -1.2% |
| 1980 | 23.02 | -1.2% |
| 1981 | 22.79 | -1.0% |
| 1982 | 22.59 | -0.9% |
| 1983 | 22.43 | -0.7% |
| 1984 | 22.32 | -0.5% |
| 1985 | 22.28 | -0.2% |
| 1986 | 22.22 | -0.2% |
| 1987 | 21.99 | -1.0% |
| 1988 | 21.91 | -0.4% |
| 1989 | 21.89 | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 21.47 | -1.9% |
| 1991 | 22.68 | +5.7% |
| 1992 | 22.21 | -2.1% |
| 1993 | 22.09 | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 22.46 | +1.7% |
| 1995 | 22.63 | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 21.68 | -4.2% |
| 1997 | 21.49 | -0.9% |
| 1998 | 22.11 | +2.9% |
| 1999 | 22.44 | +1.5% |
| 2000 | 20.01 | -10.8% |
| 2001 | 19.16 | -4.3% |
| 2002 | 18.85 | -1.6% |
| 2003 | 18.3 | -2.9% |
| 2004 | 17.7 | -3.3% |
| 2005 | 17.03 | -3.8% |
| 2006 | 16.18 | -5.0% |
| 2007 | 15.71 | -2.9% |
| 2008 | 15.17 | -3.5% |
| 2009 | 14.64 | -3.5% |
| 2010 | 14.15 | -3.3% |
| 2011 | 13.65 | -3.6% |
| 2012 | 13.21 | -3.2% |
| 2013 | 12.58 | -4.8% |
| 2014 | 12.33 | -2.0% |
| 2015 | 11.6 | -5.9% |
| 2016 | 10.77 | -7.2% |
| 2017 | 10.33 | -4.1% |
| 2018 | 9.68 | -6.3% |
| 2019 | 9.39 | -3.0% |
| 2020 | 9.32 | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 9 | -3.5% |
| 2022 | 8.52 | -5.3% |
| 2023 | 8.29 | -2.8% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 8.29 is above the median for low income countries, which is 7.05, 1.2× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 8.29 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 7.2, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 32.9 | 31.58 | 34.49 | 10 |
| 1960s | 29.07 | 26.89 | 31.16 | 10 |
| 1970s | 24.85 | 23.31 | 26.53 | 10 |
| 1980s | 22.35 | 21.89 | 23.02 | 10 |
| 1990s | 22.13 | 21.47 | 22.68 | 10 |
| 2000s | 17.27 | 14.64 | 20.01 | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.77 | 9.39 | 14.15 | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.78 | 8.29 | 9.32 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 88 Trinidad and Tobago 8.37 compare
- 89 Albania 8.33 compare
- 90 Switzerland 8.32 compare
- 92 Seychelles 8.22 compare
- 93 China 8.21 compare
- 94 Sint Maarten (Dutch part) 8.13 compare
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 rates and death rates in Sierra Leone?
- Birth rates and death rates in Sierra Leone was 8.29 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest birth rates and death rates recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 34.49 in 1950.
- What is the lowest birth rates and death rates recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.29 in 2023.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for birth rates and death rates?
- Sierra Leone ranks 91st out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is birth rates and death rates rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 34.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Birth rates and death rates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).