Infant mortality rate (deaths per 1,000 live births) in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Infant mortality rate (deaths per 1,000 live births) was 54.6 per 1,000 live births in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
54.6 per 1,000 live births
Change on year
down 3.0%
World rank
12th
of 213 countries
All-time high
123.39 per 1,000 live births
in 2000
All-time low
54.6 per 1,000 live births
in 2024
Years of data
25
2000–2024
Infant mortality rate in Sierra Leone, 2000–2024
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Measured in per 1,000 live births.
Analysis
Sierra Leone recorded 54.6 per 1,000 live births for infant mortality rate in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 3.0% on the previous year and down 29.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, infant mortality rate in Sierra Leone peaked at 123.39 per 1,000 live births in 2000 and was at its lowest, 54.6 per 1,000 live births, in 2024.
That places Sierra Leone 12th out of 213 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Infant mortality rate (deaths per 1,000 live births) in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 123.39 per 1,000 live births | — |
| 2001 | 120.81 per 1,000 live births | -2.1% |
| 2002 | 118.21 per 1,000 live births | -2.2% |
| 2003 | 115.37 per 1,000 live births | -2.4% |
| 2004 | 112.36 per 1,000 live births | -2.6% |
| 2005 | 109.25 per 1,000 live births | -2.8% |
| 2006 | 105.88 per 1,000 live births | -3.1% |
| 2007 | 102.31 per 1,000 live births | -3.4% |
| 2008 | 98.59 per 1,000 live births | -3.6% |
| 2009 | 94.72 per 1,000 live births | -3.9% |
| 2010 | 90.84 per 1,000 live births | -4.1% |
| 2011 | 87.01 per 1,000 live births | -4.2% |
| 2012 | 83.44 per 1,000 live births | -4.1% |
| 2013 | 80.08 per 1,000 live births | -4.0% |
| 2014 | 77.76 per 1,000 live births | -2.9% |
| 2015 | 76.95 per 1,000 live births | -1.0% |
| 2016 | 71.31 per 1,000 live births | -7.3% |
| 2017 | 68.71 per 1,000 live births | -3.6% |
| 2018 | 66.26 per 1,000 live births | -3.6% |
| 2019 | 64.04 per 1,000 live births | -3.3% |
| 2020 | 61.92 per 1,000 live births | -3.3% |
| 2021 | 59.94 per 1,000 live births | -3.2% |
| 2022 | 58.06 per 1,000 live births | -3.1% |
| 2023 | 56.3 per 1,000 live births | -3.0% |
| 2024 | 54.6 per 1,000 live births | -3.0% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 54.6 per 1,000 live births is above the median for low income countries, which is 42.97 per 1,000 live births, 1.3× the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 54.6 per 1,000 live births is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 37.96 per 1,000 live births, 1.4× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 110.09 per 1,000 live births | 94.72 per 1,000 live births | 123.39 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 76.64 per 1,000 live births | 64.04 per 1,000 live births | 90.84 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 58.16 per 1,000 live births | 54.6 per 1,000 live births | 61.92 per 1,000 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 9 Democratic Republic of the Congo 56.42 per 1,000 live births compare
- 10 Lesotho 56.34 per 1,000 live births compare
- 11 Chad 56.26 per 1,000 live births compare
- 13 Afghanistan 48.31 per 1,000 live births compare
- 14 Pakistan 48.21 per 1,000 live births compare
- 15 Equatorial Guinea 47.6 per 1,000 live births 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 infant mortality rate in Sierra Leone?
- Infant mortality rate in Sierra Leone was 54.6 per 1,000 live births in 2024, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest infant mortality rate recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 123.39 per 1,000 live births in 2000.
- What is the lowest infant mortality rate recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 54.6 per 1,000 live births in 2024.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for infant mortality rate?
- Sierra Leone ranks 12th out of 213 countries with data for 2024.
- Is infant mortality rate rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 29.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Infant mortality rate (deaths per 1,000 live births). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).