Demographics of Sierra Leone

Demographics of Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone population pyramid in 2020
Population	8,420,641
Density	80.06 inhabitants per sq km.
Growth rate	15.40% (2004–2014 est.)
Birth rate	37.40 births/1,000 inhabitants
Death rate	11.03 deaths/1,000 inhabitants
Life expectancy	57.39 years
• male	54.85 years
• female	60.00 years
Fertility rate	4.2 children born/women
Infant mortality rate	73.29 deaths/1,000 births
Age structure
0–14 years	41.9%
15–64 years	54.4%
65 and over	3.7%
Sex ratio
Total	0.94 male(s)/female
At birth	1.03 male(s)/female
Under 15	0.99 male(s)/female
15–64 years	0.94 male(s)/female
65 and over	0.78 male(s)/female
Nationality
Nationality	Sierra Leonean(s)
Major ethnic	Temne 25.2%, Mende 30.5%
Minor ethnic	Fula 5.4%, Limba 6.4%, Kono 10.4%, Loko 2.9%, Koranko 2.8%, Sherbro 2.6%, Mandingo 2.4%, Creole 5.2%, Other 5.2%
Language
Official	English
Spoken	Krio, Temne, Mende

The demographics of Sierra Leone are made up of an indigenous population from 18 ethnic groups. The Temne in the north and the Mende in the south are the largest. About 60,000 are Krio, the descendants of freed slaves who returned to Sierra Leone from Great Britain, North America and slave ships captured on the high seas. In addition, about 5,000 Lebanese, 1,000 Indians, and 5,000 Europeans reside in the country.

In the past, some Sierra Leoneans were noted for their educational achievements, trading activity, entrepreneurial skills, and arts and crafts work, particularly woodcarving. Many are part of larger ethnic networks extending into several countries, which link West African states in the area. Their level of education and infrastructure have declined sharply over the last 30 years.^[1]