Refugees by country of asylum in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Refugees by country of asylum was 0 people in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Refugees by country of asylum in Sierra Leone, 1969–2024
Source: UNHCR (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for refugees by country of asylum in Sierra Leone is 0 people, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 47 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 100.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees by country of asylum in Sierra Leone peaked at 125,830 people in 1990 and was at its lowest, 0 people, in 2022.
Sierra Leone ranks 171st of 183 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Refugees by country of asylum in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1969 | 500 people | — |
| 1976 | 170 people | -66.0% |
| 1977 | 150 people | -11.8% |
| 1978 | 50 people | -66.7% |
| 1979 | 60 people | +20.0% |
| 1982 | 120 people | +100.0% |
| 1983 | 150 people | +25.0% |
| 1984 | 180 people | +20.0% |
| 1985 | 160 people | -11.1% |
| 1986 | 170 people | +6.2% |
| 1987 | 90 people | -47.1% |
| 1988 | 60 people | -33.3% |
| 1990 | 125,830 people | +209616.7% |
| 1991 | 28,036 people | -77.7% |
| 1992 | 5,866 people | -79.1% |
| 1993 | 16,274 people | +177.4% |
| 1994 | 15,866 people | -2.5% |
| 1995 | 4,677 people | -70.5% |
| 1996 | 13,536 people | +189.4% |
| 1997 | 13,015 people | -3.8% |
| 1998 | 9,862 people | -24.2% |
| 1999 | 6,566 people | -33.4% |
| 2000 | 6,543 people | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 10,498 people | +60.4% |
| 2002 | 63,491 people | +504.8% |
| 2003 | 61,192 people | -3.6% |
| 2004 | 65,433 people | +6.9% |
| 2005 | 59,962 people | -8.4% |
| 2006 | 27,364 people | -54.4% |
| 2007 | 8,794 people | -67.9% |
| 2008 | 7,825 people | -11.0% |
| 2009 | 9,050 people | +15.7% |
| 2010 | 8,362 people | -7.6% |
| 2011 | 8,091 people | -3.2% |
| 2012 | 4,203 people | -48.1% |
| 2013 | 2,816 people | -33.0% |
| 2014 | 1,371 people | -51.3% |
| 2015 | 760 people | -44.6% |
| 2016 | 683 people | -10.1% |
| 2017 | 678 people | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 591 people | -12.8% |
| 2019 | 441 people | -25.4% |
| 2020 | 342 people | -22.4% |
| 2021 | 345 people | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 0 people | -100.0% |
| 2023 | 0 people | — |
| 2024 | 0 people | — |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 0 people is below the median for low income countries, which is 42,512 people. (24 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 0 people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 25,275 people. (45 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Refugees by country of asylum in Sierra Leone changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | +209616.7% | 60 people | 125,830 people |
| 2002 | +504.8% | 10,498 people | 63,491 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 500 people | 500 people | 500 people | 1 |
| 1970s | 107.5 people | 50 people | 170 people | 4 |
| 1980s | 132.86 people | 60 people | 180 people | 7 |
| 1990s | 23,953 people | 4,677 people | 125,830 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 32,015 people | 6,543 people | 65,433 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 2,800 people | 441 people | 8,362 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 137.4 people | 0 people | 345 people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 171 Antigua and Barbuda 0 people compare
- 171 Aruba 0 people
- 171 Brunei 0 people
- 171 Cape Verde 0 people compare
- 171 Curacao 0 people compare
- 171 East Timor 0 people
- 171 Grenada 0 people compare
- 171 Macao 0 people compare
- 171 Myanmar 0 people
- 171 Singapore 0 people compare
- 171 Solomon Islands 0 people compare
- 171 Vanuatu 0 people compare
More reference data data for Sierra Leone
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0238 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.4498 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.5935 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.12 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.5935 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0797 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.044 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.91 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.72 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.6534 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugees by country of asylum in Sierra Leone?
- Refugees by country of asylum in Sierra Leone was 0 people in 2024, according to UNHCR (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest refugees by country of asylum recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 125,830 people in 1990.
- What is the lowest refugees by country of asylum recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 people in 2022.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for refugees by country of asylum?
- Sierra Leone ranks 171st out of 183 countries with data for 2024.
- Is refugees by country of asylum rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 100.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from UNHCR (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Refugees by country of asylum. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 47 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
People who fled their country of origin and are in need of international protection. Refugees are those who have already been granted asylum status in the country they moved to. This includes all refugees who live in this country, not just those who arrived that year.