01
Physical geography
Coastal belt of mangrove swamps, wooded hill country, upland plateau, mountains in east.
Local timeFreetown ·
Africa / Western Africa · Card 047
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone is a country in Western Africa. Its capital is Freetown.
Find Sierra Leone
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Freetown
- Languages
- English
- Currency
- Sierra Leonean leone (SLE)
- Population
- 8.8 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 71,740 km²27,699 square miles
- Independence
- 1961from the UK
Sierra Leone in context
Africa and its surrounding islands. The dot marks Freetown; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include English.
03
Location
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia.
Flag
Three equal horizontal bands of light green (top), white, and light blue
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived country profile · Bank of Sierra Leone · currency
History & independence
Sierra Leone became independent from Britain on 27 April 1961 following constitutional negotiations. Freetown’s earlier history includes settlement by formerly enslaved people. A civil war from 1991 to 2002 deeply affected the country.
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Independence from Britain
-
Civil war begins
-
The civil war is declared over
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived country profile · Bank of Sierra Leone · currency
Economy
Main activities
Agriculture, mining and services are important activities. Diamonds, iron ore and other minerals contribute to exports. Infrastructure and access to energy remain important development needs.
Industry and production
diamond mining; iron ore, rutile and bauxite mining; small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles, footwear)
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived country profile · Bank of Sierra Leone · currency
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people8.82025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 2,712,286 | 2.712 |
| 1980 | 3,272,089 | 3.272 |
| 1990 | 4,196,828 | 4.197 |
| 2000 | 4,423,611 | 4.424 |
| 2010 | 6,222,714 | 6.223 |
| 2020 | 7,912,558 | 7.913 |
| 2025 | 8,819,794 | 8.820 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars10.32025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 4,164,341,831 | 4.164 |
| 1991 | 4,262,285,541 | 4.262 |
| 1992 | 3,451,901,036 | 3.452 |
| 1993 | 3,499,349,141 | 3.499 |
| 1994 | 3,431,203,340 | 3.431 |
| 1995 | 3,156,715,557 | 3.157 |
| 1996 | 3,212,078,686 | 3.212 |
| 1997 | 3,023,302,224 | 3.023 |
| 1998 | 3,077,268,543 | 3.077 |
| 1999 | 3,016,360,576 | 3.016 |
| 2000 | 3,217,030,910 | 3.217 |
| 2001 | 3,012,895,641 | 3.013 |
| 2002 | 3,812,040,150 | 3.812 |
| 2003 | 4,173,559,981 | 4.174 |
| 2004 | 4,443,958,500 | 4.444 |
| 2005 | 4,637,426,225 | 4.637 |
| 2006 | 4,836,052,320 | 4.836 |
| 2007 | 5,017,392,581 | 5.017 |
| 2008 | 5,202,336,667 | 5.202 |
| 2009 | 5,281,974,206 | 5.282 |
| 2010 | 5,617,678,842 | 5.618 |
| 2011 | 6,072,747,635 | 6.073 |
| 2012 | 6,715,143,020 | 6.715 |
| 2013 | 7,699,806,186 | 7.700 |
| 2014 | 7,098,065,168 | 7.098 |
| 2015 | 6,788,352,975 | 6.788 |
| 2016 | 7,225,348,889 | 7.225 |
| 2017 | 7,457,128,029 | 7.457 |
| 2018 | 7,672,926,607 | 7.673 |
| 2019 | 8,095,145,458 | 8.095 |
| 2020 | 7,993,685,031 | 7.994 |
| 2021 | 8,465,060,863 | 8.465 |
| 2022 | 8,914,856,495 | 8.915 |
| 2023 | 9,423,896,753 | 9.424 |
| 2024 | 9,828,485,688 | 9.828 |
| 2025 | 10,281,446,270 | 10.281 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.467Low human developmentRank 185 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.313
20000.318
20100.410
20200.454
20230.467
61.8 yearsLife expectancy at birth
3.5 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
Presidential republic. Parliament has one chamber (a unicameral legislature). The president holds executive responsibilities; the legislature makes national laws.
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived country profile · Bank of Sierra Leone · currency
Knowledge check
Three questions about Sierra Leone.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Which pair of mineral exports is highlighted for Sierra Leone?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived country profile · Bank of Sierra Leone · currency
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.