Population of Sierra Leone
As of April 2025, the population of Sierra Leone is 9.1 million. The number of inhabitants has increased by 187 thousand in the last year, representing a growth of 2.09%. The median age of the population has increased in recent years, rising from 17.7 years in 2015 to 19.7 years in 2025. Currently, life expectancy at birth is 61.5 years and population density is 127.8 inhabitants per square kilometer.
Population Growth
The population growth rate of Sierra Leone peaked in 2001, reaching around 7.18% annually, but has since declined to approximately 2.04% in 2025. The annual increase in the number of people has also decreased from a peak of around 348.57 thousand in 2001 to nearly 187.46 thousand in 2025.
Life Expectancy
In Sierra Leone, life expectancy at birth has been increasing, with the indicator rising from 48.2 years in 2005 to 61.5 years in 2025, representing an increase of more than 13 years over the past 2 decades.
Most populous cities in Sierra Leone
The cities of Sierra Leone are mostly small, but 4 stand out with more than 100 thousand inhabitants. The most populous city is Freetown, Western Area, con una diferencia significativa sobre las demás, alcanzando approximately 802.6 thousand inhabitants. It is followed by Bo, Southern Province with 174.4 thousand and Kenema, Eastern Province with 143.1 thousand.
These are the 20 most populous cities in Sierra Leone:
| # | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Freetown, Western Area | 802,639 |
| 2 | Bo, Southern Province | 174,354 |
| 3 | Kenema, Eastern Province | 143,137 |
| 4 | Koidu, Eastern Province | 124,662 |
| 5 | Makeni, Northern Province | 87,679 |
| 6 | Waterloo, Western Area | 55,000 |
| 7 | Njala, Southern Province | 40,000 |
| 8 | Lunsar, Northern Province | 22,461 |
| 9 | Port Loko, North West | 21,308 |
| 10 | Goderich, Western Area | 19,209 |
| # | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Kabala, Northern Province | 17,948 |
| 12 | Segbwema, Eastern Province | 16,532 |
| 13 | Bumpe, Southern Province | 16,123 |
| 14 | Mile 91, Northern Province | 15,491 |
| 15 | Magburaka, Northern Province | 14,915 |
| 16 | Kailahun, Eastern Province | 14,085 |
| 17 | Binkolo, Northern Province | 13,867 |
| 18 | Yengema, Eastern Province | 13,358 |
| 19 | Rokupr, Northern Province | 12,744 |
| 20 | Gandorhun, Southern Province | 12,288 |