Sierra Leone Population Pyramid 1997
Year
1997Sierra Leone in 1997
The population of Sierra Leone in 1997 was 4,253,715. That is 11.1% more than in 1987, when the population stood at 3,829,718.
With a median age of 18.1 years, Sierra Leone had a youth dependency ratio of 82.5 and an old-age dependency ratio of 6.9 per 100 people of working age. This is an expansive pyramid — each cohort of children is larger than the one above it, the signature of high birth rates and rapid growth.
Data source: United Nations World Population Prospects, 2024 revision (medium variant) — last updated July 2024.
In 2023 women in Sierra Leone had on average 3.79 children, above the replacement level of 2.1.
Source: World Bank World Development Indicators, latest available year.
A child born there in 2023 could expect to live 61.8 years on average (63.5 years for girls, 60.1 for boys).
Source: World Bank World Development Indicators, latest available year.
49,156 immigrants live in Sierra Leone, 0.6% of the population.
| Guinea | 33,542 |
| Liberia | 8,462 |
| Nigeria | 2,024 |
| India | 892 |
| Ghana | 874 |
63,631 people born in Sierra Leone live in other countries.
| Senegal | 15,843 |
| Liberia | 13,878 |
| Guinea | 8,065 |
| Nigeria | 4,679 |
| Australia | 4,218 |
Source: United Nations International Migrant Stock 2024.
| Country | Population | Median age | Relative size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sierra Leone | 4,253,716 | 18.1 | |
| Togo | 4,725,030 | 18.0 | |
| Liberia | 2,412,989 | 18.1 | |
| Mauritania | 2,411,306 | 17.5 | |
| Benin | 6,583,366 | 17.0 |





