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General Information

Region		Western Africa
Population (000, 2025)		8 820^a
Pop. density (per km2, 2025)		122.9^a
Capital city		Freetown
Capital city pop. (000, 2025)		1 168.4^c
UN membership date		27 September 1961
Surface area (km2)		72 300^b
Sex ratio (m per 100 f)		99.5^a
National currency		Leone (SLE)
Exchange rate (per US$)		22.8^b

Economic indicators

	2015	2020	2025
GDP: Gross domestic product (million current US$)	4 751	6 689	6 412^b
GDP growth rate (annual %, const. 2015 prices)	-11.1	-1.3	5.7^b
GDP per capita (current US$)	675	845	758^b
Economy: Agriculture^d (% of Gross Value Added)	56.3	36.5^e	29.9^e,b
Economy: Industry^d (% of Gross Value Added)	6.5	18.3^f	26.8^f,b
Economy: Services and other activity^d (% of GVA)	37.1	45.1^g	43.4^g,b
Employment in agriculture^h (% of employed)	56.5	44.5	43^b
Employment in industry^h (% of employed)	6.7	11.5	11.6^b
Employment in services^h (% employed)	36.8	43.9	45.3^b
Unemployment^h (% of labour force)	4.6	3.5	3.1
Labour force participation rate^h (female/male pop. %)	55.1 / 57.3	51.1 / 55.5	50.9 / 55.7
CPI: Consumer Price Indexⁱ (2010=100)	134	266	717^j
Agricultural production index (2014-2016=100)	96	92	108^b
International trade: exports (million current US$)	93	323^h	568^h,j
International trade: imports (million current US$)	1 759	1 259^h	2 064^h,j
International trade: balance (million current US$)	- 1 666	-936^h	- 1 496^h,j
Balance of payments, current account (million US$)	- 1 003	-390	-606^b

Social indicators

	2015	2020	2025
Population growth rate (average annual %)	2.3	2.3	2^a
Urban population (% of total population)	40.8	42.5^c	...
Urban population growth rate (average annual %)	3.3^k	...	...
Fertility rate, total (live births per woman)	4.5	4.1	3.6^a
Life expectancy at birth (females/males, years)	56.3 / 54.5	61.2 / 58.2	63.9 / 60.4^a
Population age distribution^l (0-14/60+ years old, %)	41.8 / 4.9	39.8 / 5.0	37.7 / 5.3^a
International migrant stock^m (000/% of total pop.)	58.8 / 0.8	53.7 / 0.7	50.0 / 0.6^j
Refugees and others of concern to UNHCR (000)	1.4	0.4	0.2^j
Under five mortality rate (per 1000 live births)	132.9	108.4	94.1^a
Health: Current expenditureⁿ (% of GDP)	19.7	9.3	7.9^o
Health: Physicians (per 1 000 pop.)	~0.0^p	0.1	0.1^o
Education: Primary gross enrol. ratio (f/m per 100 pop.)	122.5 / 118.9	145.9 / 139.7	163.5 / 155.3^b
Education: Lowr. sec. gross enrol. ratio (f/m per 100 pop.)	55.1 / 57.8	84.5 / 81.5	114.2 / 99.5^b
Education: Upr. Sec. gross enrol. ratio (f/m per 100 pop.)	22.9 / 29.1	45.5 / 46.6	57.5 / 57.5^q
Intentional homicide rate (per 100 000 pop.)	1.8	2.2	...
Seats held by women in national parliaments (%)	12.4	12.3^r	29.5^r

Environment and infrastructure indicators

	2015	2020	2025
Individuals using the Internet^h (per 100 inhabitants)	6.3	17.1	20.6^b
Threatened species (number)	158	236	306^j
Forested area (% of land area)	36.5	35.1	34.6^o
CO2 emission estimates (million tons/tons per capita)	1.1 / 0.2	1.2 / 0.2	1.5 / 0.2^o
Energy production, primary (Petajoules)	54	56	57^h,o
Energy supply per capita (Gigajoules)	10	9	9^h,o
Tourist/visitor arrivals at national borders^s (000)	24	24	40^q
Important sites for terrestrial biodiversity protected (%)	65.3	65.3	65.3^j
Pop. using safely managed drinking water (urban/rural, %)	11.8 / 6.1	12.1 / 7.9	12.2 / 8.7^o
Pop. using safely managed sanitation (urban/rural, %)	16.7 / 6.7	20.8 / 8.9	22.5 / 9.8^o
Net Official Development Assist. received (% of GNI)	22.4	21.14	11.33^b

Footnotes

a		Projected est. (medium fertility variant).
b		2023
c		2019
d		Data classified according to ISIC Rev. 4.
e		Exc. irrigation canals and landscaping care.
f		Exc. publishing activities. Inc. irrigation canals.
g		Inc. publishing activities and landscape care. Exc. repair of personal and household goods.
h		Estimate.
i		Calculated by the UN Statistics Division from national indices.
j		2024
k		Data refers to a 5-year period preceding the reference year.
l		Calculated by the UN Statistics Division.
m		Including refugees.
n		Based on calendar year (January 1 to December 31).
o		2022
p		2011
q		2021
r		Data at 1 January of the reporting year.
s		Arrivals by air.