Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone: Exclusive breastfeeding rate was 54.0% in 2019. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2019)
54.0%
Change on year
up 14.5%
World rank
26th
of 72 countries
All-time high
54.0%
in 2019
All-time low
2.8%
in 2000
Years of data
7
2000–2019

Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Sierra Leone, 2000–2019

02040602000200920192000: 2.8 % of children under 6 months2005: 8.4 % of children under 6 months2008: 10.4 % of children under 6 months2010: 31.2 % of children under 6 months2013: 31.4 % of children under 6 months2017: 47.2 % of children under 6 months2019: 54 % of children under 6 months

Source: Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of children under 6 months.

Analysis

Sierra Leone recorded 54.0% for exclusive breastfeeding rate in 2019. That is the highest value across all 7 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 14.5% on the previous year and up 419.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, exclusive breastfeeding rate in Sierra Leone peaked at 54.0% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 2.8%, in 2000.

That places Sierra Leone 26th out of 72 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the middle of the range.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 7.2% 2.8% 10.4% 3
2010s 40.9% 31.2% 54.0% 4

Countries ranked near Sierra Leone

  1. 23 Bolivia 55.7% compare
  2. 24 Liberia 55.2% compare
  3. 25 Philippines 54.9% compare
  4. 27 Gambia 53.6% compare
  5. 28 Democratic Republic of Congo 53.6% compare
  6. 29 Guatemala 53.2% compare

See the full ranking of 72 places →

More reference data data for Sierra Leone

All data for Sierra Leone →

Frequently asked questions

What is exclusive breastfeeding rate in Sierra Leone?
Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Sierra Leone was 54.0% in 2019, according to Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest exclusive breastfeeding rate recorded in Sierra Leone?
The highest recorded value was 54.0% in 2019.
What is the lowest exclusive breastfeeding rate recorded in Sierra Leone?
The lowest recorded value was 2.8% in 2000.
How does Sierra Leone rank for exclusive breastfeeding rate?
Sierra Leone ranks 26th out of 72 countries with data for 2019.
Is exclusive breastfeeding rate rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
Over the last ten years it is up 419.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
The figures come from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Exclusive breastfeeding rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 7 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Exclusive breastfeeding rate
Unit
% of children under 6 months
Source
Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
72 places, 509 data points, 1986–2020
Last refreshed

The share of infants less than six months old who were fed only with breast milk in the past 24 hours. WHO and UNICEF recommend that children be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life – meaning no other foods or liquids are provided, including water.