Sierra Leone Statistics

Population                            

5.6 million                         

Population annual growth rate

2.1%

Urban population

41%

Major ethnic and linguistic 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

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%)

Religion

Life expectancy (at birth)

42 years

Infant mortality (under one)

159 per 1,000 live births

Under five mortality

270 per 1,000 live births

Maternal mortality rate

1800 per 100,000 live births

Adult HIV prevalence rate (ages 15-49)

1.6%

Percentage population with access to safe drinking water

57%

Adult literacy rate

35%

Gross Domestic Product (US$ billions)

1.4

Gross National Income (GNI) per capita (US$)

240

Proportion of population living on below $1 a day

57%