Life Expectancy at Birth in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Life Expectancy at Birth was 61.96 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
61.96
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
205th
of 216 countries
All-time high
61.96
in 2024
All-time low
33.09
in 1960
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Life Expectancy at Birth in Sierra Leone, 1960–2024
Source: International Monetary Fund.
Analysis
The most recent figure for life expectancy at birth in Sierra Leone is 61.96, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 65 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 14.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth in Sierra Leone peaked at 61.96 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 33.09, in 1960.
Sierra Leone ranks 205th of 216 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 65 years of available data.
Life Expectancy at Birth in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 33.09 | — |
| 1961 | 33.63 | +1.6% |
| 1962 | 34.16 | +1.6% |
| 1963 | 34.7 | +1.6% |
| 1964 | 35.3 | +1.7% |
| 1965 | 35.93 | +1.8% |
| 1966 | 36.64 | +2.0% |
| 1967 | 37.28 | +1.7% |
| 1968 | 37.76 | +1.3% |
| 1969 | 38.23 | +1.2% |
| 1970 | 38.62 | +1.0% |
| 1971 | 39.1 | +1.3% |
| 1972 | 39.51 | +1.0% |
| 1973 | 39.96 | +1.2% |
| 1974 | 40.41 | +1.1% |
| 1975 | 40.99 | +1.4% |
| 1976 | 41.42 | +1.1% |
| 1977 | 41.83 | +1.0% |
| 1978 | 42.19 | +0.9% |
| 1979 | 42.53 | +0.8% |
| 1980 | 42.84 | +0.7% |
| 1981 | 43.09 | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 43.3 | +0.5% |
| 1983 | 43.45 | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 43.56 | +0.2% |
| 1985 | 43.56 | -0.0% |
| 1986 | 43.5 | -0.1% |
| 1987 | 43.75 | +0.6% |
| 1988 | 43.77 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 43.74 | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 43.72 | -0.0% |
| 1991 | 43.29 | -1.0% |
| 1992 | 43.45 | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 43.43 | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 42.81 | -1.4% |
| 1995 | 42.58 | -0.5% |
| 1996 | 43.53 | +2.2% |
| 1997 | 43.65 | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 42.71 | -2.1% |
| 1999 | 41.96 | -1.8% |
| 2000 | 44.83 | +6.8% |
| 2001 | 45.45 | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 46.17 | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 46.78 | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 47.48 | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 48.31 | +1.7% |
| 2006 | 49.55 | +2.6% |
| 2007 | 50.02 | +1.0% |
| 2008 | 50.69 | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 51.31 | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 51.93 | +1.2% |
| 2011 | 52.59 | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 53.16 | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 54.05 | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 54.28 | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 55.45 | +2.2% |
| 2016 | 56.94 | +2.7% |
| 2017 | 57.76 | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 59.06 | +2.2% |
| 2019 | 59.59 | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 59.69 | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 60.26 | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 61.27 | +1.7% |
| 2023 | 61.79 | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 61.96 | +0.3% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 61.96 is below the median for low income countries, which is 63.84, 97% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 61.96 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 64.26, 96% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 35.67 | 33.09 | 38.23 | 10 |
| 1970s | 40.66 | 38.62 | 42.53 | 10 |
| 1980s | 43.46 | 42.84 | 43.77 | 10 |
| 1990s | 43.11 | 41.96 | 43.72 | 10 |
| 2000s | 48.06 | 44.83 | 51.31 | 10 |
| 2010s | 55.48 | 51.93 | 59.59 | 10 |
| 2020s | 61 | 59.69 | 61.96 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 202 Nauru 62.28 compare
- 203 Cote d'Ivoire 62.11 compare
- 204 Democratic Republic of Congo 62.07 compare
- 206 Niger 61.43 compare
- 207 Burkina Faso 61.29 compare
- 208 Benin 60.96 compare
More gender data for Sierra Leone
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 3,446 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 0.722 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 6,249 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 6,249 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 2.45 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 122,158 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 124,999 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 118,334 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 120,652 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 116,120 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at birth in Sierra Leone?
- Life expectancy at birth in Sierra Leone was 61.96 in 2024, according to International Monetary Fund.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 61.96 in 2024.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 33.09 in 1960.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for life expectancy at birth?
- Sierra Leone ranks 205th out of 216 countries with data for 2024.
- Is life expectancy at birth rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund, published as part of Life Expectancy at Birth. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under IMF Terms and Conditions (attribution required).
About this data
Gender-disaggregated data on health outcomes.