Number of children who die before age 5 in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Number of children who die before age 5 was 25,032 deaths in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
25,032 deaths
Change on year
down 3.0%
World rank
39th
of 236 countries
All-time high
51,040 deaths
in 1991
All-time low
25,032 deaths
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Number of children who die before age 5 in Sierra Leone, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths.
Analysis
Sierra Leone recorded 25,032 deaths for number of children who die before age 5 in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.0% on the previous year and down 28.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of children who die before age 5 in Sierra Leone peaked at 51,040 deaths in 1991 and was at its lowest, 25,032 deaths, in 2023.
That places Sierra Leone 39th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Number of children who die before age 5 in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | deaths | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 43,385 deaths | — |
| 1951 | 42,878 deaths | -1.2% |
| 1952 | 42,482 deaths | -0.9% |
| 1953 | 42,116 deaths | -0.9% |
| 1954 | 42,048 deaths | -0.2% |
| 1955 | 42,043 deaths | -0.0% |
| 1956 | 42,028 deaths | -0.0% |
| 1957 | 42,001 deaths | -0.1% |
| 1958 | 41,990 deaths | -0.0% |
| 1959 | 41,943 deaths | -0.1% |
| 1960 | 41,905 deaths | -0.1% |
| 1961 | 41,939 deaths | +0.1% |
| 1962 | 41,990 deaths | +0.1% |
| 1963 | 42,023 deaths | +0.1% |
| 1964 | 42,058 deaths | +0.1% |
| 1965 | 42,046 deaths | -0.0% |
| 1966 | 42,018 deaths | -0.1% |
| 1967 | 42,014 deaths | -0.0% |
| 1968 | 42,000 deaths | -0.0% |
| 1969 | 41,969 deaths | -0.1% |
| 1970 | 41,964 deaths | -0.0% |
| 1971 | 41,970 deaths | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 41,985 deaths | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 42,047 deaths | +0.1% |
| 1974 | 42,238 deaths | +0.5% |
| 1975 | 42,398 deaths | +0.4% |
| 1976 | 42,493 deaths | +0.2% |
| 1977 | 42,587 deaths | +0.2% |
| 1978 | 42,804 deaths | +0.5% |
| 1979 | 42,996 deaths | +0.4% |
| 1980 | 43,173 deaths | +0.4% |
| 1981 | 43,433 deaths | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 43,748 deaths | +0.7% |
| 1983 | 44,153 deaths | +0.9% |
| 1984 | 44,668 deaths | +1.2% |
| 1985 | 45,232 deaths | +1.3% |
| 1986 | 45,870 deaths | +1.4% |
| 1987 | 46,467 deaths | +1.3% |
| 1988 | 47,211 deaths | +1.6% |
| 1989 | 47,917 deaths | +1.5% |
| 1990 | 48,499 deaths | +1.2% |
| 1991 | 51,040 deaths | +5.2% |
| 1992 | 48,733 deaths | -4.5% |
| 1993 | 48,033 deaths | -1.4% |
| 1994 | 48,174 deaths | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 47,873 deaths | -0.6% |
| 1996 | 46,522 deaths | -2.8% |
| 1997 | 46,247 deaths | -0.6% |
| 1998 | 46,354 deaths | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 44,728 deaths | -3.5% |
| 2000 | 43,998 deaths | -1.6% |
| 2001 | 44,381 deaths | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 46,161 deaths | +4.0% |
| 2003 | 46,210 deaths | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 45,576 deaths | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 44,608 deaths | -2.1% |
| 2006 | 43,640 deaths | -2.2% |
| 2007 | 42,375 deaths | -2.9% |
| 2008 | 41,215 deaths | -2.7% |
| 2009 | 40,053 deaths | -2.8% |
| 2010 | 38,798 deaths | -3.1% |
| 2011 | 37,584 deaths | -3.1% |
| 2012 | 36,398 deaths | -3.2% |
| 2013 | 34,845 deaths | -4.3% |
| 2014 | 33,999 deaths | -2.4% |
| 2015 | 32,451 deaths | -4.6% |
| 2016 | 30,826 deaths | -5.0% |
| 2017 | 30,164 deaths | -2.1% |
| 2018 | 29,089 deaths | -3.6% |
| 2019 | 28,260 deaths | -2.8% |
| 2020 | 27,432 deaths | -2.9% |
| 2021 | 26,617 deaths | -3.0% |
| 2022 | 25,804 deaths | -3.1% |
| 2023 | 25,032 deaths | -3.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 42,291 deaths | 41,943 deaths | 43,385 deaths | 10 |
| 1960s | 41,996 deaths | 41,905 deaths | 42,058 deaths | 10 |
| 1970s | 42,348 deaths | 41,964 deaths | 42,996 deaths | 10 |
| 1980s | 45,187 deaths | 43,173 deaths | 47,917 deaths | 10 |
| 1990s | 47,620 deaths | 44,728 deaths | 51,040 deaths | 10 |
| 2000s | 43,822 deaths | 40,053 deaths | 46,210 deaths | 10 |
| 2010s | 33,241 deaths | 28,260 deaths | 38,798 deaths | 10 |
| 2020s | 26,221 deaths | 25,032 deaths | 27,432 deaths | 4 |
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 65-69, male, annual growth rate 3.93 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 65-69, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 65-69, male, per capita 0.0066 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, female, annual growth rate 4.02 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, female, per capita 0.0052 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of children who die before age 5 in Sierra Leone?
- Number of children who die before age 5 in Sierra Leone was 25,032 deaths in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of children who die before age 5 recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 51,040 deaths in 1991.
- What is the lowest number of children who die before age 5 recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 25,032 deaths in 2023.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for number of children who die before age 5?
- Sierra Leone ranks 39th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of children who die before age 5 rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 Number of children who die before age 5. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of deaths in a calendar year. This only includes people aged 0-4.