Life expectancy for people of different ages in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Life expectancy for people of different ages was 61.79 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
61.79 years
Change on year
up 0.8%
World rank
225th
of 236 countries
All-time high
61.79 years
in 2023
All-time low
24.5 years
in 1931
Years of data
75
1931–2023
Life expectancy for people of different ages in Sierra Leone, 1931–2023
Source: Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2023, life expectancy for people of different ages in Sierra Leone stood at 61.79 years. That is the highest value across all 75 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.8% on the previous year and up 14.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy for people of different ages in Sierra Leone peaked at 61.79 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 24.5 years, in 1931.
Sierra Leone ranks 225th of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 75 years of available data.
Life expectancy for people of different ages in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1931 | 24.5 years | — |
| 1950 | 28.93 years | +18.1% |
| 1951 | 29.29 years | +1.2% |
| 1952 | 29.74 years | +1.5% |
| 1953 | 30.13 years | +1.3% |
| 1954 | 30.52 years | +1.3% |
| 1955 | 30.93 years | +1.4% |
| 1956 | 31.32 years | +1.3% |
| 1957 | 31.77 years | +1.4% |
| 1958 | 32.14 years | +1.2% |
| 1959 | 32.56 years | +1.3% |
| 1960 | 33.09 years | +1.6% |
| 1961 | 33.63 years | +1.6% |
| 1962 | 34.16 years | +1.6% |
| 1963 | 34.7 years | +1.6% |
| 1964 | 35.3 years | +1.7% |
| 1965 | 35.93 years | +1.8% |
| 1966 | 36.64 years | +2.0% |
| 1967 | 37.28 years | +1.7% |
| 1968 | 37.76 years | +1.3% |
| 1969 | 38.23 years | +1.2% |
| 1970 | 38.62 years | +1.0% |
| 1971 | 39.1 years | +1.3% |
| 1972 | 39.5 years | +1.0% |
| 1973 | 39.96 years | +1.2% |
| 1974 | 40.41 years | +1.1% |
| 1975 | 40.99 years | +1.4% |
| 1976 | 41.43 years | +1.1% |
| 1977 | 41.83 years | +1.0% |
| 1978 | 42.19 years | +0.9% |
| 1979 | 42.53 years | +0.8% |
| 1980 | 42.84 years | +0.7% |
| 1981 | 43.09 years | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 43.3 years | +0.5% |
| 1983 | 43.45 years | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 43.56 years | +0.2% |
| 1985 | 43.56 years | -0.0% |
| 1986 | 43.5 years | -0.1% |
| 1987 | 43.75 years | +0.6% |
| 1988 | 43.77 years | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 43.74 years | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 43.72 years | -0.0% |
| 1991 | 43.29 years | -1.0% |
| 1992 | 43.45 years | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 43.43 years | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 42.81 years | -1.4% |
| 1995 | 42.58 years | -0.5% |
| 1996 | 43.53 years | +2.2% |
| 1997 | 43.65 years | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 42.71 years | -2.1% |
| 1999 | 41.96 years | -1.8% |
| 2000 | 44.83 years | +6.8% |
| 2001 | 45.45 years | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 46.17 years | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 46.78 years | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 47.49 years | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 48.31 years | +1.7% |
| 2006 | 49.55 years | +2.6% |
| 2007 | 50.02 years | +1.0% |
| 2008 | 50.69 years | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 51.31 years | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 51.93 years | +1.2% |
| 2011 | 52.59 years | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 53.16 years | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 54.05 years | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 54.28 years | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 55.45 years | +2.2% |
| 2016 | 56.94 years | +2.7% |
| 2017 | 57.76 years | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 59.06 years | +2.2% |
| 2019 | 59.59 years | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 59.69 years | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 60.26 years | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 61.27 years | +1.7% |
| 2023 | 61.79 years | +0.8% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 61.79 years is below the median for low income countries, which is 63.65 years, 97% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 61.79 years is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 64.1 years, 96% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 24.5 years | 24.5 years | 24.5 years | 1 |
| 1950s | 30.73 years | 28.93 years | 32.56 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 35.67 years | 33.09 years | 38.23 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 40.66 years | 38.62 years | 42.53 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 43.46 years | 42.84 years | 43.77 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 43.11 years | 41.96 years | 43.72 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 48.06 years | 44.83 years | 51.31 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 55.48 years | 51.93 years | 59.59 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 60.75 years | 59.69 years | 61.79 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 222 Nauru 62.11 years compare
- 223 Cote d'Ivoire 61.94 years compare
- 224 Democratic Republic of Congo 61.9 years compare
- 226 Niger 61.18 years compare
- 227 Burkina Faso 61.09 years compare
- 228 Benin 60.77 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)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy for people of different ages in Sierra Leone?
- Life expectancy for people of different ages in Sierra Leone was 61.79 years in 2023, according to Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest life expectancy for people of different ages recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 61.79 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest life expectancy for people of different ages recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.5 years in 1931.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for life expectancy for people of different ages?
- Sierra Leone ranks 225th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy for people of different ages rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Life expectancy for people of different ages. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Period life expectancy is the number of years the average person born in a certain year would live if they experienced the same chances of dying at each age as people did that year.