Number of child deaths in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Number of child deaths was 23,171 deaths in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
23,171 deaths
Change on year
down 2.9%
World rank
41st
of 199 countries
All-time high
48,437 deaths
in 1992
All-time low
23,171 deaths
in 2024
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Number of child deaths in Sierra Leone, 1961–2024
Source: United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths.
Analysis
Sierra Leone recorded 23,171 deaths for number of child deaths in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 64 years on record.
That represents a change of down 2.9% on the previous year and down 29.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of child deaths in Sierra Leone peaked at 48,437 deaths in 1992 and was at its lowest, 23,171 deaths, in 2024.
Sierra Leone ranks 41st of 199 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 64 years of available data.
Number of child deaths in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | deaths | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 40,528 deaths | — |
| 1962 | 40,593 deaths | +0.2% |
| 1963 | 40,665 deaths | +0.2% |
| 1964 | 40,756 deaths | +0.2% |
| 1965 | 40,768 deaths | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 40,758 deaths | -0.0% |
| 1967 | 40,767 deaths | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 40,757 deaths | -0.0% |
| 1969 | 40,711 deaths | -0.1% |
| 1970 | 40,713 deaths | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 40,716 deaths | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 40,737 deaths | +0.1% |
| 1973 | 40,787 deaths | +0.1% |
| 1974 | 40,988 deaths | +0.5% |
| 1975 | 41,144 deaths | +0.4% |
| 1976 | 41,267 deaths | +0.3% |
| 1977 | 41,390 deaths | +0.3% |
| 1978 | 41,576 deaths | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 41,751 deaths | +0.4% |
| 1980 | 41,900 deaths | +0.4% |
| 1981 | 42,141 deaths | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 42,440 deaths | +0.7% |
| 1983 | 42,795 deaths | +0.8% |
| 1984 | 43,224 deaths | +1.0% |
| 1985 | 43,692 deaths | +1.1% |
| 1986 | 44,179 deaths | +1.1% |
| 1987 | 44,761 deaths | +1.3% |
| 1988 | 45,386 deaths | +1.4% |
| 1989 | 46,076 deaths | +1.5% |
| 1990 | 46,771 deaths | +1.5% |
| 1991 | 47,940 deaths | +2.5% |
| 1992 | 48,437 deaths | +1.0% |
| 1993 | 48,151 deaths | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 47,888 deaths | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 47,451 deaths | -0.9% |
| 1996 | 46,672 deaths | -1.6% |
| 1997 | 45,837 deaths | -1.8% |
| 1998 | 45,155 deaths | -1.5% |
| 1999 | 44,405 deaths | -1.7% |
| 2000 | 43,470 deaths | -2.1% |
| 2001 | 42,926 deaths | -1.3% |
| 2002 | 43,209 deaths | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 43,397 deaths | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 43,024 deaths | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 42,544 deaths | -1.1% |
| 2006 | 41,995 deaths | -1.3% |
| 2007 | 41,052 deaths | -2.2% |
| 2008 | 39,871 deaths | -2.9% |
| 2009 | 38,637 deaths | -3.1% |
| 2010 | 37,316 deaths | -3.4% |
| 2011 | 36,000 deaths | -3.5% |
| 2012 | 34,728 deaths | -3.5% |
| 2013 | 33,377 deaths | -3.9% |
| 2014 | 32,934 deaths | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 33,169 deaths | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 29,487 deaths | -11.1% |
| 2017 | 28,531 deaths | -3.2% |
| 2018 | 27,645 deaths | -3.1% |
| 2019 | 26,833 deaths | -2.9% |
| 2020 | 26,058 deaths | -2.9% |
| 2021 | 25,305 deaths | -2.9% |
| 2022 | 24,567 deaths | -2.9% |
| 2023 | 23,868 deaths | -2.8% |
| 2024 | 23,171 deaths | -2.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 40,700 deaths | 40,528 deaths | 40,768 deaths | 9 |
| 1970s | 41,107 deaths | 40,713 deaths | 41,751 deaths | 10 |
| 1980s | 43,659 deaths | 41,900 deaths | 46,076 deaths | 10 |
| 1990s | 46,871 deaths | 44,405 deaths | 48,437 deaths | 10 |
| 2000s | 42,012 deaths | 38,637 deaths | 43,470 deaths | 10 |
| 2010s | 32,002 deaths | 26,833 deaths | 37,316 deaths | 10 |
| 2020s | 24,594 deaths | 23,171 deaths | 26,058 deaths | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
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 75-79, female, annual growth rate 0.8934 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, female, per capita 0.0031 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, annual growth rate 0.3437 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, per capita 0.0023 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of child deaths in Sierra Leone?
- Number of child deaths in Sierra Leone was 23,171 deaths in 2024, according to United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of child deaths recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 48,437 deaths in 1992.
- What is the lowest number of child deaths recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 23,171 deaths in 2024.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for number of child deaths?
- Sierra Leone ranks 41st out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is number of child deaths rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 29.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of child deaths. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated number of deaths of children aged under 5 .