Sierra Leone

World Book Index

Introduction

Background
The British set up a trading post near present-day Freetown in the 17th century. The colony gradually expanded inland during the course of the 19th century. Independence was attained in 1961. An authoritarian regime in the 1960s led to a lengthy civil war that ended in 2002, and the country has since conducted democratic elections.

Geography

Area
total : 71,740 sq km
land: 71,620 sq km
water: 120 sq km

Climate
tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry season (December to April)

Natural resources
diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite

People and Society

Population
total: 9,121,049 (2024 est.)

Ethnic groups
Temne 35.4%, Mende 30.8%, Limba 8.8%, Kono 4.3%, Korankoh 4%, Fullah 3.8%, Mandingo 2.8%, Loko 2%, Sherbro 1.9%, Creole 1.2% (descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area in the late-18th century; also known as Krio), other 5% (2019 est.)

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; a first language for 10% of the population but understood by 95%)

Religions
Muslim 77.1%, Christian 22.9% (2019 est.)

Population growth rate
2.32% (2024 est.)

Government

Government type
presidential republic

Capital
name: Freetown

Executive branch
chief of state: President Julius Maada BIO (since 27 June 2023)
head of government: President Julius Maada BIO (since 27 June 2023)

Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Amara Sheikh Mohammed SOWA (since 24 July 2025)

Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Bryan David HUNT (since 8 September 2023)

Economy

Economic overview
low-income West African economy; primarily subsistent agriculture; key iron and diamond mining activities suspended; slow recovery from 1990s civil war; systemic corruption; high-risk debt; high youth unemployment; natural resource rich

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$26.728 billion (2024 est.)
$25.7 billion (2023 est.)
$24.312 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita
$3,100 (2024 est.)
$3,000 (2023 est.)
$2,900 (2022 est.)

Exports
$1.382 billion (2023 est.)
$1.202 billion (2022 est.)
$928.689 million (2021 est.)

Exports - partners
China 67%, India 6%, Belgium 5%, Netherlands 4%, Ireland 3% (2023)

Exports - commodities
iron ore, titanium ore, diamonds, aluminum ore, cocoa beans (2023)

Imports
$2.264 billion (2023 est.)
$2.074 billion (2022 est.)
$1.91 billion (2021 est.)

Imports - partners
China 32%, India 15%, UAE 5%, USA 5%, Turkey 5% (2023)

Imports - commodities
rice, plastic products, packaged medicine, cement, cars (2023)

Human Development Index

The country's Human Development Index (HDI) is 0.467, ranking it 185th out of 193 countries tested. (more information)

World Happiness Report

The World Happiness Report ranked the country 155th out of 158 countries tested with a score of 3.186. (more information)