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General Information

Region		Western Africa
Population (000, 2024)		8 642^a
Pop. density (per km2, 2024)		120.5^a
Capital city		Freetown
Capital city pop. (000, 2024)		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^d

Economic indicators

	2015	2020	2024
GDP: Gross domestic product (million current US$)	4 248	4 063	3 481^b
GDP growth rate (annual %, const. 2015 prices)	-20.5	-2	3.8^b
GDP per capita (current US$)	580.8	493.4	404.5^b
Economy: Agriculture (% of Gross Value Added)	60.5	62.2	60^b
Economy: Industry (% of Gross Value Added)	4.6	5.5	6.8^b
Economy: Services and other activity (% of GVA)	34.9	32.4	33.1^b
Employment in agriculture^e (% of employed)	55.9	44.6	43.3^b
Employment in industry^e (% of employed)	6.7	11.6	12^b
Employment in services^e (% employed)	37.3	43.8	44.6^b
Unemployment^e (% of labour force)	4.7	3.6	3.2
Labour force participation rate^e (female/male pop. %)	55.1 / 57.3	51.0 / 55.6	51.4 / 56.2
CPI: Consumer Price Index^f (2010=100)	134	266	558^d
Agricultural production index (2014-2016=100)	96	92	105^b
International trade: exports (million current US$)	93	313^e	521^e,d
International trade: imports (million current US$)	1 759	1 221^e	2 023^e,d
International trade: balance (million current US$)	- 1 666	-908^e	- 1 502^e,d
Balance of payments, current account (million US$)	- 1 003	-320	-157^b

Social indicators

	2015	2020	2024
Population growth rate (average annual %)	2.3	2.3	2.1^a
Urban population (% of total population)	40.8	42.5^c	...
Urban population growth rate (average annual %)	3.3^g	...	...
Fertility rate, total (live births per woman)	4.5	4.1	3.7^a
Life expectancy at birth (females/males, years)	56.3 / 54.5	61.2 / 58.2	63.7 / 60.2^a
Population age distribution^h (0-14/60+ years old, %)	41.8 / 4.9	39.8 / 5.0	38.1 / 5.2^a
International migrant stock (000/% of total pop.)	58.8 / 0.8ⁱ	53.7 / 0.7ⁱ	... / ...
Refugees and others of concern to UNHCR (000)	1.4	0.4	0.2^d
Under five mortality rate (per 1000 live births)	132.9	108.4	95.7^a
Health: Current expenditure^j (% of GDP)	19.7	9.3	8.6^k
Health: Physicians (per 1 000 pop.)	~0.0^l	0.1	~0.0^b
Education: Government expenditure (% of GDP)	3.2	2.8	3.3^k
Education: Primary gross enrol. ratio (f/m per 100 pop.)	118.7 / 114.1	141.1 / 134.0	155.9 / 147.6^k
Education: Lowr. sec. gross enrol. ratio (f/m per 100 pop.)	53.3 / 55.6	81.8 / 78.2	92.2 / 87.2^k
Education: Upr. Sec. gross enrol. ratio (f/m per 100 pop.)	22.3 / 27.9	43.9 / 44.7	55.6 / 55.2^k
Intentional homicide rate (per 100 000 pop.)	1.7	2.1	...
Seats held by women in national parliaments (%)	12.4	12.3^m	29.5^m

Environment and infrastructure indicators

	2015	2020	2024
Individuals using the Internet^e (per 100 inhabitants)	6.3	27.5	30.4^b
Threatened species (number)	158	236	303^d
Forested area (% of land area)	36.5	35.1	34.8^k
CO2 emission estimates (million tons/tons per capita)	1.1 / 0.2	1.0 / 0.1	1.3 / 0.2^k
Energy production, primary (Petajoules)	54	56	57^k
Energy supply per capita (Gigajoules)	9	9	9^k
Tourist/visitor arrivals at national bordersⁿ (000)	24	24	40^k
Important sites for terrestrial biodiversity protected (%)	65.3	65.3	65.3^d
Pop. using safely managed drinking water (urban/rural, %)	11.8 / 6.1	12.1 / 7.9	12.2 / 8.7^b
Pop. using safely managed sanitation (urban/rural, %)	16.7 / 6.7	20.8 / 8.9	22.5 / 9.8^b
Net Official Development Assist. received (% of GNI)	22.75	21.1	17.49^k

Footnotes

a		Projected estimate (medium fertility variant).
b		2022
c		2019
d		2023
e		Estimate.
f		Calculated by the UN Statistics Division from national indices.
g		Data refers to a 5-year period preceding the reference year.
h		Calculated by the UN Statistics Division.
i		Including refugees.
j		Data based on calendar year (January 1 to December 31).
k		2021
l		2011
m		Data are as at 1 January of reporting year.
n		Arrivals by air.