Life expectancy at birth, by sex in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Life expectancy at birth, by sex was 60.06 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
60.06 years
Change on year
up 0.9%
World rank
223rd
of 236 countries
All-time high
60.06 years
in 2023
All-time low
27.48 years
in 1950
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Life expectancy at birth, by sex in Sierra Leone, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for life expectancy at birth, by sex in Sierra Leone is 60.06 years, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.
The figure is up 0.9% on the previous year and up 13.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth, by sex in Sierra Leone peaked at 60.06 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 27.48 years, in 1950.
Sierra Leone ranks 223rd of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Life expectancy at birth, by sex in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 27.48 years | — |
| 1951 | 27.82 years | +1.2% |
| 1952 | 28.28 years | +1.7% |
| 1953 | 28.66 years | +1.3% |
| 1954 | 29.09 years | +1.5% |
| 1955 | 29.48 years | +1.3% |
| 1956 | 29.86 years | +1.3% |
| 1957 | 30.32 years | +1.5% |
| 1958 | 30.66 years | +1.1% |
| 1959 | 31.1 years | +1.4% |
| 1960 | 31.57 years | +1.5% |
| 1961 | 32.12 years | +1.7% |
| 1962 | 32.65 years | +1.7% |
| 1963 | 33.26 years | +1.9% |
| 1964 | 33.87 years | +1.8% |
| 1965 | 34.55 years | +2.0% |
| 1966 | 35.37 years | +2.4% |
| 1967 | 36.04 years | +1.9% |
| 1968 | 36.52 years | +1.3% |
| 1969 | 37.02 years | +1.4% |
| 1970 | 37.34 years | +0.9% |
| 1971 | 37.75 years | +1.1% |
| 1972 | 38.06 years | +0.8% |
| 1973 | 38.43 years | +1.0% |
| 1974 | 38.75 years | +0.8% |
| 1975 | 39.32 years | +1.5% |
| 1976 | 39.74 years | +1.1% |
| 1977 | 40.14 years | +1.0% |
| 1978 | 40.48 years | +0.8% |
| 1979 | 40.82 years | +0.8% |
| 1980 | 41.14 years | +0.8% |
| 1981 | 41.4 years | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 41.63 years | +0.6% |
| 1983 | 41.81 years | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 41.95 years | +0.3% |
| 1985 | 42 years | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 41.99 years | -0.0% |
| 1987 | 42.27 years | +0.7% |
| 1988 | 42.32 years | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 42.34 years | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 42.35 years | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 41.78 years | -1.4% |
| 1992 | 41.95 years | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 41.94 years | -0.0% |
| 1994 | 41.21 years | -1.7% |
| 1995 | 40.83 years | -0.9% |
| 1996 | 42.16 years | +3.3% |
| 1997 | 42.27 years | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 40.72 years | -3.7% |
| 1999 | 38.77 years | -4.8% |
| 2000 | 43.65 years | +12.6% |
| 2001 | 44.28 years | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 45.2 years | +2.1% |
| 2003 | 45.85 years | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 46.57 years | +1.6% |
| 2005 | 47.41 years | +1.8% |
| 2006 | 48.59 years | +2.5% |
| 2007 | 49 years | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 49.69 years | +1.4% |
| 2009 | 50.3 years | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 50.94 years | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 51.66 years | +1.4% |
| 2012 | 52.21 years | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 53.12 years | +1.8% |
| 2014 | 53.4 years | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 54.54 years | +2.1% |
| 2016 | 55.99 years | +2.7% |
| 2017 | 56.69 years | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 57.85 years | +2.0% |
| 2019 | 58.3 years | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 58.19 years | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 58.77 years | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 59.53 years | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 60.06 years | +0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 29.28 years | 27.48 years | 31.1 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 34.3 years | 31.57 years | 37.02 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 39.08 years | 37.34 years | 40.82 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 41.89 years | 41.14 years | 42.34 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 41.4 years | 38.77 years | 42.35 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 47.05 years | 43.65 years | 50.3 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 54.47 years | 50.94 years | 58.3 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 59.14 years | 58.19 years | 60.06 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 220 Naoero 60.28 years compare
- 221 Niger 60.26 years compare
- 222 Zimbabwe 60.23 years compare
- 224 Côte d'Ivoire 60.02 years compare
- 225 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 59.79 years compare
- 226 Palestine, State of 59.69 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 05-09, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 05-09, female, per capita 0.0619 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 05-09, male, annual growth rate 1.28 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 05-09, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 05-09, male, per capita 0.0628 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 10-14, female, annual growth rate 0.7846 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at birth, by sex in Sierra Leone?
- Life expectancy at birth, by sex in Sierra Leone was 60.06 years in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth, by sex recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 60.06 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth, by sex recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.48 years in 1950.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for life expectancy at birth, by sex?
- Sierra Leone ranks 223rd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy at birth, by sex rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Life expectancy at birth, by sex. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Period life expectancy at birth.