Sierra Leone Demographics Profile 2009

Population

6,440,053 (July 2009 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 44.5% (male 1,407,226/female 1,460,366)
15-64 years: 52.2% (male 1,613,554/female 1,750,250)
65 years and over: 3.2% (male 95,533/female 113,124) (2009 est.)

Median age

total: 17.5 years
male: 17.2 years
female: 17.8 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate

2.282% (2009 est.)

Birth rate

44.73 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)

Death rate

21.91 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: refugees currently in surrounding countries are slowly returning (2009 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 38% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.9% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 154.43 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 171.57 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 136.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 41.24 years
male: 38.92 years
female: 43.64 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.88 children born/woman (2009 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

1.7% (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

55,000 (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

3,300 (2007 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: Lassa fever (2009)

Nationality

noun: Sierra Leonean(s)
adjective: Sierra Leonean

Ethnic groups

20 African ethnic groups 90% (Temne 30%, Mende 30%, other 30%), Creole (Krio) 10% (descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area in the late-18th century), refugees from Liberia's recent civil war, small numbers of Europeans, Lebanese, Pakistanis, and Indians

Religions

Muslim 60%, Christian 10%, indigenous beliefs 30%

Languages

English (official, regular use limited to literate minority), Mende (principal vernacular in the south), Temne (principal vernacular in the north), Krio (English-based Creole, spoken by the descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area, a lingua franca and a first language for 10% of the population but understood by 95%)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write English, Mende, Temne, or Arabic
total population: 35.1%
male: 46.9%
female: 24.4% (2004 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 7 years
male: 8 years
female: 6 years (2001)

Education expenditures

3.8% of GDP (2005)