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General Information

Region		Western Africa
Population (000, 2021)		8 141^a
Pop. density (per km2, 2021)		112.8^a
Capital city		Freetown
Capital city pop. (000, 2021)		1 168.4^b
UN membership date		27-Sep-61
Surface area (km2)		72 300^b
Sex ratio (m per 100 f)		99.7^a
National currency		Leone (SLL)
Exchange rate (per US$)		10 133.4^c

Economic indicators

	2010	2015	2021
GDP: Gross domestic product (million current US$)	2 578	4 248	4 122^b
GDP growth rate (annual %, const. 2015 prices)	5.3	-20.5	5.5^b
GDP per capita (current US$)	401.8	592.3	527.5^b
Economy: Agriculture (% of Gross Value Added)	55.2	60.5	59.9^b
Economy: Industry (% of Gross Value Added)	8.1	4.6	5.8^b
Economy: Services and other activity (% of GVA)	36.7	34.9	34.3^b
Employment in agriculture^d (% of employed)	63.9	57.9	54.4^c
Employment in industry^d (% of employed)	5.3	5.8	6.5^c
Employment in services^d (% employed)	30.8	36.3	39.1^c
Unemployment^d (% of labour force)	4.2	4.6	4.4^c
Labour force participation rate^d (female/male pop. %)	59.8 / 61.6	57.1 / 59.3	57.2 / 58.4^c
CPI: Consumer Price Index^e (2010=100)	100	134	266^c
Agricultural production index (2014-2016=100)	90	99	105^b
International trade: exports (million current US$)	319^d	93	193^d,c
International trade: imports (million current US$)	776^d	1 759	1 120^d,c
International trade: balance (million current US$)	-457^d	- 1 666	-927^d,c
Balance of payments, current account (million US$)	-585	- 1 003	-915^b

Social indicators

	2010	2015	2021
Population growth rate^f (average annual %)	2.6	2.2	2.1^c
Urban population (% of total population)	38.9	40.8	42.5^b
Urban population growth rate^f (average annual %)	3.7	3.3	...
Fertility rate, total^f (live births per woman)	5.6	4.8	4.3^c
Life expectancy at birth^f (females/males, years)	47.8 / 46.2	52.3 / 50.5	54.8 / 53.2^c
Population age distribution (0-14/60+ years old, %)	43.0 / 4.8	41.9 / 4.7	40.0 / 4.7^a
International migrant stock^g (000/% of total pop.)	79.3 / 1.2	58.8 / 0.8	53.7 / 0.7^c
Refugees and others of concern to UNHCR (000)	8.6^h	1.4	0.4^c
Infant mortality rate^f (per 1 000 live births)	122.1	97.1	80.8^c
Health: Current expenditureⁱ (% of GDP)	10.9	20.4	16.1^j
Health: Physicians (per 1 000 pop.)	~0.0	~0.0^k	0.1^j
Education: Government expenditure (% of GDP)	2.6	2.7^l	7.7^b
Education: Primary gross enrol. ratio (f/m per 100 pop.)	... / ...	116.9 / 115.3	145.6 / 141.9^b
Education: Secondary gross enrol. ratio (f/m per 100 pop.)	... / ...	36.5 / 41.6	41.1 / 42.5^m
Education: Upper secondary gross enrol. ratio (f/m per 100 pop.)	... / ...	22.3 / 28.5	26.4 / 29.2^m
Intentional homicide rate (per 100 000 pop.)	2.5	1.7	...
Seats held by women in national parliaments (%)	13.2	12.4	12.3ⁿ

Environment and infrastructure indicators

	2010	2015	2021
Individuals using the Internet^d (per 100 inhabitants)	0.6	6.3	13.2^m
Threatened species (number)	131	158	259
Forested area^d (% of land area)	37.9	36.5	35.7^j
Energy production, primary^d (Petajoules)	52	54	55^j
Energy supply per capita (Gigajoules)	9	9	9^j
Tourist/visitor arrivals at national borders^o (000)	39	24	57^j
Important sites for terrestrial biodiversity protected (%)	44.2	49.2	49.2^c
Pop. using safely managed drinking water (urban/rural, %)	11.5 / 4.6	12.0 / 6.7	12.5 / 9.2^c
Pop. using safely managed sanitation (urban/rural %)	18.6 / 6.8	19.2 / 8.2	19.8 / 9.7^c
Net Official Development Assist. received (% of GNI)	17.59	22.75	15.43^b

Footnotes

a		Projected estimate (medium fertility variant).
b		2019
c		2020
d		Estimate.
e		Calculated by the UN Statistics Division from national indices.
f		Data refers to a 5-year period preceding the reference year.
g		Including refugees.
h		Data as at the end of December.
i		Data revision.
j		2018
k		2011
l		2014
m		2017
n		Data are as at 1 January of reporting year.
o		Arrivals by air.