Early initiation of breastfeeding in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Early initiation of breastfeeding was 88.37 in 2021. ▲ Rising
Latest (2021)
88.37
Change on year
up 17.4%
World rank
3rd
of 56 countries
All-time high
88.37
in 2021
All-time low
33.11
in 2005
Years of data
7
2005–2021
Early initiation of breastfeeding in Sierra Leone, 2005–2021
Source: UNICEF.
Analysis
Sierra Leone recorded 88.37 for early initiation of breastfeeding in 2021. That is the highest value across all 7 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 17.4% on the previous year and up 98.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, early initiation of breastfeeding in Sierra Leone peaked at 88.37 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 33.11, in 2005.
That places Sierra Leone 3rd out of 56 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top 10%.
Early initiation of breastfeeding in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 33.11 | — |
| 2008 | 48.37 | +46.1% |
| 2010 | 44.62 | -7.8% |
| 2013 | 53.83 | +20.6% |
| 2017 | 55.7 | +3.5% |
| 2019 | 75.27 | +35.1% |
| 2021 | 88.37 | +17.4% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 88.37 is above the median for low income countries, which is 66.1, 1.3× the median. (15 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 88.37 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 60.21, 1.5× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 40.74 | 33.11 | 48.37 | 2 |
| 2010s | 57.35 | 44.62 | 75.27 | 4 |
| 2020s | 88.37 | 88.37 | 88.37 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 1 Turkmenistan 93 compare
- 2 Burundi 89.3 compare
- 4 Rwanda 85.34 compare
- 5 Kazakhstan 83.29 compare
- 6 Uganda 81.5 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 early initiation of breastfeeding in Sierra Leone?
- Early initiation of breastfeeding in Sierra Leone was 88.37 in 2021, according to UNICEF.
- What is the highest early initiation of breastfeeding recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 88.37 in 2021.
- What is the lowest early initiation of breastfeeding recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 33.11 in 2005.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for early initiation of breastfeeding?
- Sierra Leone ranks 3rd out of 56 countries with data for 2021.
- Is early initiation of breastfeeding rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 98.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from UNICEF, published as part of Early initiation of breastfeeding. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 7 observations, free to reuse under UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required).