People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities was 2.87 million people in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
2.87 million people
Change on year
down 0.3%
World rank
42nd
of 175 countries
All-time high
2.89 million people
in 2021
All-time low
2.35 million people
in 2000
Years of data
25
2000–2024
People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities in Sierra Leone, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
Sierra Leone recorded 2.87 million people for people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and up 1.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities in Sierra Leone peaked at 2.89 million people in 2021 and was at its lowest, 2.35 million people, in 2000.
Sierra Leone ranks 42nd of 175 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2.35 million people | — |
| 2001 | 2.45 million people | +4.5% |
| 2002 | 2.56 million people | +4.3% |
| 2003 | 2.62 million people | +2.6% |
| 2004 | 2.67 million people | +1.8% |
| 2005 | 2.70 million people | +1.0% |
| 2006 | 2.71 million people | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 2.72 million people | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 2.74 million people | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 2.76 million people | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 2.78 million people | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 2.80 million people | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 2.82 million people | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 2.83 million people | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 2.84 million people | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 2.85 million people | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 2.86 million people | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 2.87 million people | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 2.88 million people | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 2.88 million people | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 2.89 million people | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 2.89 million people | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 2.88 million people | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 2.88 million people | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 2.87 million people | -0.3% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 2.87 million people is below the median for low income countries, which is 6.27 million people, 46% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 2.87 million people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.04 million people, 57% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2.63 million people | 2.35 million people | 2.76 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.84 million people | 2.78 million people | 2.88 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.88 million people | 2.87 million people | 2.89 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 39 Senegal 3.34 million people compare
- 40 South Africa 3.31 million people compare
- 41 Philippines 3.13 million people compare
- 43 Haiti 2.78 million people compare
- 44 North Korea 2.62 million people compare
- 45 Central African Republic 2.61 million 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 people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities in Sierra Leone?
- People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities in Sierra Leone was 2.87 million people in 2024, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 2.89 million people in 2021.
- What is the lowest people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.35 million people in 2000.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities?
- Sierra Leone ranks 42nd out of 175 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
If no improved sanitation facility is available, people might practice open defecation or use unimproved sanitation facilities.