Sierra Leone flag
SLE Data file updated Jul 5, 2026

Sierra Leone

Country profile covering economy, demographics, military, quality-of-life signals, and historical trends.

Quick Facts

Capital
Freetown
Currency
Sierra Leonean Leone (SLL)
Language
English
Government
Unitary presidential constitutional republic
Internet Users
25.1%
Unemployment
3.2%
Smoking (15+)
10.7%

Population

8.42M

GDP

$7.46B

GDP per Capita

$492

Area

71,740 km²

Life Expectancy

62.0 years

HDI

0.5

Economy

5 metrics
GDP (USD) $7.46B
GDP Per Capita (USD) $492
Unemployment Rate (%) 3.2%
GINI Index (Income Inequality) 35.7
Currency Sierra Leonean Leone (SLL)

Society & Demographics

4 metrics
Life Expectancy (years) 62.0
Literacy Rate (%) 43.6%
Internet Users (%) 25.1%
Human Development Index 0.5

Military Strength

9 metrics
Active Personnel 9,000
Reserve Personnel 0
Total Military Personnel 9,000
Defense Budget (USD) $42M
Tanks 0
Armored Vehicles 45
Self-Propelled Artillery 0
Towed Artillery 6
Rocket Projectors 0

Air Force

7 metrics
Total Aircraft 3
Fighters 0
Attack Aircraft 0
Transport Aircraft 2
Trainer Aircraft 1
Helicopters 1
Attack Helicopters 0

Education

4 metrics
Education Expenditure (% of GDP) 4.1%
Universities 12
Primary Enrollment (%) 81.5%
Secondary Enrollment (%) 42.0%

Healthcare

5 metrics
Healthcare Expenditure (% of GDP) 8.9%
Physicians per 1,000 people 0.0
Hospital Beds per 1,000 people 0.4
Life Expectancy (Male) 53.1
Life Expectancy (Female) 56.4

Cost of Living

12 metrics
Cost of Living Index 22.5
Rent Index 8.0
Groceries Index 20.0
Restaurant Price Index 15.0
Local Purchasing Power 7.5
Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant (USD) $2
Three-Course Meal for 2 (USD) $8
Monthly Rent - City Center (USD) $120
Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) $55
Monthly Utilities (USD) $30
Internet (60 Mbps, USD) $35
Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) $1

Historical Data

No Historical Data Available

Historical data is not available for the selected countries.

Compare Sierra Leone

Religious Composition

  • Islam 77.0%
  • Christianity 21.0%
  • Traditional Indigenous 1.5%
  • Other 0.5%

Beverages per Person

  • Alcohol 0.2 L pure/yr

Per-capita — consumption where available, else FAOSTAT supply · alcohol = litres of pure alcohol (WHO)

Age Demographics

19.1 Median Age
Age Distribution
0-14
41.2%
15-29
29.5%
30-44
15.8%
45-59
8.3%
60-69
3.2%
70+
2.0%

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