Access to electricity in Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone: Access to electricity was 46.9% in 2016. ▲ Rising

Latest (2016)
46.9%
Change on year
up 8.0%
World rank
210th
of 217 countries
All-time high
46.9%
in 2016
All-time low
14.7%
in 1990
Years of data
27
1990–2016

Access to electricity in Sierra Leone, 1990–2016

10203040501990200320161990: 14.7 % of urban population1991: 15.9 % of urban population1992: 17 % of urban population1993: 18.2 % of urban population1994: 19.3 % of urban population1995: 20.5 % of urban population1996: 21.6 % of urban population1997: 22.8 % of urban population1998: 23.9 % of urban population1999: 25 % of urban population2000: 26.1 % of urban population2001: 27.3 % of urban population2002: 28.4 % of urban population2003: 29.5 % of urban population2004: 30.6 % of urban population2005: 35.9 % of urban population2006: 32.8 % of urban population2007: 34 % of urban population2008: 33.1 % of urban population2009: 36.3 % of urban population2010: 34.3 % of urban population2011: 35.8 % of urban population2012: 39.8 % of urban population2013: 41.4 % of urban population2014: 42.2 % of urban population2015: 43.4 % of urban population2016: 46.9 % of urban population

Source: World Bank Global Electrification Database 2014. Measured in % of urban population.

Analysis

The most recent figure for access to electricity in Sierra Leone is 46.9%, measured in 2016. That is the highest value across all 27 years on record.

That represents a change of up 8.0% on the previous year and up 42.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, access to electricity in Sierra Leone peaked at 46.9% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 14.7%, in 1990.

Sierra Leone ranks 210th of 217 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.

Access to electricity in Sierra Leone, year by year

Annual values for Access to electricity (% of urban population) in Sierra Leone, 1990 to 2016.
Year % of urban population Change
1990 14.7%
1991 15.9% +7.8%
1992 17.0% +7.3%
1993 18.2% +6.8%
1994 19.3% +6.3%
1995 20.5% +5.9%
1996 21.6% +5.6%
1997 22.8% +5.3%
1998 23.9% +5.0%
1999 25.0% +4.7%
2000 26.1% +4.5%
2001 27.3% +4.3%
2002 28.4% +4.1%
2003 29.5% +3.9%
2004 30.6% +3.8%
2005 35.9% +17.2%
2006 32.8% -8.4%
2007 34.0% +3.5%
2008 33.1% -2.6%
2009 36.3% +9.6%
2010 34.3% -5.4%
2011 35.8% +4.1%
2012 39.8% +11.4%
2013 41.4% +3.9%
2014 42.2% +2.0%
2015 43.4% +2.8%
2016 46.9% +8.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 19.9% 14.7% 25.0% 10
2000s 31.4% 26.1% 36.3% 10
2010s 40.6% 34.3% 46.9% 7

Countries ranked near Sierra Leone

  1. 207 Somalia 57.2% compare
  2. 208 Burundi 49.7% compare
  3. 209 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 47.2% compare
  4. 211 Malawi 42.0% compare
  5. 212 Democratic People’s Republic of Korea 39.2% compare
  6. 213 Central African Republic 34.1% compare

See the full ranking of 219 places →

More reference data data for Sierra Leone

All data for Sierra Leone →

Frequently asked questions

What is access to electricity in Sierra Leone?
Access to electricity in Sierra Leone was 46.9% in 2016, according to World Bank Global Electrification Database 2014.
What is the highest access to electricity recorded in Sierra Leone?
The highest recorded value was 46.9% in 2016.
What is the lowest access to electricity recorded in Sierra Leone?
The lowest recorded value was 14.7% in 1990.
How does Sierra Leone rank for access to electricity?
Sierra Leone ranks 210th out of 217 countries with data for 2016.
Is access to electricity rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
Over the last ten years it is up 42.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
The figures come from World Bank Global Electrification Database 2014, published as part of Access to electricity (% of urban population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Access to electricity in Sierra Leone. Statizoid, drawing on World Bank Global Electrification Database 2014. Retrieved 23 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/access-to-electricity-percent-of-urban-population/sierra-leone/

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About this data

Indicator
Access to electricity (% of urban population)
Unit
% of urban population
Source
World Bank Global Electrification Database 2014
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
219 places, 5,825 data points, 1990–2016
Last refreshed

Access to electricity is the percentage of total population with access to electricity.