Sex gap in life expectancy in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Sex gap in life expectancy was 3.44 years in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
3.44 years
Change on year
down 1.4%
World rank
207th
of 236 countries
All-time high
6.75 years
in 1999
All-time low
1.73 years
in 2014
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Sex gap in life expectancy in Sierra Leone, 1950–2023
Source: Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for sex gap in life expectancy in Sierra Leone is 3.44 years, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 1.4% on the previous year and up 87.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sex gap in life expectancy in Sierra Leone peaked at 6.75 years in 1999 and was at its lowest, 1.73 years, in 2014.
That places Sierra Leone 207th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Sex gap in life expectancy in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 2.94 years | — |
| 1951 | 2.97 years | +1.2% |
| 1952 | 2.94 years | -1.1% |
| 1953 | 2.95 years | +0.4% |
| 1954 | 2.88 years | -2.5% |
| 1955 | 2.93 years | +1.8% |
| 1956 | 2.94 years | +0.5% |
| 1957 | 2.92 years | -0.7% |
| 1958 | 2.99 years | +2.1% |
| 1959 | 2.95 years | -1.3% |
| 1960 | 3.07 years | +4.0% |
| 1961 | 3.06 years | -0.2% |
| 1962 | 3.03 years | -0.8% |
| 1963 | 2.91 years | -4.0% |
| 1964 | 2.87 years | -1.6% |
| 1965 | 2.78 years | -2.9% |
| 1966 | 2.55 years | -8.4% |
| 1967 | 2.48 years | -2.7% |
| 1968 | 2.5 years | +0.6% |
| 1969 | 2.42 years | -2.9% |
| 1970 | 2.57 years | +6.1% |
| 1971 | 2.71 years | +5.6% |
| 1972 | 2.91 years | +7.3% |
| 1973 | 3.08 years | +5.6% |
| 1974 | 3.35 years | +9.0% |
| 1975 | 3.37 years | +0.5% |
| 1976 | 3.41 years | +1.2% |
| 1977 | 3.4 years | -0.2% |
| 1978 | 3.45 years | +1.5% |
| 1979 | 3.45 years | -0.0% |
| 1980 | 3.44 years | -0.4% |
| 1981 | 3.4 years | -1.2% |
| 1982 | 3.37 years | -0.9% |
| 1983 | 3.32 years | -1.4% |
| 1984 | 3.24 years | -2.4% |
| 1985 | 3.14 years | -3.2% |
| 1986 | 3.04 years | -3.1% |
| 1987 | 2.97 years | -2.3% |
| 1988 | 2.91 years | -2.1% |
| 1989 | 2.83 years | -2.8% |
| 1990 | 2.75 years | -2.5% |
| 1991 | 3.04 years | +10.5% |
| 1992 | 3.03 years | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 3.01 years | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 3.24 years | +7.6% |
| 1995 | 3.55 years | +9.5% |
| 1996 | 2.74 years | -22.7% |
| 1997 | 2.78 years | +1.4% |
| 1998 | 4.08 years | +46.8% |
| 1999 | 6.75 years | +65.5% |
| 2000 | 2.35 years | -65.1% |
| 2001 | 2.34 years | -0.8% |
| 2002 | 1.94 years | -17.1% |
| 2003 | 1.86 years | -4.0% |
| 2004 | 1.81 years | -2.4% |
| 2005 | 1.77 years | -2.5% |
| 2006 | 1.9 years | +7.5% |
| 2007 | 2.03 years | +6.7% |
| 2008 | 1.99 years | -1.6% |
| 2009 | 2 years | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 1.95 years | -2.6% |
| 2011 | 1.84 years | -5.4% |
| 2012 | 1.88 years | +1.9% |
| 2013 | 1.83 years | -2.5% |
| 2014 | 1.73 years | -5.7% |
| 2015 | 1.8 years | +4.0% |
| 2016 | 1.87 years | +4.0% |
| 2017 | 2.11 years | +13.0% |
| 2018 | 2.41 years | +13.9% |
| 2019 | 2.57 years | +6.9% |
| 2020 | 3.02 years | +17.3% |
| 2021 | 2.96 years | -1.8% |
| 2022 | 3.49 years | +17.7% |
| 2023 | 3.44 years | -1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2.94 years | 2.88 years | 2.99 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 2.77 years | 2.42 years | 3.07 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 3.17 years | 2.57 years | 3.45 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.16 years | 2.83 years | 3.44 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.5 years | 2.74 years | 6.75 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 2 years | 1.77 years | 2.35 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 2 years | 1.73 years | 2.57 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.23 years | 2.96 years | 3.49 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 204 Iceland 3.52 years compare
- 205 Liechtenstein 3.48 years compare
- 206 Madagascar 3.44 years compare
- 208 Oman 3.39 years compare
- 209 Timor-Leste 3.37 years compare
- 210 Gambia 3.36 years 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)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,199 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 4,209 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 65-69, male, annual growth rate 3.93 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 65-69, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 65-69, male, per capita 0.0066 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, female, annual growth rate 4.02 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, female, per capita 0.0052 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is sex gap in life expectancy in Sierra Leone?
- Sex gap in life expectancy in Sierra Leone was 3.44 years in 2023, according to Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest sex gap in life expectancy recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 6.75 years in 1999.
- What is the lowest sex gap in life expectancy recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.73 years in 2014.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for sex gap in life expectancy?
- Sierra Leone ranks 207th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is sex gap in life expectancy rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 87.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Sex gap in life expectancy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Difference in period life expectancy (females - males) at a given age.